Username
Password


  Remember Me

    





















THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD
"Skepsis"
Skepsis





DREAM EVIL
"In the Night"
In the Night





URGEHAL
"Ikonoklast"
Ikonoklast





TOXIC HOLOCAUST
"Evil Never Dies"
Evil Never Dies





THE KANDIDATE
"Until we are Outnumbered"
Until we are Outnumbered









Last Updated: February 9, 2010 4:53 PM




SAMMY HAGAR Says VAN HALEN 'Just Can't Do The Right Thing By The Fans' - Aug. 21, 2008
Ex-VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar recently spoke to Ralph Sutton of the nationally syndicated rock radio show "The Tour Bus" (web site) about his former band's reunion with frontman David Lee Roth and their decision to replace bassist Michael Anthony with guitarist Eddie Van Halen's 17-year-old son Wolfgang. "They just keep going, making more and more mistakes," Hagar said. "The reunion with Dave was the greatest thing they could have done, but why didn't they just keep Mike one more time?! They just can't do the right thing by the fans. I don't know why that band… There's just something quirky to where they… It's almost like they wanna just push 'em [the fans] as far as they can and see if they'll still come back."

According to Billboard.com, VAN HALEN's recent reunion tour ended up a massive success, wrapping June 2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a total gross of more than $93 million and close to one million in attendance from 74 shows.

The tour featured founding members David Lee Roth, and Eddie and Alex Van Halen, along with Wolfgang Van Halen.

The shows marked the first time Roth had performed with the band in more than 23 years. VAN HALEN's handlers say it was the top-grossing tour in the band's history.

VAN HALEN's last toured with Sammy Hagar in 2004, grossing nearly $40 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.
To report any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, please send an e-mail to bmouth@bellatlantic.net with pertinent details. Anyone posting such material will be immediately and permanently banned. IP addresses are recorded to aid us in enforcing these conditions.
COMMENT | Wolfie's cut
posted by : dxf
8/21/2008 7:13:22 PM

Wolfie gets $16 a week, Eddie pays for his car insurance, and he gets free pizza. And, of course, Eddie does pay the bills at home, which can't be cheap.



COMMENT | My first listening experience as a young boy
posted by : no remorse for killing
8/21/2008 7:20:03 PM

VH I on an 8-track with huge 1970's headphones. I was about 4 years old.

(fast forward about thirty years, after listening to VH for thousands of hours on my stereo, several times in concert...)

I saw the reunion, and I have to say Wolfie pulled it off.

COMMENT | Fuck all Sham Halen endeavours
posted by : hurricane hugo
8/21/2008 7:21:50 PM

VH = Eddie + Alex + MICHAEL + Dave

jdfu!

COMMENT | Sad
posted by : TastyGreens
8/21/2008 7:24:26 PM

You can't argue with those $$ numbers for the tour, but Sammy is absolutely right. Seeing that 1 million people actually shelled out for that joke of a "reunion" tour makes me think that there are 1 million fools out there. Can't imagine that a REAL Van Halen fan wants to see Eddie's fat kid up there playing the role of Mike. But evidently there were enough dopes out there to make the Van Halen brothers a fat stack of cash.

COMMENT |
posted by : hells_cowgirl
8/21/2008 7:28:30 PM

Sammy should do the right thing and shut the hell up.

Yeah, of course it would have been better with Michael, but it was thoroughly enjoyable without.

COMMENT | THEY'VE PUSHED ME TOO FAR
posted by : 5 BILLION DEAD
8/21/2008 7:48:18 PM

No Michael Anthony was bad enough, but when I saw them Eddie was terribly sloppy, and the only one who really seemed up to par was Alex - I gave it a 3 out of 5 skulls - only because of Dave - if not for him they would have gotten 2 skulls from me - Won't be falling for that $60 ticket again...

COMMENT |
posted by : MaRocko
8/21/2008 7:54:07 PM

I attended this version of Van Halen in Philly and enjoyed it so much I went to the DC show as well. Both shows were sold out and everyone was loving it. It was fun. It was the big show. They sounded great. Sure the original 4 guys would have been cool but it is what it is. Personally, I don't really care who is on bass as long as Dave is fronting the band. Dave and Eddie is what sells tickets. If they tour again, I'll go and I'd pay even more.

