Van Halen
Fiddler's Green
Denver, CO
July 16, 1998

Set List - Click here!

Review by Wayne Hall - Rwayhall@aol.com

What can I say that you haven't already read in the other reviews? This was DEFINITELY the best concert I've ever seen! If, as the song goes, you gotta give more than you take, the guys follow their own advice, giving MUCH more than the $100 I paid for 2 third row tickets.

Let's put it to rest, Gary Cherone is the best front man this band has ever had. He was awesome in the way he worked the stage. At one point, after Gary dove over a five foot high stack of amps, Michael's bass tech (who was standing off to one side) mouthed to another roadie, "That guy's f*cking NUTS!". YUP.

His vocals were strong and he can do all of the incarnations of Van Halen equally well, making the songs his own. Mikey, for his part, belted out "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" with lead singer quality and his enthusiasm was obvious throughout the whole show.

Alex gave an excellent solo and proved once again that he is a consummate musician (although he did look like he'd been rung through the ringer).

Eddie, well, Eddie grinned the whole show and played like a banshee. With Wolfgang standing right off stage the whole time (and coming out to hug his dad during the solo) it's easy to see that Eddie is happier than ever. It was also fun to watch Gary play-boxing with Wolfie and carrying him around on his shoulders.

The guys seemed like they were truly having a blast. Van Halen is back and better than ever, by far. This is one show that no one should miss, I'm just sorry that it's over already.

I thought the guys sounded great!

Gary, (who I loved with Extreme) was in his own element (although he tried to sound like Sammy a couple of times). If he would just be himself throughout he would be wonderful.

The energy and sound was typical Van Halen (especially Eddie's [and Alex's] solos)and, Gary proved that he is quite limber with some of his acrobatic moves.

All in all I'd say it was a great show! :)

I only have one word to say about the concert I just saw. WOW!!!!! They have never played better EVER!! The moment Eddie started soloing, and then walked out on stage, the crowd went nuts. Then he burst into the intro of Unchained.

The place was packed too!! Must have been sold out! Not one square inch was empty! Everybody was having the most awesome time! Dancing, screaming, chants of "Eddie, Eddie" were there the whole night!

And Gary! He made everybody believers! Everyone was doing exactly what he told them to do. Whether it was singing, or just clapping, the energy was amazing!

Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! What else can I say? He is absolutely amazing! He is the god of guitar! Nobody will ever be as influential as him EVER! He was so enthusiastic, and just plain happy! Alex's solo was also phenomenal! It's amazing that he can still play that way at his age! WOW!

You must see Van Halen when they come to your neighborhood, and that is a MUST!

It is midnight and I just got back from the Van Halen Experience at Fiddler's Green. The show was phenomenal! The boys played a lot of old fav's like Unchained, Jump, and Panama, as well as songs from III. The band, including Gary, sounded better than I've ever heard them. Definitly the best VH concert I've been to.

The setlist was amazing. Do not miss this concert. My ass was kicked big time. E-mail me and let me know what you thought of the show. Van Halen is one of the best live bands there is. See ya!--Paul

First of all, ANYONE who says that Gary Cherone is not the right frontman for Van Halen has got to pull their head out of their ass. Pull hard because its up there deep! Gary is the best frontman Van Halen has ever had. If you're bothered by his flamboyant stage presence, just e-mail me and I'll be happy to assist you in finding a nice mental ward.

Last night was easily the best show I've ever seen in my life, and believe me, I've seen plenty. The band displayed more energy and genuine enthusiasm than I've ever seen before. Eddie never stops smiling or making goofy faces, Gary is a wildman, Mike just plain LOVES what he does, and Alex tears through those drum skins like a man possesed.

They had appropriate circus stage props to indicate that this is The Greatest Show On Earth!---They lived up to it big time! If you don't see this show when it comes to your town, all I can say is Your the Biggest Fuck'n Idiot on this planet! Van Halen is alive and doing extremely well! (no pun intended)

I am a long time Van Halen fan and, based on last nights performance, I will continue to be. The show had everyone standing and screaming for two hours straight.

Edward still amazes me. His playing still brings chills up my spine. Alex was thunderous on drums, a pure animal. Mike was steady as ever on bass and handled the lead on Somebody Get Me A Docter like a pro. Gary is the man. His voice was great. The sound was pretty good the whole show, Gary never got too drowned out by the band and most of the time the mix was great.

The mixture of Roth-Hagar-Cherone era songs was right on. I only wish the show was still going, can't get enough. Having Wolfgang there was pretty cool as well, he looks like a little Eddie.

All in all the best show I've ever seen. May Van Halen rock on through the next millenium.

What a night!! The band tore through a set list almost mirroring the Utah show from two nights prior with "I'm The One" in place of "Romeo Delight" and an abbreviated "Year To The Day" following Eddie's solo. (I am working completely from memory on this so there may be others with more accurate set list info).

The venue appeared near capacity with an extremely enthusiastic crowd. However, the intensity definitely increased several fold as the band would launch into one of the "old favorites" and Michael almost brought the house down with his rendition of "Somebody Get Me A Doctor"! I have always said that his vocals are a MAJOR part of the band's sound and have heard him take the lead on a song or two in Dallas at the Texxas Jam in 1988 when Sammy lost his voice during the show.

