We have procured some never-before-seen photos from a Van Halen record store appearance during their first headlining tour, and boy, are they awesome! It was 40 years ago today when Van Halen signed autographs at Peaches Records & Tapes in Northeast Philly, May 19, 1979. The instore appearance is infamous, mainly because of the condition the record store was in after Van … [Read more...]
Watch Van Halen Kick Off First Headlining Tour!
41 years ago today, Van Halen kicked off their first headlining tour. And now, finally, ALL of of the audience-filmed footage from the first night is available online, for the first time! Watch this footage below, some of which has never been seen before! On March 25th 1979, two days after the release of their second album, Van Halen kicked off their very first headlining … [Read more...]
Van Halen 1979 Los Angeles Bootleg Video, Synced with Sound
Some fans are familiar with the short clip of bootleg footage from Van Halen's 1979 "CaliFFornia World Music Festival" performance, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It's rarely seen, blurry, and even worse, has has no sound. (Probably recorded on an 8mm camcorder with no sound capability). Well, VHND regular, Chris Bennett, has attempted to make this footage more … [Read more...]
Animated ‘Dance The Night Away’ Cover
Out upon the islands on a cool summer night ... guitarist Luca Federici sent us his video cover of Van Halen's "Dance The Night Away". And we think it's brilliant! The unique animation and playing are wonderful. Hope it brightens your day! … [Read more...]
‘Light Up The Sky’ Fan-Made Video
A Van Halen fan has made a video for "Light Up The Sky" using footage of the classic car chase from the 1968 movie Bullitt, featuring Steve McQueen and his 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback. "Fasten your seatbelts!" … [Read more...]
Unearthed Van Halen! ‘Dance the Night Away’ Alternate Vocal Mix!
This is amazing! Listen to an ALTERNATE TAKE of Van Halen's pop masterpiece, "Dance the Night Away'"! This is the first time an alternate Van Halen take has ever publicly leaked. Stuff like this would make up an incredible box set, with alternate versions and unreleased songs. This is what other bands release for their fans, and this is what people want from Van Halen. … [Read more...]
Former Van Halen Manager Writes Tell-All Book
A new tell-all book has been written by Noel Monk, Van Halen manager from 1978-1985. It's the only Van Halen book chronicling the early years written by a member of the Van Halen camp. And by their manager, no less! Runnin' with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen is being released in less than … [Read more...]
The Private Photo Shoot that Sparked a War Inside Van Halen
In 1979 David Lee Roth met Helmut Newton, inciting an ego-fueled power struggle that ultimately split the group apart. Here's a new article on some never-heard, behind-the-scenes drama that went on in Van Halen. Well get you started by featuring the article's intro here on VHND, but be sure to click over to Medium.com to read the entire article. It's a fascinating read. … [Read more...]
Rick Nielsen on Van Halen: ‘Everybody Loves Eddie’
Pictured here are Eddie Van Halen with Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen backstage at the CaliFFornia World Music Festival, held April 7th and 8th, 1979. Rick Nielsen gave two great quotes about Van Halen: “Van Halen is the musical equivalent of the yearly Harley festival in Sturgis. Loud, proud, and always a crowd." "Eddie’s creativity, his playing, and guitar technique have … [Read more...]
35 Years Ago Today, Van Halen Concert Footage Premiered on TV!
35 years ago today, on Nov 24th, 1979, Van Halen concert footage was shown on television for the very first time! No, were not talking about the Fair Warning tour film from Oakland, (and there's a lot of mystery behind that) —we’re talking about our OTHER favorite old Van Halen footage, which is arguably just as cool, but doesn't seem to get talked about as much... Back … [Read more...]
Friends of the Boys: Visiting Jan Van Halen (35 Years Ago Today)
The home where Eddie and Alex Van Halen grew up in Pasadena, as it looked in 2013. (Photo: Karen Nuremberg Sonner) A very unique story from 35 years ago today, by VHND contributing writer, Doug Fox. Written for VHND and The Editing Room Floor: Click, snap, clack, pop, clink ... There's a lot of things that go through a teenager's mind while standing on a doorstep at … [Read more...]
Backstage Van Halen Photos From 1979
Legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin has shot Van Halen many times over the years. Here's his backstage shots from Newcastle upon Tyne’s City Hall, June 26th, 1979. The band was three months into their second world tour—their first full tour as headliners. Van Halen II had already gone platinum, and their third work, Women And Children First, would come out just nine months … [Read more...]