Sammy Hagar says he and Michael Anthony are determined to keep Van Halen "live and alive" with this summer's Best Of All Worlds tour. At a time when many legacy artists are under fire for using pre-recorded tracks, what you hear from Hagar and his band is all live. "I can't tell you how perfect this lineup is, how much fun we're havin', and how it's live," said Hagar during … [Read more...]
Hagar: There’s Enough Vault Material For A New Van Halen Record
Sammy Hagar believes there's "a ton" of unreleased material in the 5150 vaults. Enough to turn into a new Van Halen record. During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" , Hagar said he'd be more than happy to help go through the tapes left behind by Edward Van Halen. Getting Alex Van Halen to invite Hagar into those vaults, however, is the biggest hurdle. "I … [Read more...]
Sunset Strip Veteran Shares Front-Row Tales Of Van Halen’s Rise
Former Sunset Strip veteran musician Loren Molinare recently appeared on Final Resonance TV’s Van Halen Stories Podcast to discuss his front-row seat to the rise of Van Halen as the guitarist/vocalist for Detroit Rockers The Dogs. During the mid to late 1970s, The Dogs opened for Van Halen often, including a gig at The Pasadena Civic Auditorium, just after Van Halen signed … [Read more...]
Great White’s Mark Kendall: Van Halen’s Secret? Cold Calling
Credit: Neil Zlozower Eddie had his guitar, Dave had his mic. They also had a phone, which they put to very good use back in the day. During a recent appearance on the Booked On Rock podcast with the VHND's Eric Senich, Great White guitarist Mark Kendall shared a conversation he once had with David Lee Roth. It was at a time when Van Halen was a constant presence on … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony Names His Favorite Edward Van Halen Solo
Credit: Neil Zlozower If Michael Anthony had to pick his favorite Edward Van Halen solo, it's the one he heard Edward play every night on stage since the beginning - "Eruption". Anthony commented on Edward's iconic solo from Van Halen's 1978 self-titled debut album during a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar's Greg Prato: What would you say were some of your … [Read more...]
Mike Post On ‘Van Halen III’: ‘It’s Nobody’s Fault’
Van Halen III producer Mike Post says nobody should be to blame for the album failing to match the success of previous Van Halen albums. During a recent interview with The Bluegrass Situation's Amy Reitnour Jacobs, Post commented on the 1998 Van Halen album featuring Gary Cherone on lead vocals. While the album reached number four on Billboard and … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony: Alex ‘Continues To Grieve Today Over Eddie’s Passing’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Michael Anthony has commented on Alex Van Halen's decision to auction off his personal instrument and gear collection and why he wouldn't be surprised if Alex never returns to the stage again. Below is an excerpt from Anthony's recent Ultimate Guitar interview contributed to the Van Halen News Desk by UG writer Greg Prato: Although he's not … [Read more...]
Author Martin Popoff On Edward Van Halen’s ‘True Creative Force’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Van Halen at 50 author Martin Popoff calls Edward Van Halen is this era's "true Mozart" who had tools that no other guitarist had, including the ability to bring "personality" to the guitar. "He might even be the guitarist with the most personality ever on the guitar," said Popoff during a recent interview with the Van Halen News Desk's Eric … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony Shares Van Halen Road Tales & More On Trunk Nation
If Michael Anthony ever writes a book, he's got plenty of tales of debauchery on the road with Van Halen to tell. "I'll tell ya right now, boy, I could have a couple of chapters on just the trashing [of hotels] and all that stuff that we used to do when we first came out," Anthony said during a recent appearance on Trunk Nation. "My forte was fire extinguishers. Just kinda … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony Found Closure After Reuniting With Wolfgang Van Halen
While Michael Anthony never had the chance to reconcile with Edward Van Halen, he says he was able to get closure after his recent reunion with Wolfgang Van Halen. "Eddie and I never had a chance to really settle any differences that we had in the past," said Anthony during a recent appearance on the Sally Steele Rocks! Show (video above). "But at the end of 2023 here (in … [Read more...]
Gregg Bissonette: ‘Nobody Grooved Like Eddie’
Drummer Gregg Bissonette recently appeared on Final Resonance TV’s Van Halen Stories Podcast to discuss his years playing with David Lee Roth. During the interview, Bissonette covers his time recording the DLR albums Eat 'Em and Smile (1986), Skyscraper (1988), and his final album with Roth - A Little Ain't Enough (1991) produced by Bob Rock. Bissonette also gave insight … [Read more...]
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready Reflects On Van Halen’s Influence
During a recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready expressed his love of Van Halen and his chance meeting with Eddie Van Halen. From Ultimate Guitar (contributed to the VHND by Greg Prato): Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready is best known for his Jimi and SRV soloing style played on a variety of battered Strats. So it may come as a … [Read more...]