Credit: Neil Zlozower Will a Van Halen tribute eventually happen? Was it ever planned at all? David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, Jason Newsted and Joe Satriani have all commented on the record. Wolfgang Van Halen, however, has had little to say about it...until now. During a recent interview with Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt, Wolfgang was asked a series of questions … [Read more...]
Tone Chaser: One Man’s Pursuit Of The Classic Eddie Van Halen Sound
Credit: Neil Zlozower Capturing Eddie Van Halen's early-era tone is much like cracking a secret code. It's no easy task and it most definitely won't happen overnight. Take twenty-six year-old Cameron Brown for example. He's been chasing Eddie's classic "Eruption" tone since he was 11. It's only now that he feels he's ready to share it with the world. Brown is a … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar on Club Random with Bill Maher
Bill and Sammy riff on rock and roll excess, the upbringing and the heartbreak that drove Sammy to be a rock star, the technology that would have helped Bill talk to girls when he was younger, how to survive fights when you’re married, Sammy and Eddie Van Halen making peace at the end, and how Quentin Tarrantino put Sammy’s tequila brand in his movie. Watch the full … [Read more...]
The Story Of Kurt Jefferis’ ‘Lost Weekend’ With Van Halen
On this day in 1984, Kurt Jefferis won a “Lost Weekend With Van Halen” MTV contest out of more than 1 million entrants. This is his story! When MTV announced its "Lost Weekend With Van Halen" contest in early 1984, the network received over a million postcard entries for a chance to spend three days with the band during their 1984 tour. The lottery couldn't have … [Read more...]
Guitar World Revisits 2012 Eddie Van Halen Interview For Tenth Anniversary Of ‘A Different Kind Of Truth’
Guitar World has commemorated the tenth anniversary of Van Halen's A Different Kind Of Truth album by revisiting a 2012 interview with Eddie Van Halen. Here are the excerpts from the interview (originally run in the August 2012 issue of Guitar World) regarding the album conducted by Guitar World's Chris Gill. Q: You're using a lot more wah on your solos on this … [Read more...]
Steve Vai On David Lee Roth’s Retirement & The Origins Of DLR’s ‘Damn Good’
The Eat 'Em and Smile Band L-R: Billy Sheehan, David Lee Roth, Steve Vai, Greg Bissonnette Steve Vai says David Lee Roth's retirement is well earned and will be forever grateful for making him "famous almost overnight". Vai, who is promoting his latest solo release Inviolate, was asked by eonmusic if he planned on showing up for Roth's initially scheduled final … [Read more...]
Valerie Bertinelli Opens Up About Eddie & Wolfgang On ‘The View’
Valerie Bertinelli shared her regrets and joys regarding Van Halen past and present during a recent appearance on "The View". Bertinelli, who has written extensively about her marriage to Eddie in her new memoir titled Enough Already, said the reason for their divorce in 2007 was mainly due to his abuse of drugs and alcohol. It was a world she didn't want her son Wolfgang … [Read more...]
Sunset Sound Roundtable: Alex Van Halen Can Bring The Swing!
Credit: Neil Zlozower Alice Cooper drummer Glen Sobel gave it up to the "King of Swing" Alex Van Halen during a recent visit to Sunset Sound Studios. During his roundtable interview with Sunset Sound Recorders host Drew Dempsey, Sobel was asked why Van Halen's "I'm The One" is such an important song. "[Because] it swings," said Sobel of the song recorded at Sunset … [Read more...]
The ‘Unchained’ Sessions, Donn Landee & More Covered In Latest Sunset Sound Van Halen Roundtable [VIDEO]
Credit: Neil Zlozower Guitarist/producer Doug Messenger returned to Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles to reveal more behind-the-scenes stories on Van Halen! Messenger first caught Van Halen perform in February of 1977 and quickly made a call to Warner Bros., urging them to check out this guitar hero named Eddie Van Halen. Soon after, the former Van Morrison … [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...]
Author Greg Renoff On The History & Legacy Of Van Halen
Author Greg Renoff sat down for an in-depth discussion on Eddie Van Halen and Van Halen history during a recent appearance on the Making Waves with Tom Prather podcast. Prather covered a wide range of Van Halen-related topics while also learning some Greg Renoff history. Long before writing his critically acclaimed books Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard … [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...]