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...]
VHND’s All Access Photo: “Money can’t buy you happiness…”
"Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it." — David Lee Roth It's another never-before-seen photo this weekend! “All Access” Photos is a weekly feature at VHND.com. Every weekend we feature a photo from a roadie, friend, or band insider. Many are never-seen-before exclusives. Tune in every weekend for more! … [Read more...]
Eddie Trunk Compares Van Halen’s Dave and Sammy Eras
Radio personality Eddie Trunk has called Van Halen "America's Led Zeppelin." He specifically praised early Van Halen, saying the David Lee Roth-era Van Halen recordings sound as fresh and groundbreaking today as they ever did. And now, from his book Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, we feature his thoughts comparing Van Halen's Dave Era to their Sammy … [Read more...]