Are you ready to get down one more time? We give you THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN! Forty years ago today, May 29th, 1983, Van Halen headlined the US Festival in San Bernardino, CA. Billed as "The Musical Event of the 80s," the '83 US Festival was like a gift from the heavens. Throughout four days, music lovers would flock to Southern California's Glen Helen Regional Park, enjoying … [Read more...]
Watch Party: Episodes 1 & 2 of ‘Van Halen 1984 Documentary’!
The first two episodes of 'The Van Halen 1984 Documentary' have been released! And we're having a Watch Party right here on VHND! They are embedded below and went LIVE today! Watch them here and discuss them in the comments below. EP1 Building 5150 Studio EP2 The Road to the US Festival It's an unofficial, 5-Part Fan-Made Miniseries. The … [Read more...]
Watch ‘Van Halen 1984 Documentary’ Trailer!
Attention Van Halen fans! There's a NEW Van Halen documentary about to be released! It's an unofficial, 5-Part Fan-Made Miniseries. The year 1984 was, arguably, Van Halen at its peak. The band's creativity and tensions reached an optimum balance — enough to keep the passion in the music but not enough yet to destroy the band. This 5-part fan-made miniseries is the result … [Read more...]
Steve Lukather Sets The Record Straight On Tracking Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ With Eddie Van Halen
Steve Lukather says Eddie Van Halen recorded his iconic guitar solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" at 5150 studios, not Sunset Sound as some stories have claimed. Lukather recently stopped by the Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles for a Sunset Sound Rountable interview. Host Drew Dempsey asked Lukather if he could set the record straight on where Eddie's solo was recorded. … [Read more...]
Brian May Working On Extended Version Of 1983 ‘Star Fleet Project’ With Eddie Van Halen
The 5150 vaults aren't the only place rare Eddie Van Halen recordings can be found. Brian May has reached into his own treasure trove of recordings and is currently working on an extended version of 1983's The Star Fleet Project featuring Eddie. Here's what May had to say about the project during a recent interview with Variety's A.D. Amorosi: OK, so the three of you are … [Read more...]
Dutch Abstract Art, Pasadena Hot Rods & Punk Rock Guitars: The Origins Of Eddie’s Striped ‘Frankenstrat’ Design
Eddie Van Halen's classic red, black and white striped guitar affectionally named "Frankenstrat" may be the most recognizable instrument in music history. Rock journalist and author Greg Prato has shared an article he wrote for AllMusic with the Van Halen News Desk that digs deep into the origins of the guitar design. By Greg Prato Much has been said about one … [Read more...]
The Eddie Van Halen-Inspired Hairdos On ‘Stranger Things 4’
Ah yes, the good ole 1980s. Remember those hairdos? The people behind the making of Stranger Things certainly do, specifically Eddie Van Halen's rockin' "do"s from that decade. So much so they decided to pay homage to a few of them in the latest season of the hit Netflix series. Stranger Things' lead hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul shared the inspiration behind the wigs used to … [Read more...]
LISTEN: ‘Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story’ Author Paul Brannigan Exclusive Interview
The VHND's Eric Senich talked with author Paul Brannigan to talk about his book Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story! Here's a rundown of the topics covered in the interview: Eddie's guitar and recorder always by his sideThe influence parents Jan and Eugenia had on EddieForget the Fab Four, Eddie's fire was lit by The Dave Clark Five!Eric Clapton was the Cream of the … [Read more...]
Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ Featuring Eddie Van Halen Solo Released On This Day In 1983
February 14th, 1983. The day the King of Pop and King Edward would team up to make rock and pop history. Michael Jackson's "Beat It" was released 39 years ago today. It would go on to become a number one single for three weeks and win two Grammys thanks in big part to the song's now iconic guitar solo performed by Eddie Van Halen. Did you know that Pete Townshend was … [Read more...]
LISTEN: ‘Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen’ Authors Exclusive Interview
The VHND's Eric Senich talked with Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen authors Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill for an exclusive, in-depth discussion of Eddie Van Halen's legendary career! Throughout the interview Tolinski and Gill give their insight and opinions on a wide range of EVH topics including: Eddie's childhood days overcoming his shynessHis relationship … [Read more...]
Podcast Explores Van Halen’s Rare & Unreleased Recordings
It's the biggest question among Van Halen fans: Will we ever get to hear what's in the 5150 vaults? The fascination with Van Halen's vast collection of unreleased material was pretty intense back in the 80s and 90s but with the emergence of the internet, it grew to mammoth (pun intended) proportions. The Wax Audio Show podcast recently released an exceptionally … [Read more...]
Exclusive Interview: ‘Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock’ Author Michael Christopher
The Van Halen News Desk's Eric Senich talked with music journalist Michael Christopher about his new book Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock! Below is the complete interview conducted by Senich for his podcast Booked On Rock. Christopher discusses a wide range of topics related to Van Halen including: The band's early days in Pasadena and original bassist Mark … [Read more...]