Gary's vocals were also very powerful and again, hats off to him for acknowledging the FULL history of the band and pouring his soul into the complete performance of all of the songs on the set list. I would be remis if I did not specifically mention that "Without You" and "Fire In The Hole" were also crowd favorites.

Eddie and Alex: more incredible solos. I don't think anyone would have guessed that Alex may have been dinged up a bit. The power of the drums is always incredible and he was definitely "on" tonight. Eddie displayed again why he is the best. With the precision of a surgeon and power of a jackhammer he ripped thru the set flawlessly. Wolfgang even ran onto the stage several times to give his father a hug during his solo adding to the aura surrounding this performance.

Having seen the band in Dallas in May and here in Denver, I hope to be able to see them again on this tour. If you haven't seen the band on this tour, for whatever reason, go when you get the chance. You will not regret it. Thanks, Van Halen, for another inspiring evening!!!

WOW what can I say. Man the guys where on last night. Ed was just ripping it up with every solo.

I thoght that Kenny Wayne put on a good performance but Ed just left me speechless man this guy is just so incredible. Every time he soloed he made me think of his as less man and more of a God. Gary is truly the man, he has more energy than 10 people do and his vocals are just incredible. He ie truly the best front man for this band.

During the greatest show on earth people in the crowd held up signs that said "Sammy Who" and "Dave What". And several times the chant of EDDIE EDDIE turned into GARY GARY and it was great. You could feel Alex bass kicks go through chest his Solo was great. How many legs and arms does this guy have?

And Mike what can I say about Mike. VH would not be VH if not MIke and his great bass and terrific background vocals. His lead vocals on Somebody Get Me A Doctor where almost as good as Gary's.

Highlights of the show include every solo that Ed took, Year To The Day, I'm The One and Gary's vocals at the end of Right Now and Ed tapping flurry that he launched into while still backstage.

The show was great and Val and Wolfie were there too. Wolfie run out a couple times to give Ed a kiss and Gary picked him up and spun him around on stage as well. The guys had so much energy last night it was incredible. The crowd sang along to every song that the band did. If you're still thinking about not going you must. This is the greatest show in the world right now. Don't miss these are the new glory days.

Fantastic!! Great!! Stupendous!! Kick-Ass Rock-n-Roll!!

As an admitted Hagar and Roth purist, the new album has received a chilly greeting at my house. I have tried and tried to get into the new record, but just haven't been able to get by Gary's voice. After listening to Marching to Mars for over a year, I find it to be a much better record overall.

Seeing the boys live changed all that. Gary is no Hagar or Roth, but Gary. He held his own. I was surprised by the energy he brought to the show, and how well he seemed to fit with the band. The songs actually sounded MUCH better to me live and I've since been able to get into the record.

Having seen VH over the years, this was one of the best shows I have seen. Eddie had tremendous energy, and the guitar playing was beyond god-like. Mikey and Alex laid down a pounding foundation that rocked the entire ampitheater. No one missed a beat.

The set list was exceptional. A lot of old stuff, and some really great sounds from the new songs. Seeing Wolfie run out to hug his dad during "316" was the highlight of the show. I am a new parent, and it was quite touching.

I am back, baby. Van Halen rules. No one can touch them. See the show. Gary WILL make a believer out of you!!

They say the third time's a charm. In Eddie Van Halen's case, they might be right, because he kicked the shit out of Fiddler's Green in south Denver last night. Let's face it, VH is VH because of EVH, and he is always going to be the focus of everybody's attention at the shows. If I didn't know that this man was in his early 40s, I would swear it was the old EVH from the days gone by. He genuinely seemed to be having fun, smiling, jumping, and giving the crowd what they wanted: his guitar right in their f'ing face. His playing sparkled and his tone was brutal.

Then the second point to ponder is the emergence of Gary Cherone. The whole lead singer debate is such bullshit because there have been two other incarnations of VH that have lasted 10 years apiece, which is eons for a band these days. Gary did a superb job; being the lead singer is more than just about singing. You've gotta get the crowd pumped, be the ringleader. He didn't hog the spotlight and got the whole band involved without being a ham or a hack. Kudos to you Gary, because the pressure has got to be unreal.

The set was a good one, with the surprise inclusions of I'm The One, Feel Your Love Tonight, and Dance The Night Away. All of the songs drove the crowd nuts, but with all the good comes some bad....

The obvious low point of the show was "A Year To The Day". This was the only part of the of the show where EVERYONE sat down. No-one really seemed to care and it really broke the momentum. Eddie's featured guitar solo, which has always been the climax of a VH show, was thrown into the middle of this out of place and stifling song. The part of the show that everyone comes to see, Eddie on stage alone playing the piss out of his guitar, was suddenly turned into the anticlimax of the night.

But overall, the show was great. Everyone had a good time, including the band, which was something they were obviously missing the last few years with Sammy. After two encores I wanted two more. The only question I am left with, is: WHO THE F*%# IS EDDIE VAN HALEN???? (If you haven't been to the show, you might not get this one...)