Idolator: Van Halen

The Five Best Tracks On David Archuleta's (Possibly Fake) iPod

Maura Johnston — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

In the portable-media player era, one of the common gambits for "getting to know" an artist is the celebrity playlist, in which famous people purport to reveal to the world the contents of their digital-music library. Whether these lists of tracks are real or fake or just highly massaged is frequently up for debate, given the sheer number of public-relations types in desperate need of something to do who are still employed by the music industry. But I kind of want to believe in the latest one of these to cross my transom because it comes to us courtesy of American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, who showed the contents of "his iPod" to USA Today as part of the runup to his album's release next week. If it's real, it shows just how much the kid has grown since he was annoying the crap out of me every Tuesday night last winter. Sure, some of the songs listed are the sorta-treacly material that made him so annoying during Idol's seventh season (hello, Wilson Phillips!), but other tracks are really good! I swear! Five examples of this after the jump.

5. Heart, "Alone"

Sure, it's a requirement for every Idol contestant—male and female—to know this song. But at least he skipped the Celine Dion version, no?

4. Cyndi Lauper, "Goonies 'R' Good Enough"

Want to feel old? This song was made five years before he came into the world!

3. Van Halen, "Panama"

I like to think of David busting this out at karaoke, but getting all red-faced during the part about reaching down between his legs... to, you know, ease the seat back.

2. Kate Bush, "Wuthering Heights"

Why do I have a feeling Danny Noriega turned him on to this song?

1. Robyn, "With Every Heartbeat"

If this is a sign that Archie wants to work with the Swedish knob-twiddler Kleerup on his next record, I say go for it.

There's also a Tokio Hotel song on there, which I'm mentioning mainly because I want to see what happens when those two fanbases collide.

'Idol' runner-up David Archuleta is poised for record debut [USA Today]

Why Politicians Can't Use Pop Songs

Mike Barthel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST

Whatever you think of the man, it's fair to say that John McCain has not been able to catch a break in this election. I'm not talking about the self-inflicted wounds, but about all the things over which he genuinely had no control, like the economy tanking, a hurricane hitting New Orleans on the first day of the Republican convention, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki agreeing with Obama's pullout plan. The campaign has been a sort of running joke of failure for McCain, and one of the best was how musicians kept objecting to his campaigns' use of particular songs. Heart, Bon Jovi, the Foo Fighters, Survivor, John Mellencamp, and half of Van Halen were among the musicians who objected, and the campaign has largely given in to their terroristy demands. This would seem to be another strategic (tactical?) blunder, but the results of a study done by my partner Rachel Arnold and me suggests, rather, that politicians aren't just uninformed about music—they don't care about music. And as long as that's true, these sort of musical gaffes are going to continue.

For the study, we took a survey of future political professionals, quizzing them on basic musical knowledge (very basic questions like "What band was fronted by Freddie Mercury?", which 29% answered correctly, and "Name all four members of the Beatles," which only 58% got right) and asking them to rate the importance of music. The average score on the knowledge quiz was 40% correct. Those who did well on the quiz actually expressed embarrassment at having even a basic level of musical knowledge. Overall, the respondents rated music as "somewhat important," but there was a clear correlation between thinking music is important and scoring well on the musical knowledge quiz—those who rated music "very important" got an average score of 53% right, thirteen points above the average. (Though still, you know, not very good.)

The people who took our survey clearly didn't see too much of a problem with their lack of musical knowledge (though, being nerds, they got huffy when it was demonstrated that they didn't know something—even if they didn't care about it). And sure, not caring or knowing about music isn't a big deal if you see it just as entertainment. But it's also a form of communication. The usual way people interpret pop songs in politics is by looking at the lyrics literally to find something that contradicts the candidate's message or image. We weren't interested in this so much. We were more interested in the associational cues a song triggers. Play a Toby Keith song and you're signaling to people with a particular set of political and cultural values that you're on their side; play Bob Dylan and you get an (almost) entirely different group of people. The great thing about this form of communication is that it's subtle. Dylan may be a big red blinking culture war sign, sure, but what about music that most political commentators simply haven't heard of? Throw on some Al B. Sure and the whole Quiet Storm crowd will get the message; put on a little Widespread Panic (I know, I know) and a different segment of the population will go nuts. Putting on a camo jacket and going hunting is a clumsy and transparent way to try and send this sort of targeted cultural message. With the right song, however, you send a line to a particular group of people who will be very excited to be noticed, and will be far more likely to support a candidate they feel "gets them." In other words, meaning is being left on the table, and that seems like the last thing you'd want to do in politics.

There was a lingering question with the continuous stream of objections to McCain's use of pop songs: Were the objections legally valid? Your Idolawyer thought there was a legal case for the objection, but I tend to agree with Slate's analysis that as long as the politicians had a performance license, they were golden. It's interesting, then, that the McCain campaign did largely stop using the songs once the artists complained. This suggests that while political professionals may think that music is silly and unimportant, they recognize the power of musical allegiances—so while they might think that Bon Jovi is stupid, they know that pissing off Bon Jovi's fans is a bad idea. That's true, but it misses the opportunity for a more positive meaning to emerge. The idea that pop music is a frivolous enterprise is not a rational belief, but simply another component of taste. Political folks happen to have a taste that rejects pop culture. But what may happen in this election is that pop culture is going to reject them.

Yesterday's Gone: The Use of Pop Songs in Presidential Campaigns [EMP]

Seven Affordable Halloween Costumes Culled From Seven Great Music Videos

Dan Gibson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Halloween is only four days away! Although the fun is rapidly being sucked from the whole holiday thanks to church-sponsored "Harvest Festivals" and the jackass who thinks a "FBI: Female Body Inspector" t-shirt is a costume, we hope to help you, the reader, inject a bit more excitement into the celebration with some costume ideas from your favorite music videos.

