Van Halen Getting Along Fine, Taking a Break, And Planning to Extend Tour!
Just when we all were beginning to think we were going to get a killer Van Halen album and an entire tour without any drama whatsoever, look what happens!
Yesterday, Van Halen POSTPONED (not canceled!) most of their Summer tour dates with no reason given. Immediately, speculation ran wild. Fans wondered if there were health issues. Rolling Stone quotes a mysterious “source with knowledge of the tour” who supposedly said the band members “hate each other” and are “arguing like mad.”
The Van Halen News Desk now has some answers form our trusted and proven sources. Other than those Summer dates having to be moved, it’s actually good news.
First off, no one in the band is sick. No health problems.
Second, we knew right away that Rolling Stone’s “source” is completely wrong, and can not possibly be a person with actual inside knowledge of the tour, because all four band members have been getting along splendidly throughout the entire tour. Roth and the Van Halen’s talk every day, and they are all smiles on stage. Everyone who’s seen the tour or even youtube videos can confirm that.
In fact, the band is on such a high from playing together this year and they were really taken aback by the Rolling Stone quote. They’re older and wiser and haven’t had any issues with one another.
Why were these dates postponed? The band has been working tirelessly for the last 18 months – writing and recording “A Different Kind Of Truth”, filming the “Tattoo” video, rehearsing, putting together the show themselves (lighting, the videos, the stage, routing the tour, and lots of behind the scenes stuff that most people don’t even know about). The band wants the second leg to be as awesome as the first. And for that to happen they want to put more time into the planning of it. Not just continue on with the same show.
Van Halen is very enthusiastic about the rest of the tour and wants be on the road for a long time. Just how long remains to be seen, but we’ll say that the tour will probably continue into next year. They are now considering touring Australia and Japan in the near future.
As it stands now, the 31 postponed US shows are due to be rescheduled. There should be some sort of official announcement forthcoming.
Van Halen Postpone 31 Concert Dates
Van Halen have postponed 31 dates on their 2012 North American tour. The postponed shows were to run from July 7 in Uncasville, CT through Sept. 25 in Milwaukee, WI.
No official reason has been given for the postponements, and there’s no word yet on when the rescheduled dates will be announced.
(Note that these dates have been POSTPONED, not canceled. Several shows on Van Halen’s 2007-2008 were postponed as well, and all were ultimately rescheduled.)
The band has 15 upcoming shows which will go on as scheduled:
5/19 St. Paul, Minn., Xcel Energy Center
5/22 Kansas City, Mo., Sprint Center
5/24 Denver, Colo., Pepsi Center
5/27 Las Vegas, Nev., MGM Grand Garden Arena
6/1 Los Angeles, Calif., Staples Center
6/3 Oakland, Calif., Oracle Arena
6/5 San Jose, Calif., HP Pavilion
6/9 Los Angeles, Calif., Staples Center
6/12 Anaheim, Calif, Honda Center
6/14 San Diego, Calif – Viejas Arena
6/16 Phoenix, Ariz., US Airways Center
6/20 Dallas, Texas, American Airlines Center
6/22 San Antonio, Texas, AT&T Center
6/24 Houston, Texas, Toyota Center
6/26 New Orleans, La., New Orleans Arena
The postponed dates:
7/7 Uncasville, Ct., Mohegan Sun Arena
7/9 Hampton, Va., Hampton Coliseum
7/11 Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
7/13 East Rutherford, N.J., Izod Center
7/15 Baltimore, Md., 1st Mariner Arena
7/17 Rochester N.Y., Blue Cross Arena
7/19 Detroit, Mich., Joe Louis Arena
7/21 London, Ontario, John Labatt Centre
7/24 Toledo, Ohio, Huntington Center
7/26 Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Andel Arena
7/28 Cleveland, Ohio, Quicken Loans Arena
7/31 Fort Wayne, Ind., Allen County Memorial Coliseum
8/2 Columbus, Ohio, Schottenstein Center
8/4 Knoxville, Tenn., Thompson-Boiling Arena
8/6 Memphis, Tenn., FedEx Forum
8/8 Birmingham, Ala., BJCC Arena
8/10 Greenville, S.C., BI-LO Center
8/12 Cincinnati, Ohio, US Bank Arena
8/21 Spokane, Wash., Spokane Arena
8/23 Portland, Ore., Rose Garden
8/25 Sacramento, Calif.,Power Balance Pavilion
8/28 Fresno, Calif., Save Mart Center
8/30 Reno, Nev., Reno Events Center
9/4 Salt Lake City, Utah — EnergySolutions Arena
9/8 Albuquerque, N.M., Tingley Coliseum
9/11 El Paso, Texas, Don Haskins Center
9/13 Austin, Texas, Frank Erwin Center
9/15 Oklahoma City, Okla., Chesapeake Energy Arena
9/17 Wichita, Kan. – Intrust Bank Arena
9/21 Moline, Ill., Iwireless Center
9/25 Milwaukee, Wis., Bradley Center
Van’s Halen’s “A Different Kind Of Truth” LP Vinyl Pressing (Video)
The following footage was shot by Richard Simms, III; and edited by JasonA. They write, ”This is a fun little thing I recently edited of Van Halen’s “A Different Kind Of Truth” LP being pressed to 180 gram red vinyl at United Record Pressing in Nashville, TN.”
