EXTREME Guitarist Talks About Touring With RIHANNA (Video)

Fuse conducted an interview with EXTREME/RIHANNA guitarist Nuno Bettencourt during the pop singer's "777" tour — a jaunt through seven countries for seven concerts in seven days. You can now watch the chat below.

The unexpected combination of the Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Rihanna and Bettencourt has in fact become what Nuno says "a great opportunity to blend our talents to create a high-energy experience."

Nuno is best known for his work in the multiplatinum rock band EXTREME, where they were nominated for a Grammy for their Billboard chart-topping hit "More Than Words". Nuno has worked on many projects including, multiple solo albums, film scores and has also worked with notable artists such as Janet Jackson, Perry Farrell, Robert Palmer and many others.

Rihanna's choice to have Nuno in her band was a great surprise, and Nuno assured that her live sound is really complimentary to his "style." When he heard the direction Rihanna wants to go in a live setting Nuno said, "Wow, this rocks! It's heavy and funky, and it hit me that this is 'my' thing, this is 'my' style…"

Once Nuno and Rihanna blended their talents and began the first round of rehearsals, Nuno stated, "It did not disappoint. Even better than what I expected because she also has the most incredible band, and I get the privilege to add to their wall of sound. Come see and hear it for yourself!"

Asked what the biggest difference is between performing live with EXTREME and going on the road with Rihanna, Nuno said in an interview, "The fact that the audience is 90 percent women between the ages of 9 to 23. [laughs] The biggest difference has got to be being part of the show that it is. EXTREME is just a four-piece. The most creative we've gotten is to get a horn section. But this is like a spectacle with dancers and aerialists and it's amazing to be a part of."