COMMENT |
posted by : JO JO
8/21/2008 8:12:29 PM

eddie wants his son in the band.

alex wants his nephew in the band.

i don't think dave and mike are that close.

ed was pissed about "the other half"

i don't think the van halen's are too thrilled about mike peddling barbecue sauce.

wolfgang is very talented.

they were great live.

mike's cool and a very good bassist / backup vocalist, but i didn't miss him.

sammy's right that "the original van halen" would have sold some more tickets . . . but the real draw was the return of dave.

COMMENT | ....
posted by : Heliotropic Rose
8/21/2008 8:25:57 PM

Its a no-brainer that EVH won't live a real long time.
He wanted to kick it with his son while he still has it going on.



COMMENT |
posted by : MaRocko
8/21/2008 8:27:16 PM

Sammy saying "Van Halen can't do right by the fans" is a load of horseshit and he knows it. Let's face it, Sam comes off as a cool guy but he's just as much of an ego maniac as the rest of them. Let's be honest, Sammy would have gotten a huge laugh had this reunion with Dave tanked but instead it sold out everywhere. Sammy can't stand it. The 2004 Van Hagar reunion grossed 40 million. The Dave reunion tour grossed 93 million. The numbers are in and Van Halen with Dave banked. Sorry Sam!

COMMENT | Somewhat agree with all
posted by : NightComesDown
8/21/2008 8:45:26 PM

Besides the great songs of course and until Sammy Hagar, Van Halen existed to feature Eddie's guitar playing and Dave's dynamic showmanship and compelling vocals so to base a tour around the reconciliation and reunion of the bands 2 stars made perfect sense. Of course the band's hard core fans would have preferred to see Michael Anthony up there, but for how many was the fact that he wasn't a deal breaker, seriously.

He is a very talented musician with a stage presence of his own but this was the story of Dave and the Van Halen's making up and hitting the stage together for the first time in 23 years and his involvement would have barely made a dent in the tour's revenue.

COMMENT |
posted by : themanzig3000
8/21/2008 8:54:59 PM

G. Cherone FTW.

COMMENT | at least....
posted by : #1metalhead
8/21/2008 9:03:40 PM

van halen is a rock 'n roll band again.the sammy stuff sucked-two or three rock songs per record & the rest was one big love song! although it would be very cool if mike was playing with v.h. but i'd much rather hear/see this version than the sammy girlie crap.

COMMENT | Anthony's absence isn't a showstopper
posted by : travyss
8/21/2008 9:14:16 PM

Like JO JO said above, the real draw was the return of Dave. Wolfgang did a good job as the bass player. The essential elements were there (Alex, Eddie and Dave).

I don't think most VH fans care much about Wolfgang replacing Anthony.



COMMENT |
posted by : RiotAct666
8/21/2008 10:21:13 PM

Saw the VH tour with Roth 5 times in total. Wolfgang did a great job and can hold is own.

COMMENT |
posted by : jme.357bc
8/21/2008 10:32:02 PM

i agree w/ sammy...

one of my favorite bands of all time ....but they stopped being relevant in my book when they gave up on Gary Cherone after 1 album. sure about 3/4ths of folks jumped ship..but at least eddie was progressing musically in that period. at least extreme reformed and brought some cool rock back out....saudades de rock is awesome.

COMMENT | money
posted by : laggerlugger
8/21/2008 10:41:43 PM

sure this tour grossed more than the last tour with Sammy. why wouldn't it when you are charging double the price. you idiots act like 40 mil. is nothing. as for Mike Anthony and Sammy yea it's all thier fault that eddie's pissed at him. I mean how dare Mike think he can have a life outside vh. selling hot sause yep that's a real crime. and how dare they being nusicians and all go on tour and sing the songs they made together in vh while ed was busy doing well you know stuff. so yea kick Mike out and act like he was never part of the band and put your son in his place so you can make even more money.I stood up for Eddie when roth was out of the band and whining how it wasn't vh without him and all the shit he said about eddie and the fans who supported him. now we are supposed to believe he and roth are good buddies?the real joke is when they put out a record and it sounds like those 2 songs that sucked on the first reatest hits cd. worse vh songs ever and pale to the Sammy song humans being and the 2 they did for the next hits package.up for breakfest blows me wise magic away.Sammy Rules and dave drools!

