Comments on: Business Advice From Van Halen

By: Big Mike

Big Mike — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:03:28 +0000

I just read every single post here and found alot of fans that are waiting for new material and alot of people that miss the days of Great Studio albums by a band that knew how to excite the fans………BUT Throughout all the internal strife and Drama within the band and whatever promises everyone thinks the band broke to their fans I choose to keep VH as a Guidepost to the great memories their music and shows gave Me when I was in my Teens,20′s,etc because now that I am 40 it’s not a new album that’s gonna change my mood from bad to good,it’s the memories I have taken from the past which were mostly fueled by things I did with friends at the concerts,or waiting in line for tickets,or things we did while listening to the albums/tapes back then.
For these things ALONE,I will always be Thankful to ALL the past members of the band and as far as I am concerned,They have left their bookmark in the book of my life and NO hateful comments or bashing will ever take that from Me! I have seen the band in Concert more times than I care to comment and even have one of Eddie’s picks from a show but that’s just a part of the Legacy these guys have left with the TRUE fans.
Music is an inspirational tool,a way to escape the problems in your own life for a little while,something to be appreciated for it’s simplicity and complexity at the same time and these bunch of guys(all members past n present) did it LIKE NO OTHER and should be commended for that!
They changed the look,feel,and futire of Music in their time and they don’t OWE ANYONE ANYTHING now! They did their job,they paid the amazing tolls that come with working so hard for so long and we will never truly know the costs.

Some of you may agree and some may not but at least think about what these guys have accomplished already and try to appreciate that if they never make another album or do another show…….They have already accomplished more than virtually any group of their era. It’s up to the new Artists (agrred,pickings are slim these days) to make their own legacy and try to be pioneers in their fields now because VH already did it and did it better than anyone most of the time! I thank the guys and the other fans like Me from over the years for giving me the memories that still make me smile when I hear a song and remember the memories I made the first time I heard it on a album or a live show!

To All the REAL V.H. Fans out there! There will never be another Van Halen but there can still be Great Memeories and the Legacy is there for you to still make more!

Also,No Post will EVER sour Me on those memories or make me hate any member of the band as they have all had their time and place in my eyes!

By: Panama Red

Panama Red — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:36:53 +0000

Geez Shawn that WAS pretty shitty behavior by Roth. I’m not trying to make excuses but we all have bad days. But still, that sucks! And if that was him sneaking out in the body bag I think that’s pretty weird. He should be happy or at least a little appreciative that there are fans outside waiting to get his autograph. Especially in 1999-2000. It’s not like it’s 1984 anymore. But then again, I’ve never really thought of Dave as being a “nice” guy.
But what do I know, I’ve never met the guy.
And I don’t know what it’s like being a celebrity so I don’t know how it feels. Maybe some of that stuff gets old. Maybe I would be pulling tricks like that too. Probably not though if it was just real fans waiting and not paparazzi. It’s too bad a real fan like you couldn’t get another autograph for your brother since you waited before and after the show.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:59:27 +0000

Just reading what all of you have said. In regards to DLR being a smart business man I would agree. I would also agree he is a bit of a premadonna. Case in point, I watched a show in late 99 early 2000, when DLR was on his solo small club tours in Wichita. I got to meet him before the show and get an autograph, but he would only sign one, and he wasn’t very cordial. He actually yelled at the only other guy there, telling him to leave him alone. Why? It would have only taken a couple of minutes. I left thinking he was really acting like a jerk. The guy wasn’t acting wierd or anything, he just was excited and wanted a picture. Maybe it was the long bus ride or he had a bad day. Who knows, but it wasn’t a great way for true fans to see you.
Well I wanted a second autograph for my brother who lives out of state. So I waited after the show, but he never came back out. Shortly after the show they had two EMT’s come into his dressing room with a stretcher and come back out with the stretcher loaded. The only problem was that their was a person in a body bag you couldn’t see through. What EMT puts a sick person in a body bag? One of the security told me later that DLR was in there. He did it to avoid having to come out and greet people. Was the security guard telling me the truth or not? Who knows. If it was, then it just shows how DLR uses his brains to help himself out in any way he can. Definately a smart guy. Not very nice if it was indeed true. So were the M&M’s an invention of a smart man? I would agree, but he also used it as an excuse to raise hell when he felt like it.
Just my opinion. I hope they come out with new music, and the lack of communication or miscommunication frustrates me to, but I still love em anyway.

By: TubbyTuba

TubbyTuba — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:01:31 +0000

The no brown M&M clause proves beyond a reasonable doubt, that David Lee Roth was the original smartie.

By: PasadenaKid

PasadenaKid — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:53:36 +0000

Of course Roth was smarter than most people. He realized the immense power of imagery and marketing. You’ll find a few early photos of him and Eddie gorging on McDonald’s hamburgers and fries. Does Dave look like the kind of guy who eats a lot of fast food? Hell no, but he realized most of the people buying Van Halen records were males between ages of 15 and 25 and that demographic eats a lot of burgers and fries. Dave & Ed were just like them.

By: Panama Red

Panama Red — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:40:05 +0000

Kayser Sozay – When I first heard that story I thought it was just an excuse to be able to “legally” trash a hotel room or backstage area or something and I thought that was really cool. I thought wow, how rock and roll and Dave-like is that for him to come up with that. You get to go crazy and destroy whatever you want. And then when some fuckface attorney , promoter, or whoever freaks out and threatens you with a suit you can say “It’s right there in black and white, just underneath the kegs and the drunk chick in the nurse uniform.”
But then later I realized it was more than that. It was to teach people a lesson if they didn’t pay close enough attention and do their jobs up to snuff to make things go as smoothly as possible, technically for the live shows.

If only there would have been a legal clause in the promoters contracts that stated : “David Lee Roth is hereby legally bound and obligated to not get too fucked-upeth before the show so as to ensure that he shan’t forget the Fuckin’ words!
I think I get legal wording and renaissance fair speak mixed up.

But like you said Kayser they probably checked the specs anyway. But it’s still a good excuse to go crazy without the normal legal repercussions. Maybe it was mostly just for fun, to fuck with people. Or maybe it was just one of the many things Roth came up with to perpetuate Van Halens legendary reputation. I mean that is a famous story that you hear about all the time. Remember how Roth was always about creating personas and stories. Whether some of ‘em were bullshit or not, it helped make him famous and probably made Van Halen even more talked about. That was just his style, I guess.
I guess you could look at it as being a pretty well thought out and smart thing to do, business wise and to inflate his reputation to get attract attention, women , etc. I think he was a cunning and sly guy. But I think Roth was obviously interesting too and the guys in VH were the real deal as far partying their asses off.
I’m sure Roth knew he wasn’t the best singer in the world, but he worked at helping create his legendary status in other ways.