On this day in 1978, Van Halen played Victoria Hall in Hanley, England. Luckily for us, a great-sounding audio recording exists! (Listen below) This was during Van Halen's first world tour. They were thrilled to be opening for the legendary Black Sabbath. "The Sabs," as they called them, were part of their musical youth. To share the stage with them was like a dream come true. … [Read more...]
Van Halen News
Audio: Van Halen Live in Manchester, England May 22, 1978
Embed from Getty Images On this day in 1978, Van Halen played the Manchester Apollo in Manchester, England May 22, 1978. Listen to this GREAT sounding audio recording of the entire concert, below. VHND reader, Paul Wilkinson adds, "I'm local to Manchester and have heard a few stories about this gig. The best one is that no one had really heard of VH and a lot of … [Read more...]
This Day in ’78: Van Halen’s Covers Black Sabbath & The Who (Audio)
Forty years ago today, Van Halen performed in Paris, France, for the first time. We have a funny story about their trip to Paris, some rarely seen photos of the band posing by the Eiffel Tower, and an audio recording of their entire concert at the Theatre Mogador, where they perform "Voodoo Queen," (an early form of "Mean Street"), Eddie Chochran's "Summertime Blues," (also … [Read more...]
Unearthed: Video Interview with Alex Van Halen & Michael Anthony, 1981
Watch this newly unearthed video interview with Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony filmed at a hotel in Madrid, Spain, during a promotional tour in 1981. The usual shenanigans ensue! … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar on the Making of Van Halen’s ‘5150’
Photo by David McGough This week is a special time in Van Halen history. It was 30 years ago this week that the band topped Billboard's LP charts for the first time, with 5150! The album sat in the Number One position for 3 weeks straight. In a new interview, Sammy Hagar shares some interesting stories from the making of the classic album. Before we get to what Sammy had to … [Read more...]
Van Halen Rocks Cabo Wabo Cantina, 1990 (Photos & Video)
On this day in 1990, Van Halen performed at the Grand Opening of their very own Cabo Wabo Cantina! There's a sleepy town, south of the border. If you go there once, you'll be there twice. Sound familiar? These are the hallowed words that introduced us to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and the Cabo Wabo Cantina, which was, at the time, owned by Van Halen. Today marks the 26 … [Read more...]
‘Rock Legends: Van Halen’ Airs Wednesday, April 20 on AXS TV
Today on AXS TV: Ranked among the top hard rock bands of all time, Van Halen was known as much for the drama surrounding its members as its larger-than-life stage performances. Interviews, news archives and performances reveal the story of this iconic band. Tune in Wednesday, April 20 at 8|7c on AXS TV! Tune in to AXS TV tonight! If the programs ends up online, we'll … [Read more...]
Van Halen LIVE in Montreal, April 19th, 1984 (VIDEO)
It was this day in 1984 that Van Halen played a show in Montreal, Canada. At the time, that show was not anything unusual — just your typical life-changing concert by The Mighty Van Halen. But that one performance is now legendary. Why? Because it's the only performance from that tour that has been recorded in its entirety for anyone to see. It's the only full show from their … [Read more...]
Exclusive Photos: Van Halen Plays Houston on This Day in 1978
Here's live & backstage photos from the Van Halen concert which took place 38 years ago today, at the Music Hall in Houston, Texas. Some of these pics are exclusive to VHND, and never seen before. Here's the button that Pantera Ten Productions used as a backstage pass, which states, "JOURNEY CONCERT, Special Guest Stars Montrose & Van Halen." Note that Michael is … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday, ‘Diver Down’! David & Eddie Discuss the Classic Album
On this day in 1982, Van Halen released "Diver Down!" Here's what David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen had to say about every song on the classic album upon it's release. Roth's quotes are from Cream & Van Halen's are from Guitar Player. Eddie: "When we came off the Fair Warning tour last year [1981], we were going to take a break and spend a lot of time writing this and … [Read more...]
Hear Van Halen’s Unreleased Song “I Want Some Action” & Other ‘5150’ Demos
For the 30th anniversary of Van Halen's, multiplatinum, No. 1 album, "5150," we're spotlighting an unreleased (and unfinished) song from the album, "I Want Some Action," which you can listen to above. This is a is a song that was written and recorded during the "5150" sessions, and, interestingly, the only unreleased song that has leaked out of 5150 from all the years with … [Read more...]
Did Roth Really QUIT Van Halen in ’85? This Insider Says No!
One of the biggest shakeups in rock 'n' roll history is when David Lee Roth quit Van Halen in 1985. But did he really quit? This insider, who was known as "one of the fifth members of Van Halen," says David did not quit ... Legend has it that on April 1st, 1985 ... April Fool’s Day ... David Lee Roth left Van Halen. (First, let's get this out of the way ... it didn't happen on … [Read more...]