7. Van Halen, "Hot For Teacher"

Fast forward (or the internet equivalent) to 2:14. See those orange suits? Wearing one of those says "I'm classy, but totally ready to party." You can thank me later.

6. Peter Gabriel, "Sledgehammer"

"Sledgehammer" isn't just a groundbreaking video, it's an endless source of costume ideas that you'll be forced to explain to people all night long. Train track around your neck? Hilarious! Guy with clay hammers for hands? Edgy! Peter Gabriel made out of fruit? Possibly too difficult.

5. Big & Rich, "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy"

Country music seems like a wealth of costume ideas (who wouldn't be impressed by your "Waylon Jennings In The '70s" costume?), although you may want to figure out your friends' political sensitivities before dressing up like John Rich.

4. Nine Inch Nails, "Only"

A costume should really be graded on a creativity to price ratio. Anyone can spend a ton of money and have an exceptional costume. The guy who buys one of those pin toys from Target and goes as Trent Reznor from the "Only" video is frugal and, as a bonus, appears to be in touch with his emotions.

3. B-Rock, "My Baby Daddy"

Can you rustle up an old cell phone, a fancy hat, and a sweatshirt from the '90s? Then you can be T-Bird from the "My Baby Daddy" video, and you can thank me later.

2. R.E.M., "Pop Song 89"

Of course, if the whole process of choosing a costume ends up being too stressful, you can always just put some large black stripes on your pants, take your shirt off, and move your body around like it's "Pop Song 89." (Ladies might want to splurge for some black oaktag, too.) Not the most relevant of costumes, but hey, it's affordable.

1. L'Trimm, "Cars With The Boom"

I haven't provided many options for the ladies, but I think this suggestion makes up for it. Find yourself a friend, hit up Forever 21 and Claire's with a sharp eye, and you have yourself Tigra and Bunny costumes. Who doesn't enjoy the cars that go boom? (Note: This costume might go over better in the greater Miami area.)

Although I can't imagine anyone needing an idea other than the ones I've provided, feel free to offer your music video derived suggestions in the comments.

Right Now, Sammy Hagar Is Exploiting His Past

Dan Gibson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Sure, right now, God might be killing dogs because he has to, but the world keeps on turning, and Sammy Hagar has a new album to promote. When you're dealing with weighty issues like the fashion of the universe (cosmically), not to mention the release of Cosmic Universal Fashion, there's only one way to broadcast that to the masses: A sequel to the "Right Now" video.

According to Sammy, "We are light years ahead of where we thought we’d be in 1992, yet there will always be issues that continue to need our attention. With the upcoming election, global and national issues are at the forefront of everyone’s minds. ‘Cosmic Universal Fashion’ is not about supporting left or right, blue or red, but rather an attempt to appeal to people on a personal level to get involved."

Highlights from the appeal to get involved:

"RIGHT NOW: Youth equals innocence"—then the text changes to "RIGHT NOW: Youth equals violence"

"RTE NOW U JST GOT A TXT ;)"

"RIGHT NOW: Someone is pretending to be someone else in a chat room"

"RIGHT NOW: Is Not The Fault Of Eve"

Also, there's something about oil companies and pictures of sperm. All I ask is that we don't have to wait another 16 years for the third installment.

Sammy Hagar - "Cosmic Universal Fashion" [YouTube]

Right Now, Sammy Hagar And Van Halen Still Can't Agree On Anything

Maura Johnston — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:30:00 EDT

John McCain's Friday rally announcing that Sarah Palin would be his running mate on the Republican Presidential ticket^* was capped by a rousing play of Van Halen's "Right Now," a song selection that put Van Halen's management in a snit. "Permission was not sought or granted nor would it have been given," an unidentified person in the Van Halen camp told TMZ. But tequila maven and longtime GOP supporter Sammy Hagar—who sang the lyrics that the McCain/Palin campaign was so inspired by—begs to disagree! He thinks "Right Now" is a song for everyone, no matter what the jerks who are now touring under the Van Halen banner might think.

"When I wrote the lyrics to "Right Now" I intended them to inspire people to not sit around and wait for something they believed in but to go out and get it — to make a change however they needed to," said Sammy Hagar. "Whether it was McCain who used the song or if Obama had chosen to use the song, with the current political climate, the lyrics still have the same meaning, and we all need to do something to make a difference, every action counts. In fact, I still feel so strongly about this that I wrote a new song "Cosmic Universal Fashion" with a young Iraqi musician in an attempt to motivate a new generation to the same affect. I am pleased to be associated with the lyrics to my original song and the new one in hopes that both will make people move to make a difference."

He may not be able to drive 55, but he can reach across the aisle—and promote his new song while he's at it! Obviously, this tiff is the least of the McCain campaign's problems right now, but I think that once things die down a bit, McCain, Palin, and all Van Halen members past and present should sit down for a nice dinner where they can talk all this stuff out. Hey, I know just what they can serve:

Statement From Sammy Hagar Regarding 'Right Now' Usage by John McCain [MarketWatch]
Van Halen Mad At McCain [HuffPo]

^* You know, during that innocent moment when she only seemed a little crazy and underqualified?

