The 5150 Show's celebration of Van Halen's 1984 is back with more! They've just released another episode devoted entirely to the album released 40 years ago this month. Joining the show once again are authors Greg Renoff (Van Halen Rising, Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music) and Chris Gill (Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen), who will discuss the … [Read more...]
How Alex Van Halen Influenced Drummer Mike Portnoy
Modern Drummer has released another video dedicated to their 2023 Hall-of-Fame inductee Alex Van Halen! Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy is the latest to pay tribute to Alex and get behind his kit to break down some of Alex's best Van Halen tracks. From Modern Drummer: In the third episode of "Live from IronShore Studios: A Tribute to Alex Van Halen," Mike Portnoy … [Read more...]
Engineer Defends Eddie Van Halen’s Replacement Of Michael Anthony With Wolfgang
Engineeer Ross Hogarth says whatever criticism Eddie Van Halen faced for replacing Michael Anthony with his son Wolfgang in 2007 was unmerited. Hogarth recently appeared on the Anthony Merinelli Music YouTube channel to share stories from his experience as engineer on Van Halen's last-ever studio album and first with David Lee Roth since 1984 - A Different Kind Of Truth. It … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Taught Me How To Fly
Long-time Van Halen fan Debbie Pinkney has shared her heartfelt story with the Van Halen News Desk as a reminder of just how much the music of our favorite band has meant to people around the world and how Eddie Van Halen inspired her. Eddie Van Halen Taught Me How to Fly VAN HALEN INVITED ME TO THE PARTY…NO ONE WAS GOING TO TELL ME I DIDN’T BELONG Eddie … [Read more...]
Ray Luzier Performs Classic Van Halen on Alex’s Kit
Modern Drummer has released the second in a series of videos dedicated to their 2023 Hall-of-Fame inductee Alex Van Halen. Long-time David Lee Roth drummer Ray Luzier (currently with Korn) gets behind Alex's 2012 kit in the latest video to perform some Van Halen classics. From Modern Drummer: In the second episode of "Live from IronShore Studios: A Tribute to Alex Van … [Read more...]
Wolfgang: Reunion With Michael Anthony ‘Long Overdue’
Twenty years was too long. So said Wolfgang Van Halen of his recent reunion with Michael Anthony. The last time Wolfgang and Anthony spoke dates back to 2004 during the Van Halen reunion tour with Sammy Hagar. That all changed on December 8th when Wolfgang and Anthony met up after a Mammoth WVH show in Las Vegas. Here is what Wolfgang had to say about the moment during a … [Read more...]
Watch Van Halen ‘1984’ 40th Anniversary Livestream
The 5150 Show is livestreaming an episode devoted entirely to Van Halen's 1984 album, which was released 40 years ago this month. Joining the show are authors Greg Renoff (Van Halen Rising, Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music) and Chris Gill (Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen), who will discuss the album's creation, reception and legacy. Catch … [Read more...]
Sammy & Mike: The Story Behind Van Halen’s ‘Cabo Wabo’
Another video to mark the release of The Collection II box set has been released! This time, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony tell the story behind the making of Van Halen's "Cabo Wabo" from the OU812 album. Hagar posted the video (above) along with a few additional comments: "When lightning strikes!" - Michael "Yes it did and in this band, lightning struck all the … [Read more...]
What Eddie Van Halen Said That Steve Hackett Is Grateful For
Credit: Neil Zlozower While Eddie Van Halen became the master of two-handed tapping, he often reminded the rock media that he wasn't the first to come up with the technique. One guitarist he'd often name-check was Steve Hackett, something Hackett is still grateful for. Below is an excerpt from Hackett's interview with Ultimate-Guitar's Greg Prato: Do you feel … [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...]
When Eddie Van Halen Gave The Socks Off His Feet
Credit: Neil Zlozower Some people are willing to give the shirt off their back to help another person. Eddie Van Halen would give the socks off his feet. During a recent appearance on the "Life In The Stocks" podcast, Ugly Kid Joe singer Whitfield Crane recalled the time he had the rare opportunity to walk in Eddie's socks: "We were on the road in Europe in 1995, … [Read more...]