...after all the rumors flying about year after year all I can say is:
I'll believe it when I see it!
and I do want to see it, I don't care what anyone says, David Lee Roth is an incredible entertainer.Would you go see this concert? For those of you who say no, would you go if you didn't have to pay for your ticket? No? What if someone PAID you to GO? lol
16 comments:
I really wish I would have seen VH back in the original DLR-era. Now I think DLR has become a bit of a joke and the other three lost a lot of their punch when DLR left them. I just don't think they'll be able to recapture that. I might be willing to go if I was being paid though.
Bob, I know I've bragged about my FRONT ROW VAN HALEN experience enough, it was '83 or '84, I don't remember, but it was GOOOOOOOD.
Yeah, I doubt DLR can do the splits five feet in the air or a back flip or any of that fun stuff...but it will still be fun if nothing else.
without Michael Anthony...it's a hollow reunion. C'mon..you can't have a so called reunion without all the original members. When will bands learn this? The Police..that is a proper reunion..this VH..kinda half assed excuse to make some money. KISS without Ace and Peter...lame..when will there ever figure it out. It's all or none! Wolfie..what a ridiculous name that poor kid has to deal with. Best thing for Wolfie would be joining a band with Nick Simmons, and creating some new music.
ummmm not a huge VH reunion and Eddi seems to be just too weird...
And Anon just said it... how can it be a reunion without all the original members?
I think I could live with the absense of Michael Anthony, because he wasn't a great player and I never got the impression that he was a major contributor. Still, he could be a Ringo whose personality added something that isn't evident unless you're on the inside, but becomes very clear if he's not there.
I would go in a heart beat!!!
Never did get over Roth leaving in the first place!!!
I saw Van Halen in 1978 when they opened for Black Sabbath at the Oakland Coliseum, on their first national arena tour supporting their debut LP. Now THAT was the time to see this band! They were absolutely jaw-droppingly phenomenal. Eddie made the guitar come alive in his hands like nobody since Jimi Hendrix, and it looked so easy with his "check me out!" grin. David Lee was flailing his body around the stage like a complete maniac, Alex was utterly buried in about the hugest drumkit imaginable (for an opening band especially) and Michael was prowling around the stage like a ravenous beast. We had all heard the album but figured it was a lot of studio trickery and effects. We couldn't believe that they were doing that on stage, in front of us!
The band was so dynamic, and Sabbath was so dull and leaden by comparison, that my friends and I wound up leaving before the headliners were done. (We had also over-indulged in "whatever we could get our hands on" and one of our friends needed some fresh air, fast! Or was that... me?)
Anyway, I saw VH a few more times over the years after that, including their famous set at the LA Coliseum at the California World Music Festival, and for my money, they just got kind of worse each time. Finally I saw them in Grand Rapids a couple years ago on their last tour. I actually worked at the arena that night as a volunteer. By far the highlight of the evening was the pre-concert jam session that Eddie put on during the soundcheck. Just him with a drummer (not his brother) cutting loose on the guitar, in front of the road crew mainly and a few of us who risked getting kicked out by sneaking into the arena and lurking in the shadows. It was very cool, but Eddie looked kind of ragged and out of it, playing mainly by habit rather than sheer inspiration.
I don't think a full VH reunion could recapture the early magic or live up to expectations, but for old times sake it might be cool. But not worth the $80 or more that they'd probably charge!
Anon,
For some reason it does not bother me that Wolfie (sad name) is filling in for Michael Anthony. Normally I would agree with you and don't consider any band a reunion unless the orginal members are ALL present (which in many cases is impossible). WITH the exception of one of the band members own son's being the "replacement". I like the idea of seeing Eddie's son up there and I would love to see John's son, Jason, fill in for him with Zeppelin.
Bond, what's so weird about Eddie? He was on drugs, he had cancer, he got divorced from what's her name...that's all normal stuff these days.
Bob, I agree, Michael Anthony seems pretty dang replaceable to me. No offense to him as a person, but nothing spectacular about his bass playing.
Donna - you and me girl! Gosh I just need to get your phone number i will never get caught up in an email.
Dave, love your comment! I was there for the '78 tour! Took my little sis to her first concert ever...VH at the Fab Forum in Inglewood! You are so right, NOTHING could compare to those first years.
I definately want to go! My only issue is that I want Michael Anthony there too. I saw VH with Hagar a bunch of times, but never with DLR.
Regarding your comment comparing Wolfgang/Michael Anthony vs John/Jason Bonham. I agree, I'd LOVE to see that Zep reuinion, but the one difference is that John is dead. Michael isn't a part of the reunion because apparently Eddie can't go without being an ass to at least one former band member. I could see his gripe is VH was on tour, or recording an album, and Michael decided to tour with Hagar, but that wasn't the case.
Mike, you make a great point. Looking at it from that perspective it does bother me. I guess I wasn't aware that Eddie was being an ass. I only know enough to be dangerous, I guess I should research more before I form my opinions :)
Thanks for you comment!
I DEFINITELY DO NOT want to see a Zep reunion. They called it a day when they were still great and they shouldn't tarnish things by trying to recreate that. One of the things that's so great about Robert Plant's solo work (versus Jimmy Page's) is that he doesn't try to be Led Zeppelin. As a result, his last few albums have been in the creative spirit of Zeppelin without sounding anything like them.
I'm back on forth on this, but probably where Bob is. I want the time machine trip to 1978 or so to see them ... but not now. I caught them a few years back and it was good but not great, and I doubt DLR will match even my lowest expectations.
-- david
I wouldn't pay a penny to see them now, but I would go for free. I think it will be a joke though. No Michael Anthony and Dave's voice is probably shot so they will be cueing up the backing vocal tapes to help out.
David Lee Roth was a fantastic front man for VH. Whether he will be remains to be seen.
Micheal Anthony was under-rated. He could follow whatever Alex did, and make it work with whatever Eddie did. You can't ask for much more than that from a bass player. If you consider the odd combination of family dynamics and musical dynamics, Michael has made a career out of reconciling two brothers' playing, and been remarkably low-key about it. I have to add that their songs were not always simple. If you think they were, you weren't paying close attention. I only hope that Wolfgang has been paying attention and can match Micheal's aptitude. I have to add that, from my perspective, Michael has to feel like he's been dumped.
A bass player
It was a great reunion tour for Van Halen. I reviewed their concert in Washington, D.C. in my music blog.
Sam Bhattacharya - rock guitarist and songwriter
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