Legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin has photographed Van Halen many times over the years. Here's some of his incredible shots from Van Halen's second world tour in 1979. Thanks for the fantastic shots, Ross! You can keep up with him on Ross Halfin Photography's Facebook page. … [Read more...]
Van Halen News
7-Year-Old drummer Avery Rocks Van Halen’s “Everybody Wants Some!!”
Our favorite little drummer is back! And this time Avery is kicking some butt on the Van Halen drums-filled classic, “Everybody Wants Some!!” Avery says, "Playing the same fill pattern over and over again was really hard to do. Hope you like it." How do you think he did? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Avery's t-shirt: Avery is rockin' a really cool … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s ‘US Festival’ Concert Revisited
The footage embedded above is an upgraded segment of Van Halen's appearance at the US FESTIVAL in 1983. Rock stars Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth “drop in” by helicopter at the venue ahead of US Festival '83. Acclaimed inventor Steve Wozniak, the organizer of the festival, comments on preparations and bemoans record-high fees for artists' performances. Includes video of … [Read more...]
The Early Days Of Van Halen, David Lee Roth’s Entrepreneurial Streak And Why Every Creative Team Needs An Entrepreneur
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...]
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 Halen 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 southwest side of Davenport, Iowa, within the Quad Cities area). The bands performing were—in order—Van Halen, Journey, the Atlanta … [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...]