Van Halen Relaunch Tour With Flashy, Hit-Laden Sin City Performance

When Van Halen last hit Vegas for a pair of shows in December, the group’s legendary guitarist was not doing too well. On the first night, despite his health history, Eddie Van Halen kept a cigarette affixed to his axe for easy access. Even more disconcertingly, fans noticed the guitarist was wobbly on his feet and took at least one embarrassing stumble during the concert. Then last month Van Halen had to reschedule some shows so their rehabbed cancer survivor guitarist could undergo undisclosed medical tests. But the band made its triumphant return in Las Vegas on Saturday night, headlining Tiger Woods’ Tiger Jam, the golf icon’s annual charity concert. The veteran band was not taking anything for granted, either: a few hours before the show the band worked repeatedly sound checking “Hot for Teacher.” “We are here to listen to one of the greatest bands in history,” Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer in history, announced to the audience. “It is my honor to introduce you to Van Halen.” There was no stumbling this time around. The set opened with a guitar squeal followed by a shirtless Eddie Van Halen looking great and leaping out from behind the curtain and into the familiar chords of “You Really Got Me.” Meanwhile, Diamond Dave and the boys were still hiding behind a black skrim awaiting the grand showbiz reveal. But that was Eddie Van Halen on this night: a player who couldn’t wait to get started, play more and milk each note from his guitar for two hours. He is back. While David Lee Roth can’t seem to do anything with his voice but fall flat, the man was born to be a headliner in Vegas: Top hats! Outlandishly dated outfits! Roundhouse kicks! “I can not play golf for shit,” Roth told the crowd. “But I can ruin my knee with the pros.” The 40-something audience enjoyed the run through the Van Halen double-barrelled greatest hits catalogue: “And The Cradle Wil

Published: 2008-04-21 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Live Shows, Van Halen Tour

Confirmed: Van Halen Reunion Tour With David Lee Roth Is On

The long awaited Van Halen reunion tour is on: Rolling Stone has confirmed that the band will make an official anouncement at a Los Angeles press conference sometime next week. The band lineup will be David Lee Roth on vocals, Eddie Van Halen on guitar, Alex Van Halen on drums and Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. The tour, Van Halen’s first outing with Roth since 1984, will hit arenas this fall. Keep checking back at RollingStone.com for more information.

Published: 2007-08-07 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, On Tour, Van Halen Tour

News Ticker: Eddie Van Halen, Ozzfest, Kanye West

Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli says reports about Van Halen being in rehab “are wrong. Eddie is sober.” Bertinelli did not reveal what prompted Van Halen to undergo medical testing and postpone the band’s tour dates until April 19th. Following reports that Ozzfest 2008 may become a destination festival in the States, new rumors claim the festival may have a single U.K. show in July. Kanye West may be a married man, if rumors he secretly wed his fiancé of two years are to be believed. Bjork’s recent cries of “Tibet!” while performing “Declare Independence” during a concert in China will not affect the country’s treatment of other foreign acts, the government announced.

Published: 2008-03-13 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Van Halen Tour

Did Van Halen Remove Michael Anthony From Album Art on Their Web Site?

Over the past twenty-four hours, Van Halen fans have been mulling over the latest development in the band’s reunion saga: A poster on a music-industry message board pointed out that in the wake of the band’s tour announcement, the Van Halens seemed to have airbrushed original bassist Michael Anthony out of older album covers on their official Web site and replaced him with their newest member: Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang. The swap was evident on the lower right of the cover of the band’s self-titled debut (which came out thirteen years before Wolfgang was born), and the group shot for Women and Children First had been removed entirely. A visit to the tour section of Van Halen’s site today reveals that the album covers in question have been replaced with the original artwork. However, another message board commenter pointed out there were no images of David Lee Roth in 2004’s career-spanning The Best of Both Worlds, as the frontman and Eddie Van Halen were on the outs during that time. (The pair made a point of embracing at Monday’s reunion tour press conference to demonstrate all is well). As of now, the band hasn’t issued any statements regarding the artwork incident.

Published: 2007-08-16 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Van Halen Tour

Tonight's Van Halen Show: It's Off (But It May Be Rescheduled?) [Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love]

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...

Published: 2008-03-03 Provider: Idolator Keywords: ain't talkin' 'bout love,Breaking,Cancellations,postponements,reunions,Top,Van Halen

Oh Crap: Has Van Halen's Tour Been Out-And-Out Canceled? [Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love]

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...

Published: 2008-03-03 Provider: Idolator Keywords: ain't talkin' 'bout love,Cancellations,reunions,Van Halen

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

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...