Friday Morning Giggles

Maura Johnston — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:15:00 EDT

Someone took David Lee Roth's isolated vocal track from "Running With The Devil" and, um, ran with it in a pretty funny way. [YouTube via John Mayer]

"Project Runway" Picks Out The Brown M & Ms

Maura Johnston — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT

On the left: The inexplicable winner of last night's episode of Project Runway, which I found really ill-fitting and not as worthy of last night's title as Kenley's gorgeous design. On the right: Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" guitar, which I didn't realize was the designer's unconscious inspiration for the frock until MTV's blog pointed out that fact. (NB: That doesn't make me like it much more.) [MTV Newsroom / Dress pic via Jezebel]

Meet The Guy Who Tried To Fool Canada Into Thinking He Was David Lee Roth

Maura Johnston — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The guy who got pulled over while driving under the influence of nuts and tried to explain away his crimes by waving around his scarves claiming he was David Lee Roth has been unmasked: His name's David Kuntz, and he's a musician who's been tooling around Ontario for a number of years. According to the Globe & Mail, Kuntz celebrated slipping through the fingers of the law last month by "[breezing] into a Brantford bar with a few women in hospital scrubs on his arm.... between sips of orange juice mixed with ginger ale and cranberry juice, [he] climbed onstage with a local band and belted out a few bars of 'Ice Cream Man,' an early Van Halen tune." Sounds like the opening to the "Just A Gigolo" video, no? But as it turns out, people do know about the part Kuntz has been playing for years.

As himself, Mr. Kuntz has led a less-than-smooth life since he left home in Cambridge in the early 1980s at age 18.

"We've lost contact with him," his father, also named David Kuntz, said yesterday, adding that the last he heard, his son was living near Chilliwack, B.C. "I don't know what he's doing."

In July of 1988, the younger Mr. Kuntz, who had a band called Madjesty, found himself at the apex of a deadly love triangle, when one of the two women he had been seeing killed the other in a jealous rage. Kimberly Blinkhorn, 28, slashed and stabbed 21-year-old Rowena Parsons 70 times, and was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

"This is something I have to deal with every day," Mr. Kuntz, who at the time called himself David Angel, told The Globe and Mail after the trial in September, 1989.

What do you say to that? Even pointing out that it sounds like the seedier flip side to one of Roth's multi-lady fantasies seems kind of, well, grim.

Imposter sings, jumps - and dupes Van Halen fans [Globe & Mail via DListed]

Van Halen Would Like To Thank You For All That Money

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Despite Eddie's rehab stint turning a summer tour into a fall tour, despite Eddie's health (and rumors of a feud with the band) causing postponements later in the tour, and despite replacing their bassist of more than 25 years with Eddie's frikkin' child (who looks more like the child of Valerie Bertinelli and Danny Partridge), the recent Van Halen reunion tour made a whopping $93 million plus, easily making it the top grossing tour in the band's history. All that's currently planned for the future is a live DVD and a spot on Guitar Hero World Tour, but I'd be surprised if Dave and Eddie won't at least try to work up some new material, only to split again when Dave changes Eddie's song "The Dream Of Love" to "Wolfie and The Hand Jive."

Meanwhile, Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar had an understandable response to the news of Van Halen's success at the last date of the recent tour.

(OK, this was actually taken in 2004, but talk about prescient.)

Van Halen Tour Grosses More Than $93 Mil [Billboard]
Wolfgang Van Halen getting "beat up" at the LA concert. [YouTube]

Van Hagar Spin-Off Could Be The New Led Zeppelin

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Chickenfoot is go! The supergroup, led by Sammy Hagar, will also bring together fellow former Van Haleneer Michael Anthony, wank wizard Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith for an album, and Hagar could not be more pumped. "When people hear the music, it's Led Zeppelin. It's as good as that. I know that's a mighty bold statement...We could rival Zep." Dude, I love Led Zeppelin! This is great news! I was totally telling someone the other day that we needed a new Led Zeppelin, and here comes Sammy Hagar with a bottle of tequila, saying that he's got one. I haven't been this stoked since Walking To Clarksdale.

Chickenfoot's been in the works for a while; in 2007, after some jam sessions between Smith, Anthony and the Red Rocker, Hagar made this bold statement to Spinner.com: "The band is like Cream, without the jazz, and with funk mixed in. We'll get up, do a verse of a song and then just go for 20 minutes. It's pretty great." Maybe Led Zep will let this funky, jazz-free Cream open for them!

Think they got the name from Prison Break?

SAMMY HAGAR Talks Tequila; Video Available [Blabbermouth]
Chicken Foot Sammy [YouTube]

Hey, Van Halen Sold A Lot of Records After Dave Left

Jeff Weiss — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EDT

One of the hardest things to do as a human being is to parse the emotional from the rational part of your brain, especially when it comes to music. No matter how good a band is, if they break up and reform with a different lineup, it is almost quantitatively impossible to prefer the latter incarnation. Van Halen could be the archetypal case, but somehow, Andrew Unterberger breaks down the differences between Van Halen and Van Hagar with a sober clarity often tough to find when dealing with the perverse world of Sammy Hagar, a land in which no one will ever be allowed to drive a mere 55 miles per hour. [Intensities in Ten Suburbs]

Van Halen Takes A Month Off So Eddie Can Continue Being "Tested"

Jess Harvell — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:45:00 EDT

Initially postponing four gigs last week, the reunited, DLR-powered Van Halen has now decided to put their Google-bait tour on hold until at least the April 19 show in Vegas; turns out the mysteriously illin' Eddie still needs a little more time under the watchful eye of a physician/team of physicians/witch doctor/barber with leeches. "According to organizers, Van Halen, who has battled cancer and substance abuse, 'is currently under doctors' care' and will 'continue medical tests to define a course of treatment," sez Billboard. "No further details were made available." Screwed attendees and Wolfgang fans should hang onto their tix until rescheduled dates are announced; 17 shows are currently on hold thanks to Eddie coming down with the vapors/boogie woogie flu/consumption, from tonight's Charlottesville gig through the band's Baltimore stop on April 15. [Billboard/Photo: AP]

Van Halen Shows Postponed Because Eddie Needs To Undergo "Comprehensive Medical Tests"

Maura Johnston — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:15:27 EST

To cap off Van Halen's Lost Weekday Of Cancellation-Related Speculation, Live Nation has issued a statement saying that four shows, including the band's show tonight in Dallas, have been postponed because of an unspecified medical condition afflicting guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The statement goes on to say: "According to Eddie Van Halen's physician, he is undergoing a battery of comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis and recommended medical procedures." In addition to tonight's show being postponed until April 24, Wednesday's show in Cincinnati has been moved to April 22, Friday's show in Raleigh has been moved to April 13, and the band's March 9 show in Baltimore has been rescheduled to April 15. [MTV via Blabbermouth / dates via Pollstar / Photo: AP]

Van Halen concert promoter Live Nation is ...