The vinyl pressing for Van Halen’s “A Different Kind Of Truth” contains all 13 songs on 2 Red Vinyl LPs, Custom LP Artwork with Roth’s handwritten lyrics and sketches, and Deluxe Double Gatefold Packaging. Pressed on high quality 180g weight vinyl for longer life and superior sound. It’s in stock and shipping now at Van Halen Store.
Ronnie Montrose: “What Made Eddie Van Halen Special Was His Youthful Irreverence For The Rules.”
Shortly before his death, the late, great Ronnie Montrose contributed to the upcoming hardcover photo book, Eddie Van Halen, by Neil Zlozower.
The Van Halen News Desk has the exclusive on the guitarist’s story of meeting Eddie Van Halen:
“The first tour I did with Van Halen, the bill was Journey, Ronnie Montrose, and Van Halen was opening. I was doing my instrumental music on that tour. Van Halen was a young, loud, and brash band, and I liked them. Eddie came up to me backstage at sound check and he called me Mr. Montrose. He shyly shook my hand and said, “Mr. Montrose, I’m Edward Van Halen, and I’m a big fan. We told Ted Templeman to get the Montrose sound when we did our record.” He also told me they used to play “Dancin’ Feet” from one of the Montrose albums at their yard parties in Pasadena.
“I really enjoyed Eddie’s playing. What made Eddie special was his youthful irreverence for the rules. That’s what impressed me. He’d developed his own style. I think Eddie started out on drums first, and there’s a very percussive nature about the way he plays. He plays very metered and percussive, and he’s very fluid in that style.”
-Ronnie Montrose
Legendary rock photographer Neil Zlozower’s second Van Halen hardcover coffee table photo book, Eddie Van Halen, is back in stock at Van Halen Store. It’s the definitive visual history of early Eddie Van Halen – jam packed with classic and never before published photos! A MUST HAVE for Van Halen fans and guitarists alike. Van Halen Store is the exclusive retailer of autographed copies, signed by the author himself, at no additional charge. Order now!
Van Halen Interviews, Part 4 (Video)
This new video is the forth video interview from Van Halen which features the founding members of the band talking about what it was like before they skyrocketed onto the scene in 1978. Enjoy!
Old-School Throwdown
From Calgary Sun:
Maybe you can turn back the hands of time to 1984 — if only for a couple of hours.
Although Sammy Hagar is a good singer, so-so songwriter, solid frontman and expert tequila maker, Van Halen was never really Van Halen without David Lee Roth. It’s true.
At 57 years of age, the clown prince of rock ’n’ roll hijinx, shenanigans and tomfoolery was actually in fine form Wednesday night.
Unlike Hagar, Diamond Dave was never much of a singer, but for some reason or another … it’s never really mattered. And it didn’t Wednesday.
The verticals of his patented flying scissor kicks aren’t quite what they used to be, but Roth brought the excited Calgary classic rock contingent to its collective feet as he first appeared on the massive minimalist stage and launched in the quick one-two punch of Unchained from 1981’s Fair Warning and Runnin’ With The Devil from the still outstanding self-titled 1978 debut.
Resplendent in black sequined jacket, pants and white scarf, Roth could barely contain himself.
“We’re off to a flying start tonight, Calgary!” he bellowed to raucous applause in front of the giant LED video screen.
Flanked by bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, Uncle Alex on drums and dear old dad, Eddie, on guitar, the tales of internal dysfunction and destruction seem to be a thing of the past.
Touring behind the first new Van Halen record in 14 years — and the first with Roth in 28 — the key players of Roth and Eddie Van Halen seem committed, fit, healthy, disease-free and even … happy.
For all of his mad genius guitar histrionics, flakiness and overall craziness, Eddie remains one of the great rock guitarists of all time. Some 35 years after forming the band in Pasadena, Calif., his style and techniques are still oft-imitated, but never duplicated.