COMMENT | One thought...
posted by : rr00
8/21/2008 10:59:11 PM

Is that bringing his talented son into the band ensures that the Van Halen brand /band will live on when these guys start kicking off. I miss Mike, but I think it's cool that Ed brought his son on the road with him; that's truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both of them.



COMMENT |
posted by : MaRocko
8/21/2008 11:04:56 PM

The Van Hagar reunion was 4 years ago so tickets may have been less expensive.

I though the Van Roth ticket price was very reasonable for a 2008 arena production. The Police were asking $300 a ticket for floor or first and second tier seating. My 20th row Van Roth ticket was $149. No biggie for me.

Fairweather fans don't care who's on bass. It's not that big a selling point. The die hards will belly ache about Mike Anthony but I betcha a majority of then went anyway. hahahah

COMMENT | Sammy whiney Hagar
posted by : Zoo Keeper 666
8/21/2008 11:23:09 PM

What a jealous bitch this guy is, he can't stand that this tour and reunion erased the Spammy years with the first show forever.


I was at three show, and they rocked, and the Meadowlands in May, Eddie was on Fire.


Dave + Ed, they wrote the songs!

Wolf was great, he played, he sang, ed sang, but yes, there were also some prerecorded backing vox tapes added that were recorded by the van halens before the tour.

Too bad about mike, but ed has been trying to get rid of mike for years.

Oh, and I would prefer the original 4, Dave, Ed, Mike, and Al.



COMMENT | TastyGreens
posted by : Ronnie Black
8/21/2008 11:30:56 PM

1 millions fools? Hardly. I like Mike as much as the next person, & would've liked to see him up there too, but let's be realistic - the bass guitar slot in VH is/was hardly the focal point of the band. The big deal is/was Ed & Dave - Greatest guitarist & greatest frontman in rock in the same band. Nuff said.

COMMENT | one million in attendance
posted by : Scotts_Orange_Juice
8/22/2008 12:33:40 AM

hmmm...those aren't bad numbers, sammy. bet you would have liked to have done better than that when you was in VH!

COMMENT | I've seen Van Halen 7 times...
posted by : lakepowell
8/22/2008 12:38:10 AM

3 times with Sammy and 4 times with Dave (82,84,07,08). Regardless of who played bass, the Van Halen with Dave was by far and away the only way to Van Halen!

COMMENT | And before I forget...
posted by : lakepowell
8/22/2008 12:39:36 AM

At least with Wolfie we didn't have to sit through a freakin' Bass solo!

COMMENT |
posted by : Rotem
8/22/2008 1:02:53 AM

As long as Sammy isn't poking his ass into Van Halen, I think they're doing the fans a favor!

COMMENT | so true
posted by : rando
8/22/2008 1:03:26 AM

If you think that Michael Anthony is replaceable with anybody -- most of all with an unimpressive teenage amateur -- then there are only two possibilities: 1) you never saw the original Van Halen with all four members, or 2) you are an idiot. Everybody talks about Anthony's backing vocals, but it's a lot more than that. First, he is the perfect bassist for that band. His bass line on every song is perfect, and there is no way that any of their songs would have been better (and probably not as good) with another bass player. More importantly, the guy has STAGE PRESENCE. He held his own beside two two rock gods on that bare, blinding white stage. Going the complete opposite direction, with a kid who has never trained to entertain an audience, is spitting in the face of the die-hard fans. No harm, though -- obviously the idiots that paid to see this sham are begging for more. Not me.

COMMENT | LMAO @ the people ripping on Sammy
posted by : Heatmi5er
8/22/2008 1:09:56 AM

===========================================
posted by : MaRocko
8/21/2008 8:27:16 PM

Sammy saying "Van Halen can't do right by the fans" is a load of horseshit and he knows it. Let's face it, Sam comes off as a cool guy but he's just as much of an ego maniac as the rest of them. Let's be honest, Sammy would have gotten a huge laugh had this reunion with Dave tanked but instead it sold out everywhere. Sammy can't stand it. The 2004 Van Hagar reunion grossed 40 million. The Dave reunion tour grossed 93 million. The numbers are in and Van Halen with Dave banked. Sorry Sam!

