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...]
Early Van Halen Backstage Stories From Custom Guitar Builder Karl Sandoval
Van Halen on stage. There was no show like it before or since. Turns out, Van Halen back stage was every bit the show for those lucky enough to witness it. Karl Sandoval is one of those lucky guys and he recently shared that experience with fans. Sandoval is a custom guitar builder, best known for making a polka-dot finished guitar for Randy Rhoads in the style of a Gibson … [Read more...]
Mammoth WVH Prepares For Tour, Wolfgang Van Halen Reaches Out To Fans For Setlist Requests
As the debut Mammoth WVH tour nears, Wolfgang Van Halen is reaching out to fans for setlist ideas. "Working on Mammoth WVH setlists," Wolfgang wrote in a post to his Twittter page. "What songs do you need to hear?" Working on @MammothWVH setlists. What songs do you NEED to hear??— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) July 6, 2021 Many responded with requests for … [Read more...]
SPIN Revisits 1986 Interview With David Lee Roth
The summer of 1986 was quite an interesting time for Van Halen fans wasn't it? It was hard not to come across something on the TV, radio or on a local newsstand with something related to either the band's new lineup with Sammy Hagar or the now solo David Lee Roth. This week SPIN magazine revisited an April 1986 cover story with Roth in honor of the 35th anniversary of his … [Read more...]
Mick Jones On ‘Intense But Very Special’ Experience Producing ‘5150’
Mick Jones said producing Van Halen's 1986 album 5150 may have been an exhausting experience but it was also equally as rewarding. "I was completely exhausted at the end of it,” Jones recently told Guitar World. "We were running a bit late -- and the band had a tour booked. So there was pressure…It was a pretty intense experience but we achieved something very … [Read more...]