From a snowstorm concert in September to being the subject of an Eddie/Alex debate to visiting the hallowed 5150 Studios, guitarist Damon Johnson has plenty of Van Halen stories to tell and he shared them all during a recent appearance on Final Resonance TV. Back in 1995, Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper, Blackstar Riders) was the lead vocalist and guitarist … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar News
The former Van Halen frontman recently released his acoustic solo album, "Lite Roast". In 2015, he's touring with his band "The Circle", featuring Michael Anthony, Vic Johnson, and Jason Bonham. His other band, Chickenfoot, is on hiatus indefinitely.
36 Years Ago Today: Van Halen Launches Second Era With The Release Of ‘5150’ Album
“Hello, bayyyyyy-beh!” 36 years ago today, Van Halen Mach II was born! 5150 ushered in a decade of #1 albums and sold-out tours with vocalist Sammy Hagar. Where did Van Halen get the idea for the "5150" title? 5150 is the California statute for holding those with grave mental disabilities involuntarily for 72 hours and sometimes longer pending further … [Read more...]
Valerie Bertinelli: ‘I’m Grateful That Ed Was Able To Make Amends With So Many People That He Loved’
Valerie Bertinelli looked back on Eddie Van Halen overcoming his battles with substance abuse during a recent appearance on Rob Lowe's podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe. "We all have a toolbox that we go to when we need to suppress any kind of emotion that we don't want to feel, any kind of pain that we don't want to feel, and I know that Ed's toolbox was filled with drugs … [Read more...]
New Podcast Aims To Break Down Entire Van Halen Catalog One Track At A Time
It's the podcast that is guh-guh-guh gauranteed to rock on...and on...and on...until they cover each and every song in the Van Halen catalog! And The Podcast Will Rock debuted in November and has released 16 episodes so far. In each, the hosts Mark and Corey choose a random Van Halen song and break it down from start to finish. "We are here to discuss, dissect and just … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar On Why He’s ‘Leery’ Of Leftover Van Halen Songs Being Released
Sammy Hagar says any unreleased Van Halen material in the 5150 vaults was unreleased for a reason and it may not be worth revisiting. In a recent interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Hagar was asked if there are any unreleased recordings during his time with the band that could eventually come out. "Van Halen didn’t have many songs that were completed that didn’t … [Read more...]
LISTEN: ‘Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story’ Author Paul Brannigan Exclusive Interview
The VHND's Eric Senich talked with author Paul Brannigan to talk about his book Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story! Here's a rundown of the topics covered in the interview: Eddie's guitar and recorder always by his sideThe influence parents Jan and Eugenia had on EddieForget the Fab Four, Eddie's fire was lit by The Dave Clark Five!Eric Clapton was the Cream of the … [Read more...]
‘You Can Mess With Us, But Not With Our Fans’: Two Times Van Halen Stood Up For Their Fans [VIDEO]
The YouTube channel Rock N' Roll True Stories has released a video recalling two times Van Halen stood up for the fans and gave the big ole "FU" to authorities in the early 90s. Both stories took place in 1992 while Van Halen was on tour promoting their 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The first occurred when the band played at the Five Seasons Center outside Cedar … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony Sings DLR-Era Van Halen With The Circle In Vegas [VIDEO & SETLISTS]
Sammy Hagar & The Circle busted out plenty of Van Halen classics during their recent residency at the Strat in Las Vegas and they weren't all Sammy era. On Saturday night (February 12th) Michael Anthony took lead vocal duties on a couple of David Lee Roth era VH songs - "Runnin' With The Devil" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love. Below are videos from those performances … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar & The Circle Announce Summer Tour
Sammy Hagar & The Circle are gearing up for one crazy summer. The band has just announced a 14-date "Crazy Times" summer US amphitheater tour and it's set to kick off on June 10th in Connecticut. The Circle lineup features fellow Van Halen member Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson. George Thorogood and the Destroyers will be the special … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Names The 11 Albums That Changed His Life, Includes Two From Van Halen
Wolfgang Van Halen has come up with 11 albums that have changed his life and two of them come from Van Halen. In a recent interview with Louder's Dave Everley, Wolfgang picked a list of albums (in no particular order, according to Wolfgang) that have shaped his musical path so far and included 1981's Fair Warning and 1995's Balance. Here's what he had to say about the two … [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...]
Drummer Kenny Aronoff On Van Halen: ‘Every Single Player In That Band Was THE REAL DEAL!’
Drummer Kenny Aronoff talked about the influence of Van Halen a.k.a. "The Real Deal" during a recent interview with Sunset Sound Recorders. Check out Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Chickenfoot) talk about the genius of Eddie Van Halen, the distinct, identifiable sound of Alex Van Halen, the "Rock God" showmanship of David Lee Roth, the impeccable vocals and bass … [Read more...]