Maura Johnston — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:30:48 EST

Van Halen concert promoter Live Nation is claiming that the band's show scheduled for the American Airlines Center in Dallas tonight will be tentatively made up on April 24, a few days after the tour is currently scheduled to end, and that no official reason for tonight's postponement has yet been given. Personally, I can't wait until we go through this whole rigamarole again on Wednesday, if only because refreshing the message boards has certainly livened up the day. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]

Tonight's Van Halen Show: It's Off (But It May Be Rescheduled?)

Maura Johnston — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:53:35 EST

From the slow-as-molasses site for the American Airlines Center, where tonight's Van Halen show was supposed to take place: "The Van Halen concert scheduled for tonight has been postponed. An official press release announcing the rescheduled date will be forthcoming as soon as possible." Ticketmaster's site is also saying that "tickets are not currently available online," but the site is still selling tickets for Wednesday night's VH show in Cincinnati, which will no doubt fuel even more speculation from the folks on the Van Halen fan boards. Over/under on the "the tour's just been cancelled outright" announcement: Three days? Maybe? [Official site / Full coverage / Photo: AP]

Update: Tonight's Van Halen Show Is Still On... For Now

Maura Johnston — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:50:05 EST

Despite the tour-cancellation rumors that have run rampant since last night, tonight's Van Halen concert at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas is "still scheduled," according to the nice woman there who I just spoke to via phone. (And Ticketmaster is still selling tickets the the show, too—there were $149.50 seats available not 15 minutes ago.) She did note, however, that any changes to that plan would be announced via the venue's official site, which is, as you may not be surprised to hear, currently getting completely slammed with traffic to the point where it's nigh unusable. Between this and the Nine Inch Nails thing, productivity at cubicle-monkey jobs across America must be reaching quite the low point today. [Photo: AP]

Oh Crap: Has Van Halen's Tour Been Out-And-Out Canceled?

Maura Johnston — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:04:34 EST

The Van Halen reunion tour—recently plagued by postponements that were reportedly the result of Eddie Van Halen being very unhappy with his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli's tell-all biography—has reportedly been canceled, or at least postponed indefinitely. The band was scheduled to play a show at the American Airlines Center in Dallas tomorrow night; the venue's Web site is proceeding as normal, but MelodicRock.com is corroborating the story originally reported by TMZ, saying that there will be no further live shows at this time, that some dates may be rescheduled—and that the cancellations aren't David Lee Roth's fault. [TMZ / Photo: AP]

The Van Halen Cancellations: Is It The Weather, Or Are Things Stormy Within The Band?

Maura Johnston — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:00:26 EST

Van Halen has canceled two shows—one in Charlottesville, Va., and another in Decatur, Ga.—in the past week, and that fact is sending members of the fan site VHLinks.com into speculation overdrive. Initially thought to be the result of last week's winter squalls on the east coast, some are now suggesting that the shows are being axed because interband tensions that many onlookers thought would have surfaced a year ago are finally coming to the forefront. One report has members of Van Halen—including Wolfgang!—getting into a scrap at a Charlottesville bar the night before the canceled Charlottesville show, while another claims that the cancellations are the result of a "shitstorm" in Van Halen's camp because of the new book by Eddie Van Halen's ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, in which she lets fly numerous lurid details about the couple's infidelities and other problems. The next Van Halen show is schedule for March 3, and it's still on... for now. After the jump, a clip of la recent show in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that ended with Eddie flinging his guitar to the floor and knocking over a couple of amps, nearly braining David Lee Roth. Nervous energy or misdirected ex-wife anger?

Jump @ Van Halen in concert, Fort Lauderdale, 2/20/08 [YouTube]
Any reason for the cancellations [VHLinks.com]
Van Halen postpones two shoes [TicketNews.com]

Britney Spears Completes Transformation Into "Lost Weekend"-Era David Lee Roth

mjohnston — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:45:54 EDT

On the right, David Lee Roth celebrates Halloween back in the pre-top-hat days. On the left, Britney Spears reaches down between her legs to ease the seat back while celebrating Halloween last night, just before she speeds off for her nightly "bottle of anything and a glazed donut... to go" run.

[Britney photo via WENN; Roth photo via BV]

Opening Night Of Van Halen Tour Thrills Critics, Message-Board Posters

mjohnston — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:30:38 EDT

Van Halen kicked off its "we're back with Dave" tour in Charlotte, N.C., last night, and from most reports, things seemed to gel onstage at the Bobcats Arena (even if David Lee Roth's hat seemed to have lost its "In this style 10/6" slip of paper sometime during the show):

