How long have you been a Van Halen fan? Years? Decades? Well, for the guy in this video, you can watch him become a Van Halen fan right before your naked steaming eyes. And it's a real treat! This guy, "Weaboo," posts videos of himself reacting to music videos, as he's seeing them for the very first time. And he has quite an online following. This guy has NEVER seen Van … [Read more...]
Anniversary: ‘5150’ Time at Texxas Jam!
Sammy & Eddie at Texxas Jam, by Rick Gould On this day in 1986, Van Halen headlined the 9th annual TEXXAS JAM at the Cotton Bowl in front of 72,000 rowdy fans. The bill included BTO, Keel, Krokus, Dio, and Loverboy. VHND contributing writer Kevin Dodds, author of Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography was there, and we think you'll enjoy his … [Read more...]
New Van Halen Podcast: ‘Dave & Dave Unchained’!
Van Halen fans, it has finally arrived – a podcast exclusively about The Mighty Van Halen. "Dave & Dave Unchained" focuses on everything in the world of VH, plus the solo careers of its members. This monthly show covers every era of the band through album discussions, exclusive interview segments and more. The show is hosted by two friends named Dave - David J. Criblez, … [Read more...]
Video: Larry King Interviews David Lee Roth
CNN just uploaded an interview Larry King did with David Lee Roth back in 1986, just as Eat 'Em And Smile was being released. This interview hasn't been available on YouTube or in collector's circles as far as we can tell, so it's probably the first time a lot of us will see this. Dave talks about why he left Van Halen, why he's interesting in being on the Big Screen, and … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar on the Making of Van Halen’s ‘5150’
Photo by David McGough This week is a special time in Van Halen history. It was 30 years ago this week that the band topped Billboard's LP charts for the first time, with 5150! The album sat in the Number One position for 3 weeks straight. In a new interview, Sammy Hagar shares some interesting stories from the making of the classic album. Before we get to what Sammy had to … [Read more...]
Hear Van Halen’s Unreleased Song “I Want Some Action” & Other ‘5150’ Demos
For the 30th anniversary of Van Halen's, multiplatinum, No. 1 album, "5150," we're spotlighting an unreleased (and unfinished) song from the album, "I Want Some Action," which you can listen to above. This is a is a song that was written and recorded during the "5150" sessions, and, interestingly, the only unreleased song that has leaked out of 5150 from all the years with … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar Talks ‘5150’ on its Anniversary
Hellooo Babyyyy! Today is the 32nd anniversary of 5150. The beginning of the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen. Rolling Stone conducted an interview with Sammy Hagar for the 30th anniversary of 5150. Here's highlights from their interview: When David Lee Roth left Van Halen in 1985 nobody knew if the group would survive. The flamboyant frontman was the face of the band, and when his … [Read more...]
30th Anniversary of Van Halen’s ‘5150’
“Hello, bayyyyyy-beh!” 30 years ago today, Van Halen Mach II was born! 5150 ushered in a decade of #1 albums and sold out tours with vocalist Sammy Hagar. Where did Van Halen get the idea for the "5150" title? 5150 is the California statute for holding those with grave mental disabilities involuntarily for 72 hours and sometimes longer pending further psychiatric evaluation. … [Read more...]
Randy Bachman Recalls BTO Opening For Van Halen on 5150 Tour
When Van Halen was about to hit the road in 1986 in support of 5150 (their first with Sammy Hagar) they knew they might be facing in uphill battle. After all, their former singer, David Lee Roth, was arguably the most popular rock frontman on the planet at the time, and the band were about to tour North America without him. Greg Prato from Songfacts recently interviewed … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Interviews Les Paul
Famous musician and inventor Les Paul would have turned 101 years old today (born 6/19/1915). We look back to 1986, when Guitar World put Eddie Van Halen and Les Paul together in the same room to talk about what they knew best. From Guitar World: Almost three decades ago, Guitar World writer Steven Rosen brought together Les Paul and Eddie Van Halen for a quick chat. It … [Read more...]
Let’s Make a Deal!—Alex Van Halen’s Crazy Cash for Locks Program
Happy Birthday, Alex Van Halen! For his birthday today, we've got a never-seen photo and never-heard crazy story from the band's 5150 tour! Many people don't realize that Alex Van Halen has always been the biggest prankster in the band. He was arguably the most wild and out of control during the band's 1986 5150 tour—he even shaved his head, as seen in the photo … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s ‘5150’ VS. David Lee Roth’s ‘Eat ‘Em And Smile’ – Great Rock Debates
From Ultimate Classic Rock.com: Rock and roll history is rife with intra-band family feuds, but perhaps none received quite as much publicity or caused a bigger fan base rift than Van Halen’s ugly divorce from singer David Lee Roth in 1985. Certainly, this was the battle royal of ‘80’s hard rock! After all, no other American band did quite as much as the Roth-fronted Van … [Read more...]