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...]
Van Halen News
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...]
The David Lee Roth Boogie!
Kick off your weekend with "The David Lee Roth Boogie!" Watch it above. The creator of this video, X-RAY SIMON, tells us, "I just did this fun little video to thank VH & Dave ... if you would love to share it with the fans through VHND I'd be the luckiest man in the world ... "David Lee Roth of Van Halen doesn't even need to sing to be great. His signature screams and … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony Meet and Greet at Guitar Center Tonight
Michael Anthony will only be at Guitar Center's Pasadena, California location TONIGHT (Thursday April 26th) at 7pm. "Join us for a meet and greet with the legendary bassist, known for his work with Chickenfoot and Van Halen. Be sure to check out Anthony’s new Signature basses from Schecter Guitar Research." … [Read more...]
What Makes Van Halen Great?
Watch Musician/Producer Explain What Makes Van Halen — and specifically, ’Runnin’ With The Devil’ — Great What is it that makes a great Van Halen song so great? Is it the guitars? Is it the vocals? The drums? The bass? Actually, the answer is a collective "yes" to all of the above and you’re about to find out why. Rick Beato is a musician/producer who has released a … [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...]
‘Van Halen Rising’ Author Greg Renoff Appears on Eddie Trunk’s ‘Trunk Nation’
Van Halen Rising has risen once again. Two and a half years after releasing his highly acclaimed book Van Halen Rising author Greg Renoff appeared for the first time on Eddie Trunk’s Sirius/XM radio show “Trunk Nation”. Renoff sat down with Trunk Wednesday afternoon (4/17/18) for a lengthy interview which took place at The Hard Rock in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the slim chances … [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...]
Report, Video & Pics from Houston Grand Opera Ball Featuring David Lee Roth
Dr Jack Roth, Dr Katherine Roth, David Lee Roth, and Dr Liz Grimm. Photo by Priscilla Dickson We have a special report from David Lee Roth's performance at Saturday night's Houston Grand Opera Ball. Chuck, a regular at VHND, was at the event and met David Lee Roth. Read Chuck's account, below, and watch the footage that surfaced from the gig! "My wife and I attended … [Read more...]
Jump-starting Ready Player One
For my money, when I think about film directors who could put together killer soundtracks, there's John Hughes, and then everybody else. Yeah, Quentin Tarantino is up there, that man has an ear for music that fits his films like Frankenstein fits Eddie on stage, but still, it's a close second at best. However, since John Hughes is no longer with us, that leaves quite the … [Read more...]
Opera Ball to Feature Rare, Private DLR Performance
UPDATE: See Pics & Video as they come in right here... Live in Houston… or within flying distance? Got yourself some spiffy duds for a White Tie evening, hobnobbing with the city's movers and shakers? Okay, sure, Houston's glamorous Opera Ball brings together the city’s most notable residents and tastemakers for an extravagant gala in support of HGO. And, this year's … [Read more...]
Van Halen ‘In a Simple Rhyme’ Animated Video
Check out this animated video for the Van Halen classic, "In a Simple Rhyme." The song goes back to the band's backyard party days, and was officially released on their third album, Women And Children First. The animated video was created by Puerto Rican artist Jose H. Vazquez, known as "Vazz Toons." He's got plenty of other (non-VH) animated music videos on his Youtube … [Read more...]