• "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." [Rolling Stone]
• "First, the good news: David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen got through the entire stretch of their first show together in 22 years last night without killing each other. Now the better news: At last night's opening salvo of a national tour at the Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, N.C., the two performed with a vintage measure of joy and verve, showing neither the vitriol that long ago fractured them, nor the problems that have plagued them as individuals in the time between - including, most recently, a spell in rehab for Eddie." [NY Daily News]
• "First to take the stage, Eddie, 52, emerged — clean-cut, bare-chested and buff — and fired off some Eruption-era riffs to a rowdy and affectionate reception from a standing crowd. Any lasting effects from his rehab stint earlier this year and past treatment for tongue cancer were not evident. Returning to the band he parted ways with 22 years ago, Roth, also 52, smiled like a Cheshire cat — as well as skintight leather pants and sparkling embroidered tunics — and strutted like Chanticleer. His flowing locks are gone and his voice sported a slightly lower register, but Roth sounded virile and satisfied the faithful with some high-pitched screams and spinning karate kicks. On drums, Alex, 54, continued to stoke the band's fire and Wolfgang wooed the crowd with his self-defacing demeanor." [USA Today]
• "I liked the little Dave-esque touches during and before the show....2 inflatable VH blimps with spotlights following them in the arena during the set change after Marley. The already-infamous inflatable microphone during the finale. The top hat, the swinging pole. He was showman Dave without over-doing it, but I can also see the side to this band that was lost when he left. I'm very thankful I had to chance to see this band with both Hall of Fame singers despite thinking, as of 2003, that they would never even play a show again." [George M, Van Halen Links.com]

[Photos: AP]

Van Halen Has Not Quite Reached "Shiny Machine" Status Yet

mjohnston — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:55:43 EDT

Here's a one-minute clip of the new-ish version of Van Halen performing "Panama" at what's apparently the band's final rehearsal before it embarks on its ~~desperate cash grab~~ reunion tour later this fall. David Lee Roth seems to be bosedy-bosedy-bopping his way through more than one of the lyrics, and at one point he calls someone (Wolfie?) "junior," I think. At least the backing vocals sound good, right? Oh, right, they're on tape.

Van Halen Last Practice before Tour 2007 [YouTube, via Blabbermouth]

Michael Anthony: Grace Under Assless-Pants Fire

jharv — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:00:18 EDT

Proving he comes from a very different generation of celebrities, embattled erstwhile Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony is not using the most publicity he's ever had to pitch a hissy fit, make a scene, or otherwise embarass the band following being dumped from the much ballyhooed reunion tour with David Lee Roth, probably figuring Eddie will do a bang-up job with that on his own. In fact, just about every rapper out there could take a lesson from Anthony in how to take indignities on the chin without stooping to beef with his old crew, at least according to his cucumber demanor in this MTV interview:

"That's the one thing that's really kind of sad," Anthony continued. "It would have been cool to get onstage with Dave again, but I'm not going to whine about it, because that's the way it is. Why waste my time trying to make a stink about it?"

"I know in the past there's been a lot of fighting and drama, but I'm not into all of that, especially now," he said. "And I'm not going to sit there and whine about it and call these guys mother—-—-s and the whole bit. It is what it is, and if [Eddie] wants his kid to play with him, fine. But they're really throwing him into the lion's den right off the bat. This is going to be a tough enough tour for those three guys, having not played for so long, and then throwing [Wolfgang] in the mix? ... I hope he does OK. It's sad that the fans aren't going to see the original lineup."

At least someone's thinking of the children. He also says he's pleased that the fans "spoke out" to have him reinstated to the first Van Halen album cover after he was unceremoniously airbrushed out of the band's history. Why does something tell me that if this Van Roth reunion tour ends up floundering on clashing egos, smashed liquor bottles, cancelled dates, and primadonna bullshit, Anthony is going to end up looking like the classiest guy in the room, even if he is still hanging out with Hagar?

Michael Anthony Shrugs Off Van Halen Reunion Snub [MTV]

Michael Anthony Continues To Get The Shaft

mjohnston — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:29:06 EDT

Has any band tried to erase a former member from its history as awkwardly as Van Halen's tried to do with Michael Anthony? First you had the whole "Photoshopping Wolfgang into the Van Halen I album cover" flare-up. Then came the revelation that Anthony's vocals would be replicated on tape during the upcoming tour by the "new band." Now, according to someone who actually sat through Superbad's credits over the weekend, the credits to old songs are getting makeovers as well:

A fan wrote us on Saturday with the following: "On every single Van Halen song (with exception to the three new songs on the Best of Both Worlds compilation, ) credits have always gone to Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and the lead singer who is featured on the song (Roth/Hagar/Cherone). However, during the credits of the film 'Superbad', which features the song 'Panama', the song is only credited to the two Van Halens and Roth! Anthony continues to get snubbed by his former band as they attempt to erase him from the history of the band."

We looked a little further into this and discovered that Anthony has been removed from the credits for all of the songs from the band's Diamond Award winning album 1984 in the ASCAP database. The All Music Guide credits for the songs on the album include Anthony, Eddie, Alex, and Roth. However, Michael McDonald is missing from the credits for the track "I'll Wait". A check of other Van Halen releases still list Anthony as a co-writer.

Our copy of 1984 doesn't list writing credits (thanks Columbia House!) so we can't confirm this claim, but seriously, this witch-hunt for other examples of Anthony being erased from the Van Halen history books is a sign that things are starting to get more embarrassing than the "What version of LA Guns is touring this week" debacle.

Van Halen Angers Fans With Anthony Snubs [antiMusic]

Does No One Remember 1996?

mjohnston — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:30:26 EDT

The not-a-reunion-but-the-name's-the-same edition of Van Halen is rumored to be appearing at the MTV Video Music Awards. Between this and the chatter about a Britney Spears performance opening the show, it's probably for the best that MTV is only planning on broadcasting this thing once. (Can someone tell me the best place to buy bourbon in bulk? Because I really need to stock up starting now.)

EXCLUSIVE Van Halen To Appear At MTV Awards [Geno's World]

Van Halen Webmasters Put Michael Anthony Back In His Place

mjohnston — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:43:42 EDT

Purists breathe easy: Yesterday's fiasco involving a version of the cover to Van Halen I where new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen was swapped in for estranged bassist Michael Anthony has ended, and the real cover is now up on the site.

