Sammy Hagar & The Circle just dipped back into the Van Halen catalogue for their @Home Sessions series and this time they picked "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" from 1995's 'Balance' album. Here's what Hagar posted along with the video on YouTube: When I heard that Kurt Cobain had taken his own life, the first thing I thought of was I wish I were there and could … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s ‘Balance’ Turns 25: Roundtable Discussion
Today, 25 years after the release of Van Halen's Balance, our friends at Ultimate Classic Rock host a roundtable discussion about the album. Featuring UCR staff, Mitch Lafon from Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon, and Jeff Hausman from Van Halen News Desk, they tackle five big questions about the album. Read everyone's answers to question #1, below, and continue to read the rest … [Read more...]
Looking Back at Eddie’s 1995 Rolling Stone Interview
“You’re either rock and roll or you’re not,” Eddie Van Halen said in this 1995 cover interview with Rolling Stone, which hit newsstands on this day in 1995. We read the whole interview today, for the first time in years. There's actually lots of interesting stuff, especially in light of everything that has happened since then. Not too surprisingly, there was the quote about … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar on the 21st Anniversary of Van Halen’s #1 Album “Balance”
Listen to Sammy Hagar share some personal history around the release of Van Halen's Balance album. This video was released today, on the 21st anniversary of the album. "Although it is mixed with both dark and light, I am very proud of this album — the last great Van Halen record of all original material to hit #1!" —Sammy Listen to the video above. And visit VHND's … [Read more...]
Unearthed: Van Halen’s ‘Big Fat Money” Instrumental!
Today marks the first day we’re featuring a never heard Van Halen instrumental! We figure we’ll kick it off by Finishing What We Started with that teaser last week - here’s the FULL version of the awesome Van Halen boogie that became “Big Fat Money” on the Balance album! We’ll release a new instrumental every Monday and Thursday for the next several weeks. Some fans are … [Read more...]
Watch All Van Halen Appearances on David Letterman
It's the end of an era! David Letterman ended his incredible 33-year career in late night on Wednesday, after nearly 20,000 guests! During 1985 through 1995, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, or the entire band were on the show a total of five times. We've assembled all of these classic appearances below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! 1/1/85: David Lee Roth's Hilarious … [Read more...]
Watch Van Halen’s 1995 Performance in Milan, Italy
20 years ago today, Van Halen performed in Milan, Italy, as part of their European tour promoting their new album, Balance. Watch the entire professionally filmed concert, above. … [Read more...]
25 Years Ago: Van Halen’s ‘Secret Gig’ in Holland
Back in 1995, Van Halen preformed a secret club show at the Luxor Theatre, in Arnhem, Holland. The band was in Europe on a two week promotion tour for the Balance album, which was released Jan. 25th, 1995. The secret show for the music industry, the press, and also for the Dutch "5150" fan club. Word of the appearance leaked, and three thousand fans waited … [Read more...]
A Story About the Rare Genius of Eddie Van Halen
Here's a truly interesting tale about Eddie Van Halen that some folks were discussing on Reddit.com: Here's a story about the rare genius of Eddie Van Halen, as told by Hartley Peavey to a longtime Peavey dealer I worked for. They had been doing some manufacturer's clinics with Eddie, and Hartley shared this nugget with him. I thought of this story today and decided to … [Read more...]
Van Halen Attends Sammy Hagar’s Wedding
On Nov. 29th, 1995, Sammy Hagar wed longtime girlfriend, Kari Karte. Here's a few exclusive photos from the wedding dinner. Photos courtesy of Darrell Degroff. The pair had met while Van Halen were on tour in the early '90s. Sammy invited her along with him and Eddie to judge a bikini contest in a bar, and then flew her to the band's next show. Their ceremony was on Mount … [Read more...]
VHND’s All Access Photo: Van Halen Plays Denver During Snowstorm, ’95
This week's “All Access” Photo is a never-seen stage shot taken during a surprise snowstorm at the Fiddler's Green in Denver, Colorado. It was Sept 20th, 1995, (during Van Halen's Balance tour) and the unusual weather was what made this concert so different from the typical amphitheater shows that the band played throughout the summer. Van Halen's lighting man during the … [Read more...]
VHND’s All Access Photo: Ed and Hartley Peavey
Eddie Van Halen working with Hartley Peavey, 1995. “All Access" Photos is a weekly feature at VHND.com. Every weekend we feature a photo from a roadie, friend, or band insider. Many are never-seen-before exclusives. Tune in every weekend for more! … [Read more...]