===========================================

I saw both tours. First off, the 2004 tour grossed $55 Million, not $40 Million and those numbers are according to Pollstar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen_Summer_Tour_2004

Secondly, the tickets were nearly half the price. So that cuts the revenue down substantially.

Thirdly, you're right. Even though I thought it was incredibly dicky of Eddie to replace Michael with Wolfie, I still ponied up the money and saw them twice. Both times (Detroit & Grand Rapids), Eddie & Alex sounded awesome. Dave sounded good in Detroit, but in Grand Rapids, his voice was shot. Sammy's voice has held up MUCH better than Dave's.

But all this reunion crap is getting old. I'm tired of them constantly releasing greatest hits packages. They need to start making new music or just call it a day permanently.

COMMENT | He was trying to make a simple point
posted by : PowerBrake
8/22/2008 1:57:05 AM

Cool your fucking jets. He didn't knock Wolfie, he simply stated if you are going to get Roth back after 23 years, go all the way. Simple point bitches!

You can't say Wolfie is not talented.

I don't like the fat fuck (Hagar) any more than the next guy. Don't read between the lines that don't exist

COMMENT | It's funny..
posted by : slow Death
8/22/2008 6:05:45 AM

that people solely blame Sammy for the 'journey like' direction Van Halen took from 1986 on. You people really believe Eddie had nothing to do with those sappy love songs? Get real, I'd be willing to bet it was HIS idea to go in a commercial direction..it was his and Alex's band.

I saw Van Halen in Nov. 2004..great show. Michael Anthony singing 'Somebody Get Me a Doctor' was sweet.

COMMENT | everyone makes valid points!!!!!!
posted by : blsrob
8/22/2008 6:47:55 AM

I agree with little points here and there.....

Sammy should stop whining and the tour would have been better in MA was in the band.

I do think if they are going to kick MA out of the band, then don't use his backing vocals because you just prove that you miss him.

I am tired of always defending these reunion or wanna be reunion bands (Skid Row and Baz)....just be happy you guys can still make music and some money! We will all never see the original Pantera again so any of this "bitching" by other sides pales in comparison to no more Pantera!!!!!!!

COMMENT | Sorry sack of shit..
posted by : ThisIsMyUsername
8/22/2008 7:15:59 AM

STFU, Hammy. Nobody elected you the band's spokesperson.

COMMENT |
posted by : vielip
8/22/2008 7:51:03 AM

Van Halen = Sammy + Ed + Al + Mike and no f*cking poser as a front lady (=Roth). With Roth they only delivered one great album (VH!) and a bunch of cool songs but with Sammy every record was a winner!!! Sammy is king compared to Roth hahaha

COMMENT | Saw it in Dallas
posted by : BubsTa
8/22/2008 7:55:35 AM

Hmmmm.... DLR tour = $93M and SH tour = $40M. The JAN08 show here was wonderful, better than expected. Glad I went!!

COMMENT |
posted by : Dave Levine
8/22/2008 9:00:06 AM

Those first VH albums and also 1984 are just classics. Fair Warning just kicks ass! No one else was even remotely like these guys. I can deal with some 5150 I guess but everything before that is just so damn cool. Unique, innovative. Just timeless classics.

COMMENT |
posted by : Bryar
8/22/2008 9:20:22 AM

I am one of the one million "idiots" as someone stated earlier. I was at the final show in Grand Rapids. I am 32 so this was my first chance to see Dave front the band. I was so excited, I have always liked Dave, even in his solo career. It was an incredible show! Dave is so flamboyant! Sure he don't move like he used to, but he tries. I had this huge smile on my face all night long. It was hilarious how he was trying to get Wolfie laid by ladies in the audience. It was a fantastic night and if they do it again, I will be another one of the x number of "idiots" who attend. But hey opinions are like assholes right... ;)