No doubt when the "real" site launches next month, the band's Internet consultants will figure out a design that isn't as dependent on flogging the past, especially since David Lee Roth keeps shooting off his mouth about how this is a "new band"—so technically the set list for this tour will be made up of only cover songs. Does that mean that "California Girls" has a shot of making the set list?

Van-Halen.com [Official site]
Earlier: Van Halen's Official Site Places Wolfgang In Time Machine

Van Halen's Official Site Places Wolfgang In Time Machine

mjohnston — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:34:55 EDT

An eagle-eyed Van Halen fan writes in with news of some revisionist history coming from Van Halen's official site, which has been freshened up for reunion-tour ticket sales: "If you look at the main page on Van-Halen.com, all their David Lee Roth era albums are show on the left and right sides. But you can notice that they've changed the cover of Van Halen I and replaced Michael Anthony with who appears to be Wolfgang Van Halen.

They also do not have the band photo on the cover for Women and Children First, because Michael Anthony was on that cover. Just thought I'd tip the idolator editors to this weird piece of photoshop editing. Personally I think it's kind of disrespectful to Michael Anthony. First he doesn't get to join the Van Halen reunion, then he has to tour with lame Sammy Hagar, and now this!"

It's especially galling, given that Wolfgang was about -13 years old when Van Halen I came out in 1978. For your perusal, the album images—real and Van-Halen.com version—are reproduced below. The smaller size of the Web site's cover version makes it tough to see if the new person in the bottom-right corner is Wolfgang for sure, but the picture is definitely ... different.

This is all going to be so embarrassing when Eddie and Alex go back to Michael, hat in hand, for a tour in '08. Hope he at least uses this to ask them for more money!

Van-Halen.com [Official site]
Van Halen [Amazon]

Van Halen Tour's VIP Packages Make Prospect Of "Reunion" Seem Even Less Exciting

mjohnston — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:35:19 EDT

Now that the Van Halen tour's been announced, here come the announcements of the Van Halen VIP packages, those newfangled ways to allow ~~rich people~~ "ultimate fans" to get prime seats while not having to stand outside in the rain the morning that tickets go on sale or hit the "submit" button on Ticketmaster.com for 15 minutes straight. The VIP package's vendor, I Love All Access, is offering two ways for fans to go above and beyond the surcharge-studded prices that they'd normally pay—the first-tier package guarantees a seat in the first 20 rows and a gift, while those who pay even more (ILAA's Def Leppard package is $250, so we're going to guess that these tickets are going to be priced a bit higher) will get:

* A reserved seat inside the ramp!*
* Van Halen 5 Star souvenir laminate!
* Backstage tour!
* Pre-show party!
* Exclusive Van Halen gift bag!
* Crowd-free merchandise shopping!
* Parking**

Exclamation points theirs, natch. And, of course, you have to sign a waiver and release of liability, which presumably means that a joyride on David Lee Roth's zip-line across the stage is out. (What do you mean he probably won't ride it? Come on!)

I Love All Access [Official site]
[Photo: AP]

The Van Halen almost-reunion tour starts ...

mjohnston — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:13:31 EDT

The Van Halen almost-reunion tour starts Sept. 27 in Charlotte, N.C., and will span 25 dates. Anyone want to speculate on the odds that at least eight of those shows will actually happen? [Reuters]

The Van Halen Tour: You Probably Forgot All About It, Didn't You?

mjohnston — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:46:34 EDT

According to Billboard, the long-delayed Van Halen tour—featuring David Lee Roth on vocals and three Van Halen family members as the rest of the band—will be announced later this week, with the 50-date swing kicking off sometime in October. This tour, it seems, has been in "it's gonna happen" mode for almost as long as Idolator has been around, and while we were excited at first, fatigue set in and now we're wondering one thing: At this point, does the world really need another reunion of a band that was all over MTV in the Martha Quinn era? Take our poll after the jump:

Sources: Van Halen Tour To Be Announced Next Week [Billboard]

Fresh off his Cabo Wabo payday, Sammy Hagar ...

mjohnston — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:18:01 EDT

Fresh off his Cabo Wabo payday, Sammy Hagar beats David Lee Roth-led version of Van Halen to the punch, announces fall tour dates. Opening? Michael Anthony! [Blabbermouth]

Van Halen May Bosedy-Bosedy-Bop Around The U.S. This Fall

mjohnston — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:30:38 EDT

- The Van Halen reunion has been reportedly rescheduled to September, giving David Lee Roth just enough time to perfect his splits. [MelodicRock.com]
- According to Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin will not be reuniting anytime soon, thus opening the door for next year's "15th anniversary of Coverdale/Page" tour. [NME]
- The Spice Girls comeback is already on the rocks, thanks in part to Geri Halliwell telling Melanie Brown that her newborn daugther looked like absentee father Eddie Murphy. [News of the World]

Liner Notes: Don't Be Shocked, But David Lee Roth May Have Had Sex In The '80s

Brian Raftery — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:50:08 EDT

- The New York Post reprints the oldest Van Halen backstage-sleaze story known to man. [Page Six]
- Matthew Knowles fired Beyoncé's 400-pound, $500,000-a-year bodyguard, apparently because he didn't intimidate enough Oscar voters to get her a nomination for Dreamgirls. [Rush & Molloy]
- Velvet Revolver will play with Alice In Chains this summer for a jaunt called "Shop Class: The Tour." [Pollstar]

Chance Encounter At Deli Results In Reheated Talk Of Van Halen Tour

mjohnston — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:40:41 EDT

Is the Van Halen tour—which we last heard about in March—really going to happen sometime this year? According to an overzealous fan who tracked down Alex Van Halen at a deli, the answer is "Maybe"—or it could be "If I say 'yes,' will you promise to let me eat my sandwich in peace?" From Metal Sludge (and please, stick a huge sic over the whole thing in your mind):

It's the morning of memorial day and i'm waiting to be seated at this local deli down the street from my house.The place is mobbed and as i look to my left i notice the guy in front of me with his baseball cap pulled down low standing with his son.I do a double take and realize its Alex!"I said,excuse me but are you Alex?"He smiles and says yes,and then i say i''ve been a fan for 25 years.He says thank you and then i ask him,what is the status of the reunion?Alex says,well everything is shaping up to go later this year.Is Dave still in i ask?He says absolutely!We had to put everything off because of Ed's health.If we would've tried to tour with Ed in the shape he was in,he might have died.

