Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert recently named the "otherworldly" Eddie Van Halen among the 12 guitarists who shaped his sound in an interview with Guitar World. Here'w what Gilbert had to say about Eddie and Van Halen: "Anybody who plays guitar and is around my age has got to have Eddie's name on their list, right? I mean, when Eddie came out, it was otherworldly. But … [Read more...]
Van Halen News
Early Van Halen Stories With Great White’s Mark Kendall (VIDEO)
Great White guitarist Mark Kendall was the latest guest in Final Resonance TV's "Van Halen Stories" series. Kendall witnessed the rise of Van Halen from their backyard party days to becoming the biggest rock and roll band in the land. Kendall was a high school student in Huntington Beach, California at the time he first saw Van Halen perform at a junkyard for one dollar. … [Read more...]
The Lasting Legacy Of Van Halen’s ‘Fair Warning’
Van Halen’s 1981 album Fair Warning remains the darkest and downright meanest sounding of any record in the band’s catalog. No toes in the sand with a drink in hand. Dance the night away? Not on this dead-end street. With the absence of a good-time party rock single, Fair Warning was the slowest-selling album of the original David Lee Roth era. Despite that, the album went on … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar: ‘I Cherish Eddie More Than Ever’
Sammy Hagar says he appreciates his time working with Eddie Van Halen now more than ever. Here's an excerpt from Hagar's Q&A interview with USA Today published (4/26): "The peak of my musical life was Van Halen," says Hagar of his 1985 to 1996 run in what is now dubbed Van Hagar. "My ego wants to say I was doing great as a solo artist. Well, yeah, I was doing fine, … [Read more...]
Watch Van Halen Prepare For Orange Bowl ‘Monsters of Rock’ Concert
Here's another gem for all you rock-n-rollers out there! You can now watch a WTVJ local news report which has recently surfaced online. It's a news segment shot two days before 'Van Halen's Monsters Of Rock' stadium tour hit Miami, Florida on June 4th. Travel back to June 2, 1988: Rock band Van Halen prepares for its concert at the Orange Bowl. It shows band members Eddie … [Read more...]
Mammoth WVH Announce North American Tour Dates With Alter Bridge & Sevendust
Mammoth WVH will be heading out on the road with Seven Dust and Alter Bridge on select dates this summer. The first of 11 Mammoth WVH shows will begin on August 1st in Buffalo, New York. The list of dates Mammoth WVH will be performing can be found below and tickets will be available for purchase on Friday (April 28th) through Mammoth WVH's official website. The … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar Says Rest Of Remastered Van Hagar Catalog Soon To Come ‘With Extra Tracks’
Sammy Hagar says the rest of the remastered Hagar-era Van Halen catalog is coming soon, and it'll include some extra surprises. In a video post to Instagram today, Hagar opened up his vinyl copy of the first of the remastered releases - Live: Right Here, Right Now. He responded to comments and questions from fans along the way and announced that there is more to come: "The … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar On His Time In Van Halen, The Resurgence Of The Van Hagar Era & More On Steve-O’s Wild Ride! Podcast (VIDEO)
Sammy Hagar appeared on Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast for a career-spanning interview and fortunately for us, Steve-O is a big Van Halen fan with lots of Van Halen questions. Here's a rundown of what Sammy talks about in the interview, which you can watch above: … [Read more...]
Steve Howe On Eddie Van Halen The Guitarist & Songwriter: ‘Let’s Not Forget The Great Hits Eddie Had’
Yes guitarist Steve Howe says Eddie Van Halen's innovative guitar skills shouldn't be the only thing he'll be remembered for. Rock journalist Darren Paltrowitz has shared an excerpt of a recent interview he did with Howe: "When I heard Eddie, I kind of almost thought... This kind of prowess, almost-impossibly-fast ,and all that double-stopping [finger-tapping], it was a … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Talks Upcoming ‘Mammoth II’ Album (VIDEO)
Wolfgang Van Halen appeared on the nationally syndicated show HardDrive to talk about the brand new Mammoth WVH album Mammoth II due out August 4th. In the video above, host Lou Brutus covers a lot of ground with Wolfgang, who talks about the recording process of the new album, how he's heading into a heavier direction with the songs, his songwriting process, why he thinks … [Read more...]
The History Of Rock & Roll Radio, More Early Van Halen Stories In Latest Roth Show Episode
From AM to FM, it's a trip around the dial and through radio history in the latest episode of The Roth Show. David Lee Roth returns with a new episode of his podcast and this time he shares his love of radio with a history of the medium from its early days through to the birth of FM rock radio in the late 60s. Along the way are vintage radio clips from various radio stations … [Read more...]
Grand Funk’s Mark Farner Recalls Phone Call With Eddie Van Halen: ‘Nothing But Compliments & Love’ (VIDEO)
Original Grand Funk Railroad frontman and guitarist Mark Farner recalled an impromptu phone conversation with Eddie Van Halen during a recent podcast appearance. Farner's riffs were familiar to those who had the chance to catch Van Halen back in their club days as they covered more than a few Grand Funk Railroad songs. Years later, Eddie would have the chance to offer his … [Read more...]