COMMENT | laggerluger
posted by : BSlash24
8/22/2008 9:48:47 AM

I gotta agree w/laggerluger, MA got the shaft, yes it was fine w/out him, but to kick him out cuz he was still friends w/Sam is lame, cuz that's what it was about. Ed says "he was busy with his other band". F U Ed, you're a bitter old man now, what happened to you?....if you enjoyed the show, great, but after seeing them in '81/84, it was a major disappointment. Roth is a shell, he can't even do his pattened whistle scream, piped in keyboards on Jump & I'll wait(Karyoke), Ed Sloppy as hell & low energy. that's not VH, & I don't want to make consessions for age, that's what VH was about, hungry, balls to the wall performance, they were BARNSTORMERS. VH1 - FairWarning,amazing! Yeah, DLR was flamboyant all right, like Liberace. BUT, again, if you dug it, that is cool. It left me flat. And was $100...still kicked tail on the Sammy era stuff though, I loved 5150 in the day, it didn't stand up though, electronic drum sound, "dreams", just so mid '80s, real plastic & fluffy.

COMMENT | sammy
posted by : slvrtngdvl61
8/22/2008 10:00:01 AM

i never liked sammy hagar in VH, in fact i thought everything that they did with him singing sounded soooo watered down and not van halen at all. I did like him as a solo artist b4 vh. now im really amped about the new band "chicken foot" with the god of guitar gods Joe Satriani where joe really needs no singer so whatever they do sammy wont be able to screw it up.

COMMENT | The point...
posted by : KISSOFF 2004
8/22/2008 10:19:24 AM

...is that even with lower ticket prices...the Hagar tour still averaged less attendance than the DLR shows.

I went to both...and it wasn't even close in terms of show, attendance, and crowd reaction. That's not meant as a slam on Hagar either...

And before the Hagar nerds start screaming again...I'm a huge fan of the man's Montrose/solo career (...up through "V.O.A." anyway) "Street Machine" and "Danger Zone" still kick ass.

Hagar can still bring it live as a solo artist and has a dedicated fanbase...there's no need for him to keep bitching about the current status of VH. It comes across as jealousy...

NP: 707 "I Could Be Good For You"

COMMENT |
posted by : JO JO
8/22/2008 11:08:06 AM

the thing i don't get is mike is cooler about not being in van halen than sammy is. why is it up to sammy to say mike should be there? mike isn't complaining. he seems to be enjoying his freedom.

he's even been telling fans to go easy on wolfgang. that he's a good kid.

what's the problem?

COMMENT |
posted by : BSlash24
8/22/2008 11:25:57 AM

Mike's taking the highroad, & not that I should care, but he said it hurt alot at first, he heard about it all in print, that Wolfie was on board, the band even airbrushed him out of the Women & CHildren 1st cover on their website(they put it back the next day cuz people were outraged), Ed was extremely petty about it, calling him Mike Sovleski(his real name), & Mike was out cuz "he had another band & is too worried about his hot sauce", talking like a scorned 16 year old. Granted, I'm sure he loves playing with his kid, great...though the kid is 16-17, playing with 50 somethings, if he's a prodigy, let him spread his wings!....but Mike got screwed. He F'd up too signing his rights to the name away in '04. From a far, a fan's stand point, Mike seems like a nice guy, that got in trouble cuz he stayed friends with Sammy. Grow up EVH. His interviews are painfully bitter & defensive....and his newfound brotherhood with DLR is such crap. Just like he was soulmates with Cherone, the Sammy Version of the band was MachII supreme cuz they were brothers....zzzz.

COMMENT | correct sir
posted by : BSlash24
8/22/2008 1:04:25 PM

Sam seems like a nice guy, hate to trash him, but had he not hooked up w/VH, he would have gone the route of say Billy Squire, he'd have been forgotten. He had hits in early 80's, for my $$ they were corny, 2nd rate & I was bummed they choose him. VH were monsters at the time, & Ed was a guitar god in '85, so they would have maintained a lot of success. They did write hits after that, but it got awful mushy. There are a few hard rockers with Sam, like on F.U.C.K, but its alot more poppy. Love walks in, Dreams, just sap. The DLR VH maintained creditbility from start to finish, save maybe "I'll wait". But they were beggininng to get more "commerical", but it still maintained rock cred....VH 1-Fairwairing was a fantastic run! VHII is so killer, FW, just out there guitarwise. Very inventive at that point. He started reguritating riffs & solo patterns in the Hagar years.

