From SLAKE: The Los Angeles Quarterly: By John Albert The first time I hear Van Halen I am fourteen years old, riding in a car through the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. My friend Steve Darrow is riding shotgun while his dad steers the dusty old Volvo station wagon. Chris Darrow is in his forties and has long hair and a slightly drooping cowboy mustache. In the … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar’s 2009 Birthday Bash!
Welcome to the Van Halen News Desk's "Cabo Wabo Birthday Bash" recap, which features setlists of all 5 of the wild concerts during the bash, videos of Chickenfoot's soundcheck at the Cantina, and newly imported Cabo Wabo merchandise. Enjoy! First, here's what Sammy Hagar had to say after the bash: "Wow....I am sitting on the beach trying to remember how all this … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Recovering After Hand Surgery
Here's an exclusive from RollingStone.com: Eddie Van Halen is said to be on the mend after undergoing surgery to treat increasing pain in his left hand. “During the last leg of our tour, I started developing pain in my thumb and my pinky. I didn’t think much of it at the time,” the guitarist says. “It got progressively worse to the point that about three months ago I … [Read more...]
Video: Eddie Van Halen Accepts Spike TV’s “Guitar God” Award
In the video above, Robert Downey, Jr presents the "Guitar God" award to Eddie Van Halen during Spike TV's "Guy's Choice" awards, which aired June 21st. … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen on Rocking Sober, Avoiding Beef and the Future of Van Halen
From RollingStone.com: Guitarist speaks out about new album, departure of Michael Anthony and his fresh start DAVID WILDPosted Jun 01, 2009 4:10 PM Backstage in the celebrity green room of Spike's Guys Choice Awards in a booth next to his fellow honoree Clint Eastwood sits Eddie Van Halen — rock's ultimate guitar slinger — with his fiancé Janie Liszewski as he … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Accepts Spike TV’s “Guitar God” Award
Spike TV held their third annual Spike TV "Guys Choice" last weekend. Winners were announced Saturday night at the Sony Studios in Los Angeles. Eddie Van Halen, in the a rare public appearance, was brought to tears as he accepted the first annual "Guitar God Award" for his years of shredding on the six stringed axe. Robert Downey Jr. presented Eddie the award. Spike TV's … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen voted “Best Rock Guitarist of 2008” by Guitar World readers
The readers of the best selling guitar magazine in the world, Guitar World, recently voted Eddie Van Halen the "Best Rock Guitarist of 2008" in the 15th Annual Guitar World Readers Poll. Eddie won by a landslide, receiving nearly seven times as many votes as the runner up, Angus Young. We mention this poll because it's not just another meaningless list written by some random … [Read more...]
Van Halen Donates to Cancer-Stricken Deputy
We at the Van Halen News Desk just learned that Eddie, Alex, and Wolfgang Van Halen have donated some signed items for an auction to help to help a Southland sheriff's deputy who is fighting acute myeloid leukemia. (The full story is below). This news doesn't surprise us, as we know that Eddie Van Halen actually does this sort of thing all the time. But because he prefers … [Read more...]
Eddie reflects on the 2007-2008 tour in new interview
There is a new interview with Eddie Van Halen in the April 2009 issue of Hustler magazine. Here are some of the highlights where Eddie talks about Van Halen's 2007-2008 tour: (Photo by Matthew Bruck) What was it like the first time you guys played after all those years ? It was amazing. At first, obviously, Dave doubted that a 15-16 year old could do it. He said, … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s “Almost Infamous”
Here's a entertaining recollection of what it was like to discover Van Halen back in 1978, and then to actually meet them on their first world tour. Echoes & Reverberations: Van Halen's "Almost Infamous" Written by Jeffrey Liles from the Dallas Observer. Photo: Eddie Van Halen, April 15, 1978, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Jeffrey Liles) It was the spring of 1978 and rock … [Read more...]
VHND’s Exclusive Interview with Michael Anthony (Complete)
Here's our complete exclusive interview with Michael Anthony, conducted last month in Cabo (Oct, 2008). All 8 parts are embedded below, for your listening pleasure... When we announced that we were going to have an exclusive interview with ex-Van Halen bass player, Michael Anthony, we asked people to give us their questions to use in the interview for Michael . This led to … [Read more...]
Rockin’ Cabo!
Sammy Hagar's Birthday Bash 2008 "Where the land ends and the party begins"... Written by: Jeff & Beth Welcome to the Van Halen News Desk's HUGE "Cabo Wabo Birthday Bash" write-up, which features our review of the bash, as well as PHOTO galleries, VIDEOS of Sammy and Van Halen playing the bashes, and newly imported Cabo Wabo merchandise! Enjoy! For those of you who … [Read more...]