From Forbes.com: By Ruth Blatt Entrepreneurial skills aren’t crucial just for starting companies. They are crucial for initiating any creative commercial endeavor. A new biography argues that without the entrepreneurial skills of David Lee Roth, none of us would have heard of Van Halen. Histories of Van Halen invariably begin in 1978, when the band released their debut … [Read more...]
Van Halen News
VHND’s All Access Photo: OU812 Anniversary
On this day in 1988, Van Halen's fantastic OU812 ("Oh, You Ate One Too!") was released! Their second album with Sammy Hagar reached #1, sold over 4 million copies in the US and featured six songs that landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and/or the Mainstream Rock Tracks. Here's a super rare photo of Eddie, Michael, Alex and Sammy from that year. Track list: Mine All … [Read more...]
Van Halen: A Musical And Visual Tsunami
Pete Angelus, Van Halen's lighting director and creative consultant from 1977-1985, shares his story of meeting the band at the Whisky a Go Go, and riding the wave of The Mighty Van Halen... In the Beginning... It was approximately 1977 when I first met Van Halen at the Whisky a Go Go. This was before they had a record deal or any actual fans other than the … [Read more...]
Earliest Van Halen Photos From Iconic Music Photographer Ross Halfin
Legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin has shot Van Halen many times over the years. Here's some of his incredible shots from Van Halen's very first world tour, along with his story witnessing Van Halen live in concert that year... "The mighty Van Halen. I first saw them open for Black Sabbath at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1978. They had a PR gal with them who was a complete … [Read more...]
Sebastian Bach on Van Halen, Bootlegs and Critical Fans
Multi-platinum rocker Sebastian Bach returns with a new solo album aptly titled “Give ‘Em Hell.” In two new interviews, Bach talks about his love for Van Halen and bootlegs of Van Halen, and has some valid complaints about how, with the advent of YouTube and cell phones, rock fans are more critical now than they ever were. He says that sites like YouTube have upped the pressure … [Read more...]
AC/DC + Van Halen Mashup — ‘The Devil’s Highway’
A rockin' AC/DC & Van Halen Mashup! AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and Van Halen's "Runnin’ With The Devil", "I’m The One," "And The Cradle Will Rock," and "Eruption." Mashup by Wax Audio. Originally available on Mashopolos II - The Mashening (2009): … [Read more...]
Van Halen at Mississippi River Jam ’78
On this day in 1978, Van Haalen performed at the Mississippi River Jam! The Quad-City Times dug up some forgotten photos from the 1978 Mississippi River Jam, which was held July 16th, 1978, on Credit Island (an island in the Mississippi River on the south west side of Davenport, Iowa within the Quad Cities area). The bands performing were—in … [Read more...]
Van Halen Working on Mysterious “Project”
David Lee Roth mentions in the new episode of The Roth Show that his band is "Working on a great Van Halen project" but also that he "Can't announce anything, or I'd have to come find you and swear you to secrecy." You can watch the episode embedded below. (Though no clues are to be found in the episode). This makes the second time that Roth mentions Van Halen working on a … [Read more...]
Flashback: Van Halen 1979 In-Store Appearance
We're featuring our stash of never-before-published photos from Van Halen's appearance at a record store in Seattle, Washington, which took place on April 13th, 1979. The young and hungry band was quite busy at the time—within three weeks leading up to this in-store appearance, Eddie Van Halen painted his Frankenstrat red, the band released Van Halen II, kicked off their … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s Early Days at Gazzarri’s—As Told by The Band, Bill Gazzarri, Rodney Bingenheimer, and Childhood Friends
In April of 1974, Van Halen hit the Sunset Strip, playing their first shows at Gazzarri's! MUST-READ: Eddie and Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, Bill Gazzarri, Rodney Bingenheimer, and childhood friends discuss Van Halen's formative years playing Gazzarri's on the infamous Sunset Strip (1974-1976). .Bill Gazzarri: Van Halen was the best band that ever … [Read more...]
VHND’s All Access Photo: 1979 Radio Appearance
During their 1979 "World Vacation" tour in support of Van Halen II, the band paid a visit to "Seattle's Best Rock" KISW-FM. Here's Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth with rock and roll disc jockey, Steve Slaton. Slaton hosted a nightly show on KISW called "Disco Destruction" during which he would "blow up" disco records. Van Halen were no disco fans either - Roth would start a … [Read more...]
Backstage with Van Halen at the CaliFFornia World Music Festival
Here's our FUN look back at the 40th anniversary of a giant rock concert in the late seventies, involving Van Halen, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Cheech and Chong, midget security guards, and a chimpanzee. Van Halen co-headlined the 1979 CaliFFornia World Music Festival, and it was amazing! All photos on this page are from the festival (excluding the Aerosmith photo). Van … [Read more...]