COMMENT | Amen
posted by : walkingbeard
8/22/2008 1:11:43 PM

Personally, I wasn't that keen on Hagar's stuff, but I have no problem with him as a legitimate part of the band. Bands, even really fucking amazing ones, frequently change lineups. That's just life.

But your teenage son? To replace Michael Anthony? I don't care how produced his bass might have been, he's like Bob Daisley - plays a lot of simple stuff, but injects it with this proto-universal force. On Panama and Girl Gone Bad, or even something more mid-paced, like Dance the Night Away, it's just awesome. Seventies fingers is what it is. All the seventies and eighties greats had it. Neil Murray.

That alone, beyond anything else, justifies either Van Halen I lineup or bust.

COMMENT |
posted by : axeslinger0u812
8/22/2008 2:15:25 PM

why can't people understand natural progression? Was 1984 not Eddie finally having his run of full creativity in his own studio? And what did he add to the mix in a much more significant way, but KEYBOARDS. Sure, the DLR material prior to that was the heaviest stuff they wrote, but come on. I'll Wait? Jump? If you think that if Dave stayed for another album that the sound would have gone backwards, you're insane. 5150 is where Eddie was headed anyway. It might have gotten just a bit more soft than it would have because he suddenly had a singer who could hit notes that Dave could only imagine. But Eddie was on that track to radio. I think it's obvious. Had Dave stayed, it wouldn't have gotten AS fluffy, perhaps, but where did dave go after VH? oh yeah...california girls and being a gigalo. I personally love all VH. Dave was the perfect frontman for the raw and mean VH, while Sam was perfect for the later direction Ed went. Cherone had his moments. While not every song this band did was amazing, or even good, I felt they were at least interesting all the way through. Balance is great. VH III had what could have been an epic song in Year to the Day. I'm not going to shut out the band because Dave's not in it anymore. if anything, that's childish.
hopefully, with dave back, we might get something new from them, and they will be in that early mentality after doing all those songs again.


I just wish people would stop fucking bitching about it.

COMMENT | Sammy
posted by : boomboom!
8/22/2008 6:18:29 PM

You and your tequila will always have something in common, SECOND PLACE!!!!! Right behind Diamond Dave and Petron!!!! As for Mike, you took BAD ADVISE from a RUNNER UP!!! DUMBASS!!!!!!!!

COMMENT | Hmmm...
posted by : MadMattinKC
8/23/2008 8:30:17 AM

First of all I have to give kudos to axeslinger0u812. I think it's great that EVH was able to appear onstage with his son for this tour. I would have preferred it be something they did maybe for one song each show instead of actually having him be a replacement for Mike. Anthony provided so many beneficial elements that a newcomer, no matter how talented, just doesn't bring to the table. Naturally this tour was destined to sell huge. With twenty plus years of buildup any die-hard old-school VH fan would give their eye teeth for a ticket. But there was something I discovered back when I saw the ill-fated "Sam and Dave" tour back in 2002 (?), and that was how Dave just wasn't able to sing the songs the way they used to be/need to be sung. Sammy opened here in K.C. and had a show full of energy and sang his ass off. Hell, Mikey was even there with him! With Sammy it felt like it was one big party and we were all invited. Then when Dave came out, with a second-rate Van Halen cover band in tow, he sounded flat and awful. He wasn't even trying to sound like the Diamond Dave of old for most songs, and when he did he was failing miserably. I also felt like he just took it for granted that we were all there for him and would be happy with a half-assed performance. I had so eagerly anticipated this show, and here I was not even halfway through Roth's set making my way toward the exit to beat the rush of traffic out of the venue. I think anyone who has had a similar experience would feel inclined to question why Roth is back in Van Halen at this point. Can there be any doubt that it was commercially motivated? It's been widely known for some time that if both sides needed a big payday this would do it (i.e. 'In event of emergency break glass' with Diamond Dave inside,LOL).Whether you liked the musical style of the "Van Hagar" period or not you have to admit that Sammy was always much more personable and has seemed more 'true' to the fans. For perfect evidence of that just take a look at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Could we get one, just ONE person with the last name Van Halen to show? Nope. Not that EVH didn't need it, but wasn't that an oh-so convenient time to go off to rehab? I think someone just wanted to dodge an uncomfortable situation rather than be there for the fans. Okay, so I've gone a little off point here, but the fact remains that if you're going to present us with a watered-down version of the band we all know and love then why bother? Yes, it's a sad day when you realize your favorite band needs to just hang it up. The original spirit of Van Halen doesn't lend itself to this picture of aging rockers just trying to get through the show. If we can't have Dave's banshee-like wails, Eddie running and jumping around like a madman, and Mike going crazy on his Jack Daniels bass then why bother? If Dave is singing in a lower key and off timing, Ed is barely leaving the ground while playing something sorta like what you remember, and there's no Mikey at all then what's the point? Some bands have the ability to age gracefully. But Roth-era Van Halen is all about youth and energy and completely losing your mind in a sonic-induced frenzy. I really think it's time for them to go into the sunset, because enough damage has been done to the band's legacy in the last several years and I'd prefer to not see it tarnished further. I will always hold onto the fond memories of listening to Van Halen both on the radio and a couple of times live. I'd love it if they were able to do an about-face and prove me wrong, but at this point I think that's highly unlikely. So please guys, stop the madness already.

