Update 4/7/14: Here's a full version of the song, above. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band began their six week U.S. tour tonight (April 6th), opening with Van Halen's #1 hit, "Jump." It was the first time that song has ever been played by the E Street Band. The video is embedded above, but unfortunately cuts before Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's … [Read more...]
Van Halen News
VHND’s All Access Photo: Rehearsals, 1974
Van Halen practicing in 1974, soon after Michael Anthony joined the band, and not long after they scored their first gig on the Sunset Strip. “All Access” Photos is a weekly feature at VHND.com. Every weekend we feature a photo from a roadie, friend, or band insider. Many are never-seen-before exclusives. Tune in every weekend for more! … [Read more...]
Exclusive: David Lee Roth on Van Halen’s “College of Musical Knowledge” (Audio)
David Lee Roth was inspired by our article 40 Years Ago Today – Van Halen Hits the Sunset Strip! so much so that he sent us an exclusive audio describing how important it was for Van Halen to spend years playing Gazzarris in the mid seventies. He calls it their "college of musical knowledge." Listen to Dave's 5-minute recording above. Big thanks to Diamond Dave for sharing … [Read more...]
50 Years Ago: Van Halen Hit the Sunset Strip!
This is the amazing story of how Van Halen broke out of the backyard party scene by playing their first concert on the infamous Sunset Strip! Their gig at Gazzarri's on April 4th, 1974, was their first performance in Hollywood. Landing this gig helped catapult the band out of Pasadena's backyard beer bashes, and thrust them headfirst into Tinseltown! This historic date was a … [Read more...]
Unearthed: Earliest Known Van Halen Interview (1977)
Exclusive: Before Van Halen exploded in 1978 and started being featured in national music magazines, a small rock fanzine covering mostly local Los Angeles bands scored an interview with the lead singer of Van Halen. This interview took place backstage at the Whisky A Go-Go, in September of 1977, nearly half a year before Van Halen's first album hit the record stores! Raw … [Read more...]
Here’s When Eddie Van Halen Painted His Red/Black/White Guitar!
Legend has it that Eddie Van Halen painted his Frankenstrat guitar (also known as The Frankenstein) with the iconic red/black/white color scheme sometime in early 1979. We've just figured out that it was almost certainly the last week of March when he painted it. That makes it 35 years ago this week that the famous guitarist transformed his white guitar (with black stripes) … [Read more...]
Van Halen: Intimate Pics of the Early Days
From Rolling Stone: Amazing vintage photos of Eddie and Co. through the lens of Mark Weiss Greetings From Asbury Park Mark Weiss was still in high school when he began sneaking into New Jersey concerts with his camera in the mid-Seventies. "I'd give the guy at the door three or four dollars," he says. "I'd stuff my camera under a baggy sweatshirt and between bands … [Read more...]
This Day in ’79: Van Halen Kicks Off First Headlining Tour! (Video)
Embed from Getty Images On March 25th 1979, two days after the release of their second album, Van Halen kicked off their very first headlining tour! On the first world tour a year earlier, Van Halen were like caged animals on stage, touring as the opening act for Black Sabbath and Journey. Limited to a brief 30 to 40 minute slot each night (often sabotaged by the … [Read more...]
All-New EVH Sneakers Now Available!
VanHalenStore.com is proud to offer the ALL NEW line of EVH Brand Signature Striped Sneakers from legendary rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Featuring the iconic Van Halen stripes from Eddie’s guitars. The new High Tops come in all three color schemes: Red with White and Black stripes, modeled after his infamous red, white and black striped Frankenstein guitar, White with … [Read more...]
Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley Address Rumors That Eddie Van Halen Wanted To Join KISS
Gene Simmons has always boasted that Edward Van Halen asked if he could join Kiss in 1982. This crazy-sounding rumor has always baffled many. Would Eddie really want to join KISS at the time Van Halen's fame was skyrocketing and Kiss's fame was waning? In the new issue of Guitar World magazine (April 2014), Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons celebrate their … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Interview with Allan Handelman, 1980
Allan Handelman sets up the interview: It's was Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll. Recorded at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia during the tour to support their third album, Women And Children First. It was out of control madness that turned out to be a radio classic. David is still a regular guest on my show with over 8 appearances over the years. This one (the first one) was a … [Read more...]
VHND’s All Access Photo: Van Halen Plays Denver During Snowstorm, ’95
This week's “All Access” Photo is a never-seen stage shot taken during a surprise snowstorm at the Fiddler's Green in Denver, Colorado. It was Sept 20th, 1995, (during Van Halen's Balance tour) and the unusual weather was what made this concert so different from the typical amphitheater shows that the band played throughout the summer. Van Halen's lighting man during the tour, … [Read more...]