David Lee Roth was inspired by our article 40 Years Ago Today – Van Halen Hits the Sunset Strip! so much so that he sent us an exclusive audio describing how important it was for Van Halen to spend years playing Gazzarris in the mid seventies. He calls it their "college of musical knowledge." Listen to Dave's 5-minute recording above. Big thanks to Diamond Dave for sharing … [Read more...]
Unearthed: Earliest Known Van Halen Interview (1977)
Exclusive: Before Van Halen exploded in 1978 and started being featured in national music magazines, a small rock fanzine covering mostly local Los Angeles bands scored an interview with the lead singer of Van Halen. This interview took place backstage at the Whisky A Go-Go, in September of 1977, nearly half a year before Van Halen's first album hit the record stores! Raw … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Interview with Allan Handelman, 1980
Allan Handelman sets up the interview: It's was Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll. Recorded at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia during the tour to support their third album, Women And Children First. It was out of control madness that turned out to be a radio classic. David is still a regular guest on my show with over 8 appearances over the years. This one (the first one) was a … [Read more...]
Unearthed: Van Halen 1988 Raw & Uncut Video Interview
VOX POP has released their full, unedited 1988 video interview with Van Halen. This was filmed in the spring of '88, as the band was starting to do press for their upcoming "Monsters Of Rock" stadium tour. The crazy thing is that they weren't even finished recording OU812 yet! It was crunch time, as their album had to be out by the time the tour started in late May. For the … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Looks Back on Van Halen’s Landmark ‘1984’ Album and the Creation of 5150 Studios
This is an excerpt from the February 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the rest of this story, plus several vintage Van Halen photos and more — including Ozzy Osbourne & Zakk Wylde, the return of Jake E. Lee, Tosin Abasi, Steel Panther, Five Finger Death Punch and John Petrucci's monthly column — check out the February 2014 issue at VanHalenStore.com. Home Improvement: … [Read more...]
How Mitch Malloy Almost Became Van Halen’s Third Singer (Video)
For the first time on camera, Mitch Malloy shares his story of how he was offered the singer position in Van Halen in 1996. And for the first time, listen to a sample of Mitch Malloy singing over an unreleased Van Halen instrumental. The legacy of Van Halen has never had a shortage of drama or die-hard fans...and rocker Mitch Malloy (official website) has a unique place … [Read more...]
15 Years On: Eddie Van Halen Interview Revisted
The following is an Eddie Van Halen interview from 15 years ago with new commentary by the interviewer, Doug Fox. "Why?" asked the voice on the other end of the phone. "I'm just a normal schmo like anyone else." Like Michael Jordan was just another dude that laced up Nikes. Like Walt Disney was just your average everyday daydreamer. Like Beethoven was simply another … [Read more...]
Video Upgrade: 1978 Japanese TV Appearance – “You Really Got Me” & Interview
The video above is yet another great addition to the Van Halen News Desk's new YouTube channel, the Van Halen Vault! This is a video of a Van Halen's lip-sync performance of "You Really Got Me" - followed by a quick interview - that was broadcast during their first visit to Japan to promote the Japanese leg. 35 years later, this is still a rarely seen video. Even if you've seen … [Read more...]
Van Halen = Hot Lava?! David Lee Roth Explains
Lead singer of Van Halen, David Lee Roth, and Jay Mohr sit down with Opie & Anthony today (June 5th) and reminisce about David's childhood and playing the game 'hot lava'. David discusses the competitive and risky nature of the game and how it has developed into his band's current life; Van Halen trying to expand their parameters and pushing the edge during their … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Eddie Van Halen & LL Cool J interviewed on Piers Morgan Live
Watch the complete segment of Eddie Van Halen and LL Cool J interviewed on Piers Morgan Live. May 3rd, 2013. … [Read more...]
‘Revealed: David Lee Roth’ Interview (Video)
REVEALED: David Lee Roth is the half-hour special that aired during mid-April on REELZ, a US based cable network channel dedicated to stars, fans and all aspects of Hollywood. The legendary Van Halen frontman talks about the band’s early days, comeback, and what it’s like to be a Samurai swordsman! Watch the 22-minute interview above. … [Read more...]
Diamond Dave on Jay Mohr’s Podcast
Lead singer of Van Halen, David Lee Roth, comes to the Fake Mustache studio to guest on Jay Mohr's audio podcast. They discuss making music, touring, The Roth Show, and much more. Mohr, who's favorite band is Van Halen, actually gets David to divulge which Van Halen album is his all-time favorite. 109 minutes. Lots of VH talk. Listen here. … [Read more...]