As an up-and-coming guitarist, Pete Evick found himself caught between the song-first approach of Ace Frehley and the futurist shred of Eddie Van Halen.
“I don’t know about anyone else in my scene, but I felt a lot of pressure to know how to do everything,” he says. “But my soul always knew just to be myself. That’s the only way to really win.”
It looks like Evick won. He’s been part of Poison frontman Bret Michaels’ solo band for over 20 years, moving from hired gun to trusted friend and creative collaborator in the process.
It helps that he admired Poison’s C.C. DeVille sugary-sweet ‘80s glam rock goodness alongside the work of Frehley and Van Halen.
“You can hum his solos from Talk Dirty to Me, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, and Fallen Angel,” Evick points out.
“Poison had the perfect blend of pop sensibility, raw punk energy, and hard rock attitude. It was a lifestyle to me – they affected every part of me.”
When did you decide what sort of player you wanted to be?
My mother put a guitar in my hand at age 5. She was a giant Elvis Presley fan, but I didn’t have much interest. Later that year I saw Kiss, and that sealed the deal for me. I’ve changed what kind of player I want to be so many times!
I started off just wanting to be Ace, then I went on to Eddie. I was playing Eruption and Panama in middle school and I wanted to be larger than life.
I was into the shredding – but I loved the noisiness and abstract stuff that bands like Bush and Smashing Pumpkins were doing.
I focused more on songwriting and left the shredding behind. After joining Bret’s band, I got back into the shredding. I think, most of all, I wanted to be the guy that plays what’s right for the song – Keith Scott and Mike Campbell type stuff, which Eddie and Ace managed to do perfectly in their own ways.
How did the scene around you affect you?
I grew up in the Washington D.C. area, where you had Kix, Child’s Play, and Wrathchild America, and everything else was cover bands. If you were a rock guy you were expected to do what Kix were doing.
But the cover band scene had so many great players who were emulating so many different styles that you felt like you had to learn everything – even if you didn’t like it. I forced myself to learn a ton of Yngwie Malmsteen-style licks, even though it wasn’t my thing.
When did you decide to make music your career?
From the second I saw Kiss, there was never any looking back. I was 5, drawing album covers and planning tours. I was very lucky; my parents were behind me 100 percent. I had a strangely supportive group of people who normally tell kids, “You can’t do this!”
Teachers, counselors, and even principals thought the idea of making it in the music biz was great. Which was amazing and helpful, but also gave me a bit of an ego! I thought it would be easier than it was when it was time to hit the road and go for it.
I remember that feeling as I started to play outside of my hometown with other bands, finding out there was a “me” on every corner. But that made me work even harder to find ways to stand out.
How did your early gigs shape you?
I started playing clubs when I was still in high school. Playing in dirty rock bars at an early age was crazy. My parents didn’t come with me. I often wonder why it was okay for a 15-year-old to play till 1:30 am on a school night. I got to see a lot of things – I grew up really fast!
The Jubilee is the only Marshall I can stand. It’s also the best amp ever
I also worked in a music store. I was dirt poor, so I didn’t get to have the greatest gear. I didn’t have junk, though. The gear in those times evolved so fast that every week you had to have something new. I couldn’t afford the Eventide so I had the Digitech ISP.
Early on, Marshalls just didn’t work for me, and I was a big Bon Jovi fan. Richie Sambora was using an amp brand called KMD, and we sold it at the store I worked at, so I got one and loved it. Then the world turned to the A/DA MP-1. I hated it, but everyone had it; I thought I must be stupid not to like it, so I used that for a while.
Then the first 5150 came out and that solved all my problems. Back then I was a big B.C. Rich and Ibanez guy, then I turned into a Les Paul guy. For the last 20 years I’ve been a proud player of Dean guitars.
How has your rig evolved over the years?