COMMENT |
posted by : BSlash24
8/24/2008 9:57:26 PM

agree, the original VH probably should have been left where it was, it was a Barnstorming band that you can't recreate at 55, & the Sam Version is probably more suited to them now...BUT, I'm not bitching about the Sammy version, but definitely have an opinion that it comes up short to the DLR era, it lacks the balls, it got fluffy, Ed's real inovative period was the DLR era. Not Sam's fault cuz most great bands have only 6-7 great albums in them(yes there are exceptions).....weither the band would have gone more commercial or soft with DLR is moot, cuz it never happened. I agree, it probably would have, 1984 hinted to this. The keyboard songs, for my tastes, are cheesy, its a very 80's sounding, dated Keyboard sound. Right now has tastier keyboard sound, though I think that song too is cheese. But, its subjective. I just can't compare say VHII or Fairwarning to AnYTHING in the Sam era. That aint bitching, its opinion. I do like a few songs from the Sam era, I just don't think they hold up as well(Dreams for instance, rubbish).

COMMENT | PS
posted by : BSlash24
8/24/2008 10:08:00 PM

I also agree with MadMattin KC, as much as I think the DLR era is far superior, LIVE, in 2008, DLR is a SHELL of himself. he was like Liberace, never even attempted his pattened screams, it did come off like a cover band, Ed's energy was sparce...this was NOT the same band I saw in 81-84. I can't make consessions for age. The over the top energy, party atmospsher & blistering musical attack was their calling card, not Karyoke singing to piped in keyboards on I'll Wait & Jump. I cut out during the encore. One of my favorite guitarist & bands left me picking my nose, I was bored & didn't want to be.

COMMENT | Regard to the VH tour.
posted by : spoyld
1/5/2009 10:59:41 PM


You know you hear all this BS about how great this Vh reunion is. Well, I am here to tell you, I am one of the millions (goin against my better judgement ) that wasted their money. It's a damn shame that a band like VH has to put together such a sub-par act. The only reason this tour made money is because there are alot of dumb f**ks that live in the frickin past. If anyone had seen the frontman tour with Hagar and Roth, we all know who kicked ass and who should still be an EMT. Nothing against the guy. In the day, he was the man... that was in the day. Dave, it's the past. Hagar is, without the doubt, the talent. Edward is such an egotistical asshole, that he didn't realize it. Take note Ed, your wife go out while the gettin was good!!! You know what... So did this loyal fan. No more deniro from this guy in cleveland. Hang em high guitar god!!!!





In order to post a comment, please log in first.
If you aren't signed up, sign up now.


BLABBERMOUTH.NET is run and operated independently of Roadrunner Records. The accuracy of the information contained herein is neither confirmed nor guaranteed by Roadrunner Records, and the views and opinions of authors expressed on these pages do not necessarily state or reflect those of Roadrunner Records or its employees.

|
Latest News | News Archive | CD Reviews | DVD Reviews | Contact | Submit News |
| Advertise | Wireless | Privacy Policy |

 
UPDATE YOUR PROFILE LOGOUT Latest News News Archive CD Reviews DVD Reviews Contact Submit News Advertise Wireless