Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian remembered seeing Van Halen open for Black Sabbath back in 1978. At the time, Black Sabbath was in a period of decline. As for Van Halen, Ian said there was no better band around. Ian, who was a recent guest on the No F'n Regrets Podcast with Robb Flynn of Machine Head, said the stories about Van Halen blowing Black Sabbath off the stage during … [Read more...]
Van Halen 1978 Archive
Exclusive Interview: ‘Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock’ Author Michael Christopher
The Van Halen News Desk's Eric Senich talked with music journalist Michael Christopher about his new book Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock! Below is the complete interview conducted by Senich for his podcast Booked On Rock. Christopher discusses a wide range of topics related to Van Halen including: The band's early days in Pasadena and original bassist Mark … [Read more...]
Five Favorites: ‘Van Halen I & II’ [PODCAST]
If you had to pick just five of the 21 tracks that make up Van Halen's first two classic albums what would they be? Do you favor the hit singles? The deep tracks? How about the Eddie Van Halen solo instrumentals? Hosts of the podcast The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll Ray Koob and Markus Goldman are serious Van Halen fans. So much so that, for their most recent episode, … [Read more...]
WATCH: Van Halen Photographer Neil Zlozower Interview At Sunset Sound Studios
Photographer Neil Zlozower has shot as many classic Van Halen photos as Van Halen has recorded classic songs. That's a lot, which means he has just as many stories to tell. Zlozower sat down for a lengthy interview at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California to share the stories of his time "hangin', gettin' into trouble together and workin' together" with David Lee … [Read more...]
This Day [Literally] In 1978: Van Halen ‘Jams’ Out In Oklahoma
August 6th, 1978. It's a steamy, hot day under the blaring sun in Oklahoma City. A crowd of very sweaty, very buzzed rock and roll fans are burning up, anxiously awaiting for the next band to hit the stage. Have no fear, the Ice Cream Man, King Edward and Van Halen are here to keep 'em cool! On this day in 1978 Van Halen performed a rare day-time concert at the State Fair … [Read more...]
Van Halen Stories: ‘Nashville Eruption’ November 9th, 1978
Every fan has their story to tell. We know you've got yours. We certainly have ours. It's the story of the very first time you witnessed Van Halen perform live. The YouTube channel Final Resonance TV has recently launched a series titled "Van Halen Stories". For the debut episode guest Mike Simmons of Blackbird Rentals in Nashville, Tennessee recalled his first-ever Van … [Read more...]
43 Years Ago Today: Van Halen Performs At ‘Day on the Green’ Concert In Oakland, California
Van Halen performed Bill Graham's Day on the Green in Oakland, California on July 23rd, 1978. Here's the story of that day along with a plethora of photos! Over 57,000 rock fans (57,512 to be exact) witnessed this legendary show. General admission tickets were $11, and the lineup was AC/DC, Van Halen, Pat Travers, Foreigner, and Aerosmith. Eddie Van Halen also gave … [Read more...]
Van Halen Author Greg Renoff Interview At Sunset Sound Recorders
Author/Van Halen historian Greg Renoff sat down for in-depth interview at the site of Van Halen's classic early recordings - Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. Renoff, the author of Van Halen Rising: How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal and Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music, had plenty of stories to tell regarding Van Halen's … [Read more...]
Don Dokken Says Seeing Eddie Van Halen Perform Convinced Him To Give Up The Guitar
How good was Eddie Van Halen? So good he could make a guitarist give up the guitar. Dokken recently recalled the first time he saw Eddie perform live. It was at a venue in California in the 70s when Dokken was the lead guitarist and lead singer of a Los Angeles band called Airborn. "This is before the Dokken days, before I got signed," Dokken said while a guest on the … [Read more...]
‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love’ Voted Fifth Greatest Riff Of All Time By Total Guitar, Guitar World Readers
Eddie Van Halen's iconic riff to "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" is among the five greatest of all time, according to readers of Total Guitar & Guitar World. Readers of the publications voted "ATBL" behind Richie Blackmore's "Smoke On The Water" (Deep Purple), Angus Young's "Back In Black" (AC/DC) and Randy Rhoads' "Crazy Train" (Ozzy Osbourne) riffs. The full, 50-strong … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar: ‘Eddie Was The Most Humble Musician I Ever Met’ [VIDEO]
Sammy Hagar appeared on KLOS FM's "New & Approved" virtual series to reflect on his entire career including the time he first met Eddie Van Halen in 1978. At around the age of 24 Hagar decided to move his family and bandmates from Fontana, California to San Francisco to kick start his career, which is exactly what it did. Soon after he became the lead singer of the band … [Read more...]
‘The Van Halen Story – The Early Years’ Now Available on DVD
The Van Halen Story - The Early Years has been released again on DVD! This DVD documentary chronicles the rise of four young musicians from their formative years to their transformation into a worldwide phenomenon. Witness the group's gripping tale told by the people who were there when it began - the childhood friends, fellow musicians, roadies, bodyguards, producers, and … [Read more...]