Published: 2007-03-01 Provider: Idolator Keywords: van halen

A Mostly Reunited Van Halen Hit Madison Square Garden

There were plenty of reasons to be skeptical walking into last night’s Van Halen concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In no particular order: founding bassist Michael Anthony has been kicked to the curb in favor of Eddie Van Halen’s sixteen-year-old son Wolfgang, David Lee Roth’s vocals have sounded more than a bit shaky in recent years and Ed has done little in these past few years except go to rehab and write scores for porn flicks. Yet when the curtain dropped and the band burst into a note-perfect “You Really Got Me” it became clear this was somehow going to work. It was hard to know where to look first when the show began: a shockingly well-preserved Ed ripping into his guitar, Dave frantically waving a red flag and grinning like a killer clown or Wolfgang, standing confidently on the side of the stage, playing a set consisting entirely of songs written at least seven years before he was born. Ultimately Dave — who reveled in every moment onstage — won out. His voice didn’t sound like it was still 1984, but his vocals were significantly stronger than we’d expected. His signature karate kicks weren’t as high as they used to be and he flubbed his share of lyrics (you’d think he’d at least remember “Pretty Woman”), but his boundless enthusiasm made up for everything. From 1985 until 2004 Van Halen fans had to wade through endless Sammy Hagar (or, worse, Gary Cherone) songs to get to a handful of Roth-era classics — and even when they came, some other guy was singing them. It was barely tolerable, but it was the only Van Halen we had. On this tour, the events from 1985 to the present have been erased. What remains are what Dave has called “favorites that you’ve been hearing tearing out of the back of a pick-up at the Burger King drive-thru for how many summertimes.” The only problem was that the arena sound system sounded like it was composed of 10,000 pick-up trucks taken from the Burger King drive-thru. Maybe it was just where we

Published: 2007-11-15 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Live Shows, Van Halen Tour

Dumped Van Halen Bassist Michael Anthony Takes the High Road

Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has spoken out about his absence from the Van Halen reunion tour (he and onetime VH frontman Sammy Hagar will instead tour with their band, the Other Half). “It’s not that I’m not touring with Van Halen because I’m going out with Sammy,” Anthony wrote on his blog. I’m going out with Sammy because I was not invited to do the VH tour. Sammy told me that if I was asked to be part of the VH tour and decided to do it, it would be totally cool, and it would not tarnish our friendship in the least!! Well it’s not to be, and life goes on. I’ll still be out there with Sam, and I can’t wait to do some partying with all of you.” Anthony went on to say that he bears no ill will toward Wolfgang Van Halen, who will be taking his place on bass, and encouraged fans to be nice to him. “Wolfgang is a great kid, so don’t judge him too harshly. I’m sure he’ll do just fine!!”

Published: 2007-08-23 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Van Halen Tour

Van Halen Shows Postponed Because Eddie Needs To Undergo "Comprehensive Medical Tests" [Ain't Talkin' 'bout Cancellations]

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...

Published: 2008-03-03 Provider: Idolator Keywords: ain't talkin' 'bout cancellations,ain't talkin' 'bout love,Cancellations,postponements,reunions,Top,Van Halen

Van Halen concert promoter Live Nation is ... [Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love]

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...

Published: 2008-03-03 Provider: Idolator Keywords: ain't talkin' 'bout love,Cancellations,reunions,Van Halen

Update: Tonight's Van Halen Show Is Still On... For Now [Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love]

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...

Published: 2008-03-03 Provider: Idolator Keywords: ain't talkin' 'bout love,Cancellations,reunions,Van Halen

The Van Halen Cancellations: Is It The Weather, Or Are Things Stormy Within The Band? [Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love]

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....

Published: 2008-02-25 Provider: Idolator Keywords: ain't talkin' 'bout love,reunions,Van Halen

Van Halen Drama Gets Fleshed Out Even More

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...

Published: 2007-03-12 Provider: Idolator Keywords: rock and roll hall of fame, david lee roth, van halen

Wolf! There It Is: The New Van Halen Line-Up

Wolfgang's on the left, next to the guy from CSI: Santa Barbara. Courtesy of Rolling Stone. Exclusive: Feast Your Eyes on Van Halen 2.0!! [Rollingstone.com]

Published: 2007-02-16 Provider: Idolator Keywords: Van Halen

Van Halen Press Conference To Announce Their New Tour

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 13: (L-R) Alex Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen walk offstage at the Van Halen press conference announcing their new tour at the Four Seasons Hotel on August 13, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Published: 2007-08-13 Provider: ViewImages Keywords: USA, California, City Of Los Angeles, Tourism, Modern, Announcement, Walking, Music, Four Seasons Hotel, Arts Culture and Entertainment, Conference, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Alex Van Halen,Eddie Van Halen,Wolfgang Van Halen