So i say something like,thank God!!!I was afraid that personal issues had come up again and you had once again had a falling out with Dave.Alex then goes on to say that things with Dave have never been better.He's been 100% supportive of Ed and very understanding of the situation.I go on about how great the band was with Dave and how it was the Beatles of my generation,blah,blah...[i was star struck]He thanks me again and around this time the hostess come to seat him so he shakes my hand and goes to the back of the restaraunt.

Now my head is spinning!!! I'm thinking about what i wanted to ask that i didnt.Then i realize,i forgot to ask about Mike Anthony!So as luck would have it,this place is not a fancy,formal eatery.You dont pay the waitress when you get your check,you go up to the cashier.After him and his son were done eating and he goes up to pay his check and leave,i cornered him again.[lol] Btw-the guy was so friendly and cool to me i didnt think twice about bugging him.I said,one last question Alex?So he smiles and says sure."Is Mike in or out?" He says,Mike is out!Mike is with Sammy and as much as i like Sammy,he's very calculating.There's personal issues with Mike as well and we will never get on stage with the guy again.

So there you have it folks,i tried to get as much info as possible.Dave's in,Mike's out and the tour is on.........

Whether or not this story is true, of course, remains to be seen. And one gripe: this guy calls himself a true fan—but he doesn't even let his readers know what Alex ordered? If you're going to stalk your so-called hero, at least be thorough, dude.

Fan ambushes Alex Van Halen at deli & gets some dirt! [Metal Sludge]

Sammy Hagar Now Richer Than David Lee Roth, Gary Cherone Combined

Brian Raftery — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:46:58 EDT

Somehow we missed this Monday, despite our feed subscriptions to hagarfan.blogspot.org and hagars-really-not-the-bad.net:

Sammy Hagar, a rock 'n' roll legend and Mill Valley Tequila entrepreneur, is selling an 80 percent interest in his Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari, the world's seventh-largest spirits company, for $80 million, the two sides said Monday.

Hagar created Cabo Wabo Tequila to serve patrons at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He began to distribute it in 1999. Last year, his company sold 147,000 cases, making it the second-best-selling premium Tequila in the United States, he said in a telephone interview.

"I'm jumping up, I'm excited,'' Hagar said of the opportunity for worldwide distribution by a company that does business in 190 countries.

"Oh, hell, did I just say 'jump'?" Hagar then said. "Wrong era! I meant to say 'Right now,' I'm rich as dirt!' or maybe, 'Love just walked in' with some cash! Can you change that, brother? Muchas gracias!"

Wild for Wabo: $80 million will lift Hagar's spirits [SFGate.com]

Van Halen Drama Gets Fleshed Out Even More

Brian Raftery — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:00:19 EDT

The on-again/off-again Van Halen-reunion fiasco has gotten even more depressing: Last week, Eddie went into rehab, and David Lee Roth claimed he had been shut out of tonight's Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony. The L.A. Times has an update of the behind-the-scenes brouhaha, and for those of you who thought this story had already reached its nadir, we have two words for you: "Paul Schaffer."

The Roth camp says that the only offer they had received before Friday was an invitation to perform "You Really Got Me" with Velvet Revolver. Roth balked in part because that song, off Van Halen's first album, was originally recorded by the Kinks and is not a "true" Van Halen song.

Roth wanted to do his trademark tune, "Jump," but that was a curveball for Velvet Revolver, apparently, with rehearsal time limitations. On Friday, according to sources close to the show, event producer Joel Gallen offered Roth a chance to do "Jump" with Paul Schaffer and some players of Roth's picking but, for Roth, that came too late, apparently, to allow travel and needed rehearsal time.

Hall officials, privately, were surprised and wondered if Roth really wanted to perform at all. They also said if he had traveled east to New York to work with the producers on site, everything would have worked out.

What would be worse: An overstuffed "Jump" with Schaffer grinning and preening like a madman, or a "Jump" in which Scott Weiland tries to make "Wow-ow! Hey, you! Who said that? Baby, how you been?" sound seedy and menacing?

Rock Hall of Fame denies it snubbed Van Halen's Roth [LA Times]

Right Now, Michael Anthony Is Wondering If He Should Just Order In On Monday Night

mjohnston — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:48:29 EST

The Van Halen saga continues, with Eddie checking into rehab, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame organizers denying David Lee Roth the chance to perform at Monday night's induction ceremony, and Michael Anthony being the only Van Halen member likely to attend said gala. (Perhaps he could bring Gary Cherone as his date?) From the LA Times:

How did that old Van Halen song go? "I found the simple life ain't so simple .... " The iconic Los Angeles metal band is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a New York banquet Monday night, but now it appears that only one original member, bassist Michael Anthony, will even show up.

Eddie Van Halen released a statement Thursday saying he is going into a rehab program. David Lee Roth, meanwhile, the band's frontman for its first decade, said the same day that he will not attend the ceremony because he wouldn't be allowed to perform.

"I don't make speeches for a living; I sing and dance for my dinner," Roth said, adding that the decision to skip the event "rips my heart out."