He smiled brightly while finger-tapping his way through She’s The Woman, first single, Tattoo, from the new A Different Kind Of Truth album, Everybody Wants Some!! from Women and Children First and Somebody Get Me A Doctor from the second album. After all, it wasn’t like we were going to be hearing anything 5150 or OU812.
The interplay and chemistry between father and son was as effective as it was, er, heart-warming. The kid can play and the harmonies of Wolfgang and Eddie often overshadowed Diamond Dave. Is it live or is it Memorex? You be the judge. Unfortunately live sometimes just isn’t live anymore.
The band poured it on through Hear About It Later, the Roy Orbison nugget Oh, Pretty Woman, its second most famous cover of the Kinks’ You Really Got Me, and Dance The Night Away from Van Halen II. Indeed, these were the tunes everyone came to hear.
The crowd was far from ready to go home as the group pulled out Beautiful Girls, Ice Cream Man and Panama.
It wouldn’t be an old-school Van Halen throwdown without a 10-minute guitar solo, and EVH provided the flash and substance as only he can. Eruption — man, forget about it. This guy is still really something.
The show had yet to conclude at press time, but, not surprisingly, every show on the current tour has ended with Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love and, of course, Jump.
Pearl Jam & Alice In Chains Attend Van Halen Show
Wolgang tweeted al picture of himself and Eddie with Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Jerry Cantrell, and Sean Kinney backstage at a Van Halen show in Tacoma, Washington from last weekend.
WolfVanHalen Wolfgang Van Halen:
New Van Halen “Biker Pin-Up” Shirt in Sizes Up To 4XL
Van Halen Store has a brand new shirt for 2012 featuring a classic pin-up girl on a vintage motorcycle. Printed on a 100% cotton sand colored tee and available in sizes Small – 4XL (Regular-Fit). Order the Biker Pin-Up Tee for just $24.95 here.
Due to countless requests, Van Halen Store now carries more shirts available in larger sizes.
View all 3XL (12 designs) or 4XL (4 designs).
 1982 Vintage Lion Shirt, Black $19.95 Small – 4XL Now in 3XL & 4XL! |
 Rock ‘N’ Roll Shirt $19.95 Small – 4XL Now in 3XL & 4XL! |
 1984 “Tour of the World” Shirt $19.95 Small – 4XL Now in 3XL & 4XL! |
Happy Birthday, Alex Van Halen!
Alexander Arthur Van Halen was born on May 8th, 1953, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was raised in Nijmegan, a town just otside Amsterdam. Luckily for millions of rock fans, the Van Halens moved to the U.S. when Alex was about 9.
While not much is known about the man himself, fans can deduce all they really need to know by listening to his music.
We wish Alex all the best, and we thank him and the band for a phenomenal new album and tour!
Wolfgang Van Halen Is the Youngest Biggest Rock Star Alive
From Esquire.com:
And it’s not just the DNA. A conversation with twenty-one-year-old Wolfie — bass player, band leader, son of some other guy who apparently plays guitar (and chimes in from time to time).
By David Curcurito
(Part of the reporting for “Eddie Van Halen Alive,” from the May 2012 issue of Esquire, on sale now)
ESQUIRE: Did you actually have to decide at one moment that I’m going to be in this band? Or did you just feel like you were — I mean, there had to be a point where you’re like, Holy shit, they’re really planning this thing around me.
WOLFGANG VAN HALEN: I guess it really didn’t hit me until, like, the first night of the tour, in 2007. It just felt so normal, because we had already been rehearsing for two years. It just kind of fell into place, you know? I didn’t really have anything that I felt like I needed to do other than music. It’s the only thing I had, I think.
ESQ: So you joined when you were fifteen?
WVH: We started rehearsing when I was almost sixteen, like four months before I was sixteen. But then we rehearsed for, like, a year and a half, two years — it takes a really long time to get shit done — but by the end, we were all practiced up. It’s just so crazy. We’re playing while rehearsing. We started rehearsing and recording ourselves for the record right before I turned eighteen. So for about two and a half years, we’ve pretty much been rehearsing every single day — excluding Sundays, maybe, just the three of us, and it’s funny, it doesn’t feel like work at all. It just feels like something that we do.
EDDIE VAN HALEN: Not even close to work — we just kind of meet each other every day. “See you in the studio tomorrow!” “Okay!” “You wanna play?” “Yeah, okay, let’s play.”
WVH: We call each other at 10:30, like, “Hey, see you at 12.”
EVH: Sometimes we go, “You wanna play or not?”
WVH: Dad always goes, “Do we have to?” And I say, “Yes.”