I was a purist when I joined Bret’s band – Les Paul, tube amp, no effects at all. I did that for years, then I started adding a few pedals just for fun. Right now I’m using the Tonex One. I have a Marshall Silver Jubilee dialed in by this amazing player and modeler named Steve Senes. The Jubilee is the only Marshall I can stand. It’s also the best amp ever. He modeled it and it sounds amazing.
C.C. DeVille was one of those guys who played for the song but still had some shred – very rare
Then I have one little micro pedal with my rhythm sound and my lead sound, which is the same sound with a slight phaser effect, and that’s it. All over the world, in those big arenas, I can put a pedal in my pocket. It’s a cool time to be a guitar player!
How did you first meet Bret Michaels?
He'd done a couple of solo tours and my band, Evick, was his opening act up and down the East Coast. He saw my work ethic and we got along so well, then an opportunity came to do a one-off gig in Detroit with him. Now it’s 21 years later!
I was a gigantic Poison fan. I played their songs every year in talent shows. And in the bars we had several Poison songs in the set. C.C. was one of those guys who played for the song but still had some shred – very rare.
What does Bret expect from you?
He expects 500 percent all day, every day. Keep up with him or go home. He’s not interested in me being a shredder or any kind of guitar hero. But he’s incredibly supportive of me being who I want to be, as long as I’m giving it my all. He absolutely doesn’t want hired guns standing in one spot. His band is his family, his army, his team. He’s given me the confidence to be myself.
One time in the studio, I was working on this lick and really wanted it to have a Van Halen feel. I was stuck. He asked what was taking me so long. As I explained, he said, “Pete, I know Eddie. I have enough money that if I wanted to have him play on this, I could. I want you to play on it.”
Bret’s a loyalist; if you’re on his team, he’s got your back. So, in short, working with Bret helped find the security to let my sound and style be my own.
You have to cop C.C.’s style along with handling Bret’s solo music. What’s the key to that?
Even before I was in Bret’s band, the C.C. influence shone through. In my own bands I was always compared to him, and I play the important parts of his riffs and solos. If I want to do anything different, Bret lets me. So I never really had an approach – I just went for it.
What do people get wrong about Bret?
I’m not sure it’s what they get wrong versus what they just don’t know. Bret is super creative and knows no boundaries. There’s way more Prince or Trent Reznor in Bret than anyone would imagine – he will try anything.
Bret will say, ‘Take that guitar sound and just fuck it all up!’ I have hard drives of stuff that may never get released, all crazy stuff
He’ll use anything as a musical instrument in the studio. He loves to beatbox; he loves to turn anything into a percussion instrument. He’ll say, “Take that guitar sound and just fuck it all up! Make it crazy!” I have hard drives of stuff that may never get released, all crazy stuff!
What’s next for you?
Continuing to play with Bret. But I constantly write and release my own music. I have something very special coming with one of my best friends, Chad Stewart from Faster Pussycat, which also features Eric Brittingham of Cinderella, Tyson Leslie, and Reb Beach from Winger and Whitesnake.
Chad and I tour a lot with Dead Cramer, the other guitar player in the Bret Michaels Band. We’re called the Ultimate Acoustic Rock Show. We take all the giant '80s hits from Duran Duran to Van Halen and turn them into acoustic songs covered with three-part harmonies.
I play tons of solo acoustic shows with Chuck Fanslau, my drummer of 38 years. And recently back home, I’ve put together an ‘80s hard rock tribute called Retro Rock Revival with some of Northern Virginia’s most respected players. I’ll always have my band, Evick, but we only play once a year.
Any regrets?
I have a song I wrote during Covid called My Best Days. The lyric goes, “I’ve lived my life with no regrets, I got a million stories I can’t forget, it’s been a hell of a ride, but I’m willing to bet, my best days ain’t behind me yet.”
I’ve done a lot of stupid things, but right now I’m sitting here doing this interview – 14-year-old me would never believe it!
- The Bret Michaels Band’s next tour begins on February 5.
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