From Rolling Stone and EVH Gear: Eddie Van Halen is marking the 40th anniversary of Van Halen's self-titled debut LP with a trio of tribute guitars – the Super '78, '78 Eruption Relic and '78 Eruption – modeled after the signature black-and-white-striped instrument he used to record that iconic album. "Of all the guitars I've ever built, the white and black guitar will … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar Pay Tribute to Vinnie Paul
Terrible news in rock 'n' roll ... ex-PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott passed away Friday (June 22) at the age of 54. Former Van Halen members Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar have paid tribute: Anthony wrote on Facebook: "So sad and heartbroken to hear of the death of my good friend Vinnie Paul. A great friend, human being, and incredible drummer. R.I.P. … [Read more...]
Have A Great Summer!
Eddie Van Halen's post on Facebook today: Have a great summer! #summer #music … [Read more...]
Fans & Janie Van Halen React to REELZ Documentary
Is a storm brewing between REELZ and Mrs. Mighty Van Halen? Janie Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen’s wife and publicist, took to Twitter Sunday night to speak her mind about REELZ’ latest docu offering - Breaking the Band: Van Halen. The episode, which premiered June 17th, was touted as covering the band’s complete timeline, from its height of popularity to two ‘break ups’. While the … [Read more...]
Wolf Confirms Long-Awaited Solo Project Ready to Mix
Flashback: In February 2015, Eddie Van Halen announced during his interview at the Smithsonian that son and Van Halen bassist Wolfgang would be releasing a solo album . Of the album, Eddie threw some hype Wolfie's way, telling listeners, “Wait until you hear his record! This is not pop talking, this is REAL talk. It blew my mind." But, the hype was quickly overshadowed, as a … [Read more...]
‘Breaking the Band: Van Halen’ Airing Sunday, June 17
Remember that Van Halen documentary that we reported was in the works back in January? Well, it's airing on TV this weekend! Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar have both been interviewed for the documentary, which will be airing on REELZ. Michael mentioned on Instagram that the interview "Brought up many great memories," and Sammy added, "These guys were great, feels like a … [Read more...]
‘Panama’ at the… Finnish Line?
What says 'classic American hard rock' better than the mighty Van Halen? Nothing, right? So, we're not surprised that our friends in Finland would jack some American culture for their outrageously popular band, Steve 'n' Seagulls. (Okay, culture may not exactly be the word that first comes to mind when processing the pun on the band's name and the actor who inspired it, but … [Read more...]
Cobra Kai Star William Zabka Needs No Black Belt To Rock Vintage Van Halen Tee
Make no mistake. William Zabka , one of the two leads in YouTube Red’s new Cobra Kai series, has great respect for the mighty Van Halen. Thus, we can only imagine his showing up on-screen wearing the vintage style “1980 Invasion” t-shirt wasn't just a random choice by the costume department. Johnny Lawrence—he of "Sweep the leg" infamy—shows off the tee in the third episode of … [Read more...]
Product Review: The Next Best Thing to Having Eddie with You
In the Personal Dilemmas section today: guitar woes. Recently got a new 6 string. Great looking guitar, to be sure, but I already had a red semi-hollow body from the same company, and wanted something different. So, bring it to a guy in town known for slinging acrylic and enamel. Fast forward a month. Things, y'know, like real life, keep getting in the way of me getting her … [Read more...]
Why the ‘Jump’ Synthtro Doesn’t Stray Far from the Band’s Raw Roots
Given the endless tone worship and shredding adulation Eddie Van Halen generates within the guitar community, it's somewhat ironic that one of the band's most recognizable sounds comes from a synth. But as a number one hit upon its release and a mainstay of sports arenas and karaoke bars in years since, "Jump" from Van Halen's 1984 is about as classic as it gets—and it’s … [Read more...]
In an Alternate Universe, is EVH the Lead Guitarist for… ZZ Top? AC/DC?
Surf the web and you’re bound to find thousands of videos by die-hard Eddie Van Halen fans, doing their damnedest to pay a fitting tribute to their hard rock hero. Then there’s Andres Nunez, the Colombian musician who took first at the 2016 Sibelius Fest electric guitar festival. Nunez’ January 2018 YouTube video “If Yngwie Malmsteen Played For…” has racked up more than 440k … [Read more...]
‘Panama’ Blaring in New ‘Lost In Space’ Netflix Series
We know how big a part of the past 40+ years Van Halen has been, but if the creative teams behind current hit films and TV shows are any indication, the future'll be jam packed with plenty of hard rock from Eddie & crew as well. Recently, we pointed out how Stephen Spielberg set the tone for his latest blockbuster, Ready Player One, by featuring "Jump" under the opening … [Read more...]