EVH: No, but half the time it was because I was so tired of setting up mics and engineering.
ESQ: You don’t have some guy that does that for you?
EVH: No, because I know what I want. The shit I record sounds way better than the record.
WVH: The early demos of just the three of us sound fantastic. We had severe cases of demo-itis.
EVH: I’m the only one who knows how this band is supposed to sound. Drum-wise, it starts with the drums. If Al’s drum sound isn’t there, you know, forget it. I’m the only one who can get it.
WVH: The band has never sounded this good.
ESQ: So you enjoy playing sound checks? Are you really working kinks out, or do you just enjoy playing?
WVH: It’s kind of just a ritual, almost. We’ve been doing this new thing to mix it up — every single show we’ve played has been different — I want to keep it interesting. Since we’re on the second tour, I think we’ve earned the ability to play older songs, like “Hear About It Later.” Last night I was so happy we played that.
ESQ: Have you written an entire song for Van Halen?
WVH: Not yet. Just little parts. It’s a collaboration. Like, we go, “Hey, I came up with this idea,” kind of just all play. We jam it and kind of play around: “Hey, that works.” “No, no, no, this works.” “No, how about that?”
ESQ: A lot of people who are famous for something, their kids turn out to be assholes.
WV: Yeah. You kind of inherit the lifestyle without any of the skill that got them to where they were.
ESQ: Seems like you’re the new face of Van Halen. I saw this real kind of leadership quality in what you were doing, not only onstage, but when you’re backstage, you’re the guy saying, “We’re going to play this,” “Let’s rehearse this,” “Can we learn how to play this?”
WVH: I mean, I kind of come up with the set lists. When we’ve got a song that we haven’t done, it’s like, we should probably run through this before the show and figure out like the count of it. Because dad, for some reason, counts in odds. He’ll land on three instead of four.
ESQ: He’ll go “1,3,5,7″ instead of “1,2,3,4″?
WVH: Yeah, I have to look at him sometimes and go —
EVH: You making fun of me?
WVH: He still, to this day, does not know the lyrics to “Beautiful Girls.” You know how we go, “top of the world, beautiful girls”? He has it written down on his pedal board. On the last tour I used to have to go [mouths lyrics]. You were at sound check yesterday when we were practicing “Full Bug” and he was like, “I don’t know when to stop!” So I had to go over there and was just like, “Now!”
ESQ: This music was written well before you were even born. And you enjoy it?
WV: Oh, yeah, I love it.
ESQ: The whole sound sounds much meaner. I mean, it is just thunderous. To hear all those old Van Halen songs with your bass, it’s like, bass-plus. It’s like turbocharged Van Halen.
EVH: The bass sounded a lot meaner at home when we recorded it ourselves.
ESQ: Well shit, man. How the heck are we going to hear that stuff?
EVH: Eh, we’ll leak it out. The demos of the demos.
ESQ: Are you writing music on the road?
WVH: Not much. I mean, we have a lot of ideas that we wrote that never made it to the record that were so awesome I wish they had made it. But we kind of held it off to another record, possibly.
ESQ: Because there’s just so much material?
WVH: Yeah, there’s so much. And there’s so much material that dad wrote such a long time ago that has never seen the light of day, either.
ESQ: But when your father is retired, okay —
WVH: That’s going to be a while.
ESQ: I know, but when his arms fall off… okay, when his arms fall off and his ears fall off, you’re going to carry on this band.
WVH: Yeah, it kind of falls on my shoulders. I thought it would be really fun if dad and I just sat down and started jamming and see if we came up with something together, instead of him writing something and me putting my spin on it.
EVH: In previous incarnations of the band, I wrote a lot of melodies, too. I just thought of something, Wolf, you’re younger than I was when we made our first record.
WVH: Really?
EVH: Yeah.
WVH: How old were you, 22?
EVH: 21.
ESQ: Your father says you’re a good guy — is he keeping an eye on you? Who’s keeping an eye on you on tour at this point? You’re 21 years old. You’re good on your own?
WVH: Yeah, for the most part.
EVH: Hey, hey, hey, I check up on you.
ESQ: But not like last time.
WVH: No. Last time my mom had so many spies staring at me, you know. I mean, it was just everybody on the crew.
EVH: Inspecting rooms and everything.
WVH: This time around I was like, “Okay, I know what went on last time. You guys don’t have to do that anymore.”
EVH: Yeah, but I still go, “Text me when you get there, text me when you stop.”
ESQ: I would imagine that you know when you’re leaving tomorrow, you know what time the bus is leaving tomorrow. I don’t know if your dad does.
EVH: I can take it. I can take it from him. I can take it from you.
