The Van Halen News Desk had the chance to talk with Darren Paltrowitz, author of DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed the World. In the video above, Paltrowitz and the VHND's Eric Senich cover all things Diamond Dave including: Dave's contributions to Van Halen on and off stage Did Dave really quit Van Halen in '85? The DLR movie we never got to see: Crazy From … [Read more...]
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David Lee Roth Wanted To Manage Tesla, Says Bassist Brian Wheat
Tesla bassist Brian Wheat says David Lee Roth not only wanted Tesla to open for him back in 1987, he also wanted to manage the band. After a series of dates supported by Cinderella during the second half of 1986, Roth tapped Tesla to open for the Eat 'Em And Smile band in January and February of '87. Roth had picked the band after seeing the video for "Modern Day Cowboy", … [Read more...]
Making Sense Of Van Halen’s Years-Long Internal Conflict
Credit: Neil Zlozower The story of David Lee Roth and the Van Halens is one for the ages, really. The most explosive rock and roll music you'll ever hear. Impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, neither is the often explosive drama. In case you hadn't heard, Roth has been making headlines lately by firing shots at the Van Halens, particularly Wolfgang, via his podcast … [Read more...]
Grammy Winning Composer Praises Eddie Van Halen’s Blues Skills
Credit: Neil Zlozower Count Grammy winning composer Carlos Rafael Rivera among the many fans of Eddie Van Halen. During a recent appearance on The Paltrocast hosted by The DLR Book author Darren Paltrowitz, Rivera talked about his love of 80s metal. Growing up in Miami as a teenager, Rivera saw plenty of bands come through the Hollywood Sportatorium including Van … [Read more...]
Comedian Mark Critch: ‘Van Halen Ruled Our Playground’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Nobody ruled the playgrounds like Van Halen! So says Canadian comedian Mark Critch. Critch was a recent guest on The Paltrocast (hosted by DLR Book author Darren Paltrowitz) to talk about season three of his hit Canadian comedy series Son Of A Critch. The series is inspired by Critch's memoir and takes place in the 80s. In episode one, a young … [Read more...]
Behind-The-Scenes With David Lee Roth & Eddie Van Halen
Credit: Neil Zlozower You want David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen stories? Frank Meyer's got the stories! Just recently, the VHND's Eric Senich had the opportunity to interview Darren Paltrowitz, author of the new book DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed the World. Paltrowitz shared a few David Lee Roth stories from the book courtesy of author/musician/documentarian … [Read more...]
DLR Drummer Francis Valentino On The Challenging Changes Of ‘Unchained’
David Lee Roth drummer Francis Valentino says the most challenging of all DLR songs to perform is "Unchained". The reason? Nothing stays the same. Valentino, who was part of Roth's shows on KISS' End Of The Road World Tour in early 2020, was a recent guest on Paltrocast with Darren Paltrowitz. Paltrowitz asked Valentino to name the hardest DLR song to play. "That would be … [Read more...]
The Devo Joke David Lee Roth ‘Didn’t Like’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Devo is known for its sense of humor. But not everyone is in on the joke. Devo's Gerald V. Casale was a recent guest on the Paltrocast and recalled the time an in-concert joke at the expense of David Lee Roth didn't sit well with the Van Halen frontman. I only met David Lee Roth in passing," Casale told Paltrowitz. "Back then I never met … [Read more...]
Faith No More’s Midsong Van Halen Crisis
Credit: Neil Zlozower As a co-founder of legendary band Faith No More, bassist Bill Gould first found international success when the 1987 single “We Care A Lot” took off. Faith No More would go on to mainstream success just a few years later when 1989’s The Real Thing took off and the group became an MTV staple. The band would eventually go on hiatus in 1998, remaining … [Read more...]
‘DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed the World’ Available Now
Backbeat Books has set a January 1, 2024 release date for DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed The World by Darren Paltrowitz. However, Van Halen Store has permission from the publisher to start shipping the book NOW, so if you place your order now, you could have your hands on it a bit early. It’s currently only in stock & shipping at Van Halen Store. Book … [Read more...]
Is YOSHIKI A Van Halen Fan? Yes!
Credit: YouTube YOSHIKI is a composer, classically-trained pianist, rock drummer, and leader of the rock groups X Japan and The Last Rockstars. He has sold over 30 million albums and singles, and is reportedly the first Japanese artist to have headlined Japan's Tokyo Garden Theater, England's Royal Albert Hall, Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre, and New York's Carnegie Hall. … [Read more...]
Director: ‘Mean Street’ Would Be Perfect For Horror Movie Song
Credit: Neil Zlozower Later this week (December 8) Magnet Releasing will release the horror film Lord Of Misrule to theaters and on-demand outlets. "Horror film? What does that have to do with Van Halen?" Lord Of Misrule was directed by William Brent Bell (The Boy, Orphan: First Kill, Stay Alive, The Devil Inside, Brahms: The Boy II) and written by Tom de Ville (The … [Read more...]