We're just hoping that a suspendered Roth doesn't decide to park himself outside of the Waldorf-Astoria, hat in hand, next to a sign that says "Will skeedelee-deedelee-bop for poached salmon." Although given how this whole Van Halen reunion saga has been unfolding over the past few months, we don't know if that scenario is 100% unlikely.

David Lee Roth not coming if he can't sing [LA Times]
Earlier: Another Explanation For Van Halen Failin'

Another Explanation For Van Halen Failin'

Brian Raftery — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:34:29 EST

Two popular theories abound regarding what exactly happened with the recently aborted Van Halen reunion: There's the "David's an ass to work with" hypothesis—which is based on the singer's history of being just a wee bit show-offy—and the "Eddie's an out-of-sorts dickwad" hypothesis, which has been given credence by this Page Six entry:

According to Rolling Stone magazine, it wasn't just "ego clashes" between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth - it was because of Eddie's alleged "alcohol problems." The magazine says group members at first "were thrilled about Roth's first shows with Van Halen since 1984." Former bandmate Sammy Hagar said Eddie "was drinking 24/7" during the band's 2004 tour. He's not expected to attend when the group is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday.

This jibes with what we'd been hearing for years now, but still: Ooof. Could somebody please get this guy some help? He's far too talented a finger-tapper to be lost to the booze.

BEHIND A BREAKDOWN [Page Six]

David Lee Roth Just As Shocked As We Are By The Latest Van Halen News

Brian Raftery — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:00:20 EST

From Blabbermouth.net:

Launch Radio Networks reports: VELVET REVOLVER has been tapped for VAN HALEN's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band will perform in VAN HALEN's place, and singer Scott Weiland and guitarist Slash will speak on VAN HALEN's behalf. For now, it doesn't look like David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar will join VELVET REVOLVER onstage, and Michael Anthony hasn't commented yet. It's still unknown whether Eddie and Alex Van Halen will attend the ceremony.

Really, now: A few weeks ago, would you have guessed that Cherone was going to come up the winner in all this?

VELVET REVOLVER To Perform For And Induct VAN HALEN Into ROCK HALL - Mar. 1, 2007 [Blabbermouth.net]

To All Van Halen Fans Still Holding Out For That Reunion: You Might As Well Jump

Brian Raftery — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 08:41:48 EST

One of the strangest aspects of this week's Van Halen-reunion implosion was that the band had already begun working the press: There was that Rolling Stone interview and photo shoot, and several big magazines were negotiating for VH features. The L.A. Times was also working on a piece, and today, the newspaper hints that Eddie was the source of the band's problems.

The Van Halen tour has been "shut down," according to a top official at Live Nation, the huge concert promoter that finally surrendered in the face of the chaos surrounding guitar hero Eddie Van Halen. Roth, meanwhile, says he is unsure whether the mercurial guitarist will even travel to New York for the Hall of Fame induction on March 12.

"We have fragile politics in Van Halen; please accept that as a partial answer," Roth said. "But I don't know if the Van Halens are going to go....I hope they do, but right now, I just don't know. Hope springs eternal."

Specifics on the "chaos" surrounding Eddie aren't provided, and the guitarist isn't talking (he's hired his girlfriend as his publicist, which is never a good sign). But the Times piece notes that his son, Wolfgang Van Halen, was a driving force in the attempted reunion:

Wolfgang, a precocious musician, was "the maestro" at the reconstituted band's lone rehearsal, picking the set list and using his iPod to remind his father of the nuances of his solos on the old albums. Wolfgang was tapped by his father to play bass on the tour too, replacing founding member Michael Anthony, a jolting choice considering the child's age and Anthony's status as one of rock's best backup singers and most relentlessly cheerful presences.

Eddie Van Halen remains, by all accounts, a gifted guitarist and rock auteur, but the decision to jettison Anthony in favor of a teenager may have been the first sign that the new enterprise was guided by creaky logic. Now all eyes will be on the Hall of Fame banquet to see who shows up, who performs and how Roth interacts with old rival Sammy Hagar, the man who replaced him as lead singer in 1985 and who will be inducted as an equal.

Our prediction: The Van Halens, Anthony, Roth, and Hagar will all show at the Hall Of Fame ceremony next month, do one incredibly hard-to-watch photo shoot, and part ways without playing. And then Roth will spend 20 minutes at the Buffet line, where he'll amaze fellow diners with his story about how he first had crab cakes "on a Boulder-to-Salt Lake flight on the Diver Down tour," finishing with a well-timed "skibadee-skoop-a-bop."

Van Halen's road plans have taken a rocky turn [LATimes.com]
Earlier: The Trajectory: Predicting Van Halen's Inevitable Reunion-Tour Eruption

Hold On To Your Spandex: Van Halen Tour "Postponed Indefinitely"

Maura Johnston — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:15:48 EST

NOTE: This post is about the February 2007 Van Halen tour postponement; for news of the rumored tour postponement/cancellation in March 2008, click here.

Well, that was quick:

It's true. The Van Halen tour that was never officially announced is now officially postponed indefinitely, sources told Pollstar.
The rumored tour took on an air of reality after a trade magazine announced that original singer David Lee Roth was about to sign on the dotted line, and that was soon followed by a press release via Eddie Van Halen's spokeswoman-slash-girlfriend.
Unfortunately, the worldwide frenzy of a VH reunion was too good to be true, at least for the present day.
However, there was a lot of paper getting inked and Pollstar understands that a tour announcement might not have been far off.

On the other hand, if you had February 20 in your "pick the day the Van Halen tour goes kaput" office pool, congratulations! Be sure to spend your winnings on a nice bottle of Cabo Wabo tequila.

Van Halen On Hold [Pollstar]
Tour Cancelled/Postphoned...? [Diamond David Lee Roth Forums]
Earlier: The Trajectory: Predicting Van Halen's Inevitable Reunion-Tour Eruption