Van Halen Reunion Tour

Jeff · Sep 26, 2007

No Worries said:

Yeah, take away those background vocals and VHI sells one less album (Anthony's mom stays home).
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In truth, it wasn't so much about his voice, but about his chemistry with Alex. They are still considered one of the best rhythm sections in rock and roll history. They added some pretty unique grooves to what otherwise could've been some pretty straight ahead music. He's always been underrated even if he's not one of my personal influences.

By the way, I can't be the only one who notices this:

ima_drummer2k · Sep 26, 2007

Jeff said:

By the way, I can't be the only one who notices this:
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Come on, man. Give DLR a break. (ha ha haaa...one break....comin' uuuup...) I think he looks pretty good compared to most other 80's rock stars. At least he's not fat and bald.

I read somewhere that he's a licensed EMT. He worked in some of the most poor and dangerous neighborhoods in NYC. Also, that he's not nearly as crazy as his on-stage persona. He's actually a very laid back guy (now).

DarkHorse · Sep 26, 2007

Jeff said:

I should point out that I'm personally very disappointed in how VH treated Anthony. I was a HUGE VH fan when I was a kid. While I've never been a big fan of Anthony as a bass player, his playing and his singing were a big part of that band.

The friend who was at the rehearsals said, however, that Wolfgang was able to nail all the high vocals. They didn't use recordings or samples for anything and they had a keyboard player set up behind the curtain stage left covering all the keyboard parts.
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This is exactly what I've been saying all along, on all counts.

Mark Anthony got a raw deal, and he seems like a legitimately nice guy. I'd really like to know what really happened with his whole situation. You really can't belittle how much Anthony's sound was a part of Van Halen, both on the bass and with his vocals.

Still, I've been moderately impressed with Wolfgang's ability to, if nothing else, hit the notes vocally. If he could just learn to "sell" himself on stage, it would be the next best thing to MA.

RocketMan Tex · Sep 26, 2007

Jeff said:

By the way, I can't be the only one who notices this:

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Cocaine is a helluva drug.

RocketMan Tex · Sep 26, 2007

DarkHorse said:

Mark Anthony got a raw deal
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"Jess I deed. But look at her booty. And she has mucho dinero!!"

WildSweet&Cool · Sep 26, 2007

In two weeks, David Lee Roth will turn 54 years old.

DarkHorse · Sep 26, 2007

RocketMan Tex said:

"Jess I deed. But look at her booty. And she has mucho dinero!!"

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Wow. The worst typo in the history of my BBS career.

I'll take it like a man and not go back and edit my post.

RocketMan Tex · Sep 26, 2007

DarkHorse said:

Wow. The worst typo in the history of my BBS career.

I'll take it like a man and not go back and edit my post.

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No harm, no foul.

ima_drummer2k · Sep 26, 2007

WildSweet&Cool said:

In two weeks, David Lee Roth will turn 54 years old.
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Wow, that changes everything.

I don't want to see them anymore.

ima_drummer2k · Sep 28, 2007

Reviews from the opening show last night in Charlotte are starting to come in. YouTube videos sure to follow...

Rolling Stone said:

“You’re going to see some tears when they hit that stage,” said Modesto, California’s Matt Caramella as he waited for Van Halen with David Lee Roth to hit the stage for the first time since 1984 in Charlotte, North Carolina, last night. Sure enough, tears streamed down his face as the lights went down and Eddie Van Halen appeared on the darkened stage, shirtless and wearing faded green Army fatigue shorts and white sneakers, cranking out the first few riffs of the band’s reconstituted Kinks cover “You Really Got Me.” By the time Roth came out, wearing tight black leather pants, a polka-dotted shirt and white sports jacket with gaudy black embroidery, Caramella was in fist-pumping ecstasy. “These guys are my heroes,” he shouted over the din, “the gods of rock & roll.”

And for more than two hours, the gods delivered. From “You Really Got Me” to “Runnin’ with the Devil,” “Dance the Night Away,” “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Unchained,” “Hot for Teacher,” “Ice Cream Man,” “Panama,” guitar-god solo “Eruption,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “Jump” and about thirteen more classic Van Halen tunes, the band was in top form for their long-overdue reunion. “I’m not going to waste time BS-ing around tonight,” Roth told the delighted, sold-out crowd of predominantly middle-aged guys in white- and blue-collar work clothes and gals who’d retrieved their Eighties bustiers for a night of original hair-metal nostalgia. But he was lying: Roth was at his BS best.

His hair may be shorter and crow’s feet longer, but Diamond Dave is every bit the Vegas showman that he was two decades ago, when he left Van Halen for an ill-fated solo career that took him from cheesy bad to train-wreck worse. He showed his gift for gab — and flamboyant duds — from the get-go, imitating Mick Jagger and martial arts moves, smiling like a clown, riding a giant microphone. And despite old wounds, his bandmates seemed charmed by their new old lead singer. Eddie Van Halen, switching from his signature Peavey “Wolfgang” guitar to his old, red- and white-striped “Frankenstein,” nuzzled up to Roth several times. And drummer Alex Van Halen, sporting his trademark white headband, pounded his kit with a constant smile. If original bassist Michael Anthony was missed at first, it wasn’t long before Eddie’s sixteen-year-old son, Wolfgang Van Halen, had the crowd in the palm of his hands. The teenaged slap-style bass player held his own with style, grace and grit, throwing out picks to the audience as he walked the catwalk into the crowd, his bass in hand, during “Atomic Punk.” There were some bumps along the way, including a few times when Roth missed his vocal cues, but the audience could not have cared less.

All four members looked healthy and fit, particularly Eddie, who has gone from drug-addict weird to middle-age handsome since the original band’s aborted reunion of 1996. Even young Wolfgang seemed to have lost some of the baby fat he showed in earlier photographs with the band. And then there was Diamond Dave, who has evolved from rock & roll cool to old-Vegas hip with style, grace and his eternally smart sense of flamboyant irony.

“Did this really happen?” Matt Caramella shouted as the house lights went up following the encore, “Jump.” By then, his tears had mingled with the sweat running down his face from his buzz cut. “Man, that was like a ****ing dream.”

LINK
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