UPDATED 4/5/19 with several fantastic photos of Ed's Frankenstein guitar, and two videos, below: Eddie Van Halen announced on social media, "My 1978 touring rig and original "Frankenstein" guitar are on display in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Play It Loud" Instruments of Rock & Roll exhibit. The exhibit opens to the public on April 8th." As … [Read more...]
Van Halen 1978 Archive
Eddie Van Halen ‘1978 High Tops’ Released (Updated w/ Video)
Eddie Van Halen is commemorating his more than 40-year-career with the first new EVH Sneaker in years. (Updated: Scroll down for a video preview) The new 1978 High Top, honors the occasion of Eddie’s groundbreaking debut to the world stage with the release of the first Van Halen album. Adding to the growing collection of footwear offered by the EVH™ brand, the 1978 High … [Read more...]
When Ozzy Went Missing on the ’78 Black Sabbath/Van Halen Tour
40 years ago today, Ozzy Osbourne went missing during the legendary Black Sabbath / Van Halen 1978 tour. Here's the funny story in David Lee Roth's own words, newly-unearthed newspaper articles, and a rare audio recording of the makeup show. Enjoy! David Lee Roth shares a tale from Van Halen's first world tour: There is an old science-fiction movie from the fifties called … [Read more...]
Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi on Eddie Van Halen: ‘I Couldn’t Do What He Does’
Black Sabbath mastermind Tony Iommi recently shared his thoughts about Eddie Van Halen's guitar skills. MetalHeadZone.com reports on what Iommi said at Whitley Bay Film Festival. The Van Halen segment is below: “I couldn’t do what he does. He’s very technical, he does all the tapping. But one time he came over and we got to play together. He wanted to play… He said, ‘We … [Read more...]
Video: The Van Halen Effect (And the Future of Shredding)
Recently, we featured a very interesting video from musician/producer Rick Beato, "What Makes Van Halen Great". And now, Beato has a new Van Halen video, were he discusses "The Van Halen Effect" and the future of guitar virtuosos. It's an EXCELLENT video on how rock guitar was changed — radically — after Van Halen's debut album. He poses the question, "Has the guitar … [Read more...]
‘Eruption ’78’ Rundown Video
EVH Gear unveiled the "Eruption '78" guitars at Summer 2018 NAMM in Nashville last weekend, winning 'Best in Show'! Watch EVH Master Builder Chip Ellis & Product Manager Matt Brown give a quick "Eruption '78" rundown from the Summer NAMM Show. See our original article for the "Eruption '78" guitars. … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Preps Three Signature ‘Eruption’ Model Guitars
From Rolling Stone and EVH Gear: Eddie Van Halen is marking the 40th anniversary of Van Halen's self-titled debut LP with a trio of tribute guitars – the Super '78, '78 Eruption Relic and '78 Eruption – modeled after the signature black-and-white-striped instrument he used to record that iconic album. "Of all the guitars I've ever built, the white and black guitar will … [Read more...]
What Makes Van Halen Great?
Watch Musician/Producer Explain What Makes Van Halen — and specifically, ’Runnin’ With The Devil’ — Great What is it that makes a great Van Halen song so great? Is it the guitars? Is it the vocals? The drums? The bass? Actually, the answer is a collective "yes" to all of the above and you’re about to find out why. Rick Beato is a musician/producer who has released a … [Read more...]
Van Halen 3/16/78 Concert Review — Columbus
Here's an interesting article and concert review published 40 years ago today, on March 16th, 1978. The show reviewed was from the night before, in Columbus. Some interesting quotes from DLR. This was written by Sylvia Simmons, and published in the May 13, 1978 issue of Sounds magazine. Columbus, Ohio (3/16/1978). Van Halen, just called back for an encore, are basking in the … [Read more...]
Van Halen Makes History: ‘78 Tour Tidbits…& Other Big U.S. News
Happy Birthday! David Lee Roth, lead singer of Van Halen, expresses delight at a surprise birthday party given him after the group's European opening concert in Hamburg. Stefan Michel, left, product manager U.S. repertoire for WEA musik, and Michael Anthony, the group's bass player, share the fun. Just how big was Van Halen's first album? Warner Bros. had the band booked to … [Read more...]
Anniversary of Van Halen’s First World Tour!
After four years paying their dues playing the Southern California rock scene, Van Halen hit the road. It was just three weeks after the release of their self-titled debut album that the band kicked off its first world tour. Stop #1 was the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on March 3, 1978. The move from the typical clubs the band was used to playing to the Aragon was … [Read more...]
Eddie Trunk Frustrated Over Lack of News on 40th Anniversary of Van Halen’s Debut Album
When the 40th anniversary of Van Halen's debut album rolled around last week, rock historian Eddie Trunk could not hide his frustration over the fact that the band didn't do anything, or at least give some indication about future plans. (Although, the next day, on the actual anniversary, both Michael Anthony and Eddie acknowledged the anniversary on social media). Listen to … [Read more...]