https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/david-lee-roth-van-halen-reunion-rumor-893053/
Following rumors of a potential Van Halen reunion this summer, David Lee Roth said the band was “finished” during an interview with the Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown podcast from Detroit’s 101 WRIF.
“It’s been canceled a number of times and I think Van Halen’s finished,” Roth said, before calling his upcoming Las Vegas residency “the next phase.”
Roth’s nine-show residency at the House of Blues Las Vegas will kick off with three shows in January, followed by six more gigs in March. Van Halen’s music will reportedly feature heavily in the show, a change from Roth’s 1995 residency, which featured just two VH cuts.
“I’ve inherited the band, de facto, whatever that means,” Roth said. “I think it means, you’ve inherited it, carry this proudly. Van Halen isn’t going to be coming back in the fashion that you know. And, that being said, Eddie’s got his own story to tell — not mine to tell it.”
Roth went on to suggest that his Vegas residency would be the place for fans to hear Van Halen classics, although he clarified that the show was not a “tribute” act or “gainful, sort of ironic remember-how-anything was.” He continued: “This is how it’s going to be, and that kind of belligerent enthusiasm is perfect for Vegas!”
Van Halen has been inactive since wrapping a 2015 summer tour, and while Roth has been busy with various projects since then, Eddie and Alex Van Halen have rarely been seen in public. In June, original bassist Michael Anthony said he was approached in 2018 about a possible reunion that would’ve taken place this summer and marked the first time all four members of the classic David Lee Roth lineup would have shared a stage since 1984. Anthony said he spoke with Van Halen’s manager Irving Azoff, as well as representatives for Roth, but a contract was never put forward and eventually the plug was pulled on the whole endeavor.
[Edited on 10/1/2019 by jszfunk]
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Ya wonder if Dave is trying to poke the bear in this.
I'm ok with any result except Van Halen reuniting with Sammy Hagar.
Over at Vhlinks.com there's a thread containing some youtube footage of rehearsals for this
Roth Vegas residency.....Suffice it to say, pretty much every comment by viewers was pretty negative with most saying Roth sounds and looks horrible while the band isn't much better.
Put it this way, the most positive thing mentioned is that Dave, shockingly, can still do the goofy over the top kicks....Other than that, this showcase doesn't sound too promising. But your mileage may vary.
I'll say it again, it was pretty evident by EVH's comments right near the end of the 2015 tour that he had grown weary of Roth's less than genuine effort at actually singing Van Halen music as opposed to playing the goof ball rock star bit.
And yes, Dave will always be Dave ...But I think for Ed, he's simply no longer willing to share the stage with someone who places more importance on the rock star thing at the expense of a good musical performance.
The shame of that is that the core VH audience at this point is not pounding Jack in the parking lot and going into the show looking for a bunch of gyrations. I think people would rather pass on seeing a senior citizen shimmying in his tight pants and would rather hear the band sound great.
I mean, obviously if you go to see Dave, you expect some schtick. But it would not be hard for him to sing better. It's disappointing.
The double disappointment is that I think Eddie might not consider other options. He did seem resigned to the idea that people want VH with Dave. I wish Eddie & Alex would put out a killer instrumental album a la 70s Jeff Beck.
The shame of that is that the core VH audience at this point is not pounding Jack in the parking lot and going into the show looking for a bunch of gyrations. I think people would rather pass on seeing a senior citizen shimmying in his tight pants and would rather hear the band sound great.
I mean, obviously if you go to see Dave, you expect some schtick. But it would not be hard for him to sing better. It's disappointing.
The double disappointment is that I think Eddie might not consider other options. He did seem resigned to the idea that people want VH with Dave. I wish Eddie & Alex would put out a killer instrumental album a la 70s Jeff Beck.
As you said, I think Dave has a better vocal performance in him but he seems almost obsessed with too much schtick.....
I too would love to hear Ed and Al and maybe even young Wolfgang put out a instrumental gem before closing the door on their careers in music. It just seems sad on a certain level that they haven't the heart or interest in doing such a thing given their immense talent.
In a way it encapsulates what I perceive to have been EVH's dilemma for many years now in that while "Van Halen" made him immensely rich and famous, on some artistic level it was also an albatross around his neck as he never seemed able to do other things outside the band formula.
Jim and Chain-dead on your posts, well put.
It's a shame the mighty VH has come to what it has at this point. Almost non existent . 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁
We can all speculate at this point. Ever since Roth got back with the band he has been pretty tight lipped for the most part about band activities and what is shaking. He would throw things out here and there, but almost cryptic. I assume he has been that way due to the VH brothers , and being under some sort of contract/retainer so forth. He may be a goof ball, but no total dummy either.
I know he mentioned over the summer in an interview, he was going to meet with the brothers to discuss things. What that meant or entailed I don't know, but he said it. MA even said on Eddie Trunks show that there was supposed to be some sort of tour/shows and be involved with some pre production rehearsals that never materialized. I take Mikes word on that for sure.
Like I mentioned , this is pure speculation on my part, but I believe Roth has had some contact with the VH camp and they turned him loose to do what he wants for the time being, or they are done with him or done as a band for the foreseeable future. Roth has never came out and been so forth right about his status, VH's status and his plans outside the band. So that leads me to believe that the strings have been cut for him or temporarily freed to do what he wants. Also, Wolfs album , from what it sounds like has been done for awhile also. What that means to this whole situation, I don't know. There are rumors of Ed's health. In a recent interview with Eddie Trunk , Steve Lukather, who is pretty tight with VH, mentioned something to the fact that "we are all getting old and have health issues" , in reference to VH and they're status. Who knows what that means.
In reference to Jim's post, and I agree...
At this point I just want to hear a great musical band. Yeah I would like Roth to shape up a bit, but I doubt that will happen. Just do something. I am not into a lot of instrumental albums, but they could pull it off .
Why not entertain another singer at this point. I think a majority of the fans, like Jim mentioned, just want to hear a great sounding band, given what Roth has show as of late.
The answer is not Sammy. I would be very surprised if that were to happen.
Some bands like, Journey,STP,Yes have gotten vocalists who sound eerily similar to the original lead man.
I think Ralph Saenz from Steel Panther could pull it off.
I have read/heard interviews with Ed about doing something outside of VH , but he squashes that pretty quick saying VH is what he does. That's his machine and output, its him.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Another indicator of VH's possible status with or without him in third paragraph.
DAVID LEE ROTH Says His Unreleased Album With JOHN 5 Will See The Light Of Day
David Lee Roth says the unreleased album he wrote and recorded with guitarist John 5 several years ago will eventually see the light of day.
John 5 got his first big break playing on Roth's solo album, "DLR Band", before landing stints with Marilyn Manson and now Rob Zombie. His latest sessions with the iconic VAN HALEN frontman apparently took place at least five years ago, with John 5 unveiling a snippet of the album during an interview with Masters Of Shred back in May.
Asked if the LP will be made available at some point, Roth told Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."
Roth, who is promoting his upcoming Las Vegas residency, didn't offer a possible time frame for the release of the record, explaining that his priority was "getting out on the road first. Let's see the band, let's show ourselves off, let's travel all over the world."
Back in 2015, John 5 told Guitar Player magazine that the sessions for his latest Roth album were remarkably relaxed. "I would just go to his house and I'd write these songs with him, and he would say, 'Let's go into the studio,'" John 5 explained. "So he would go to Henson studio and record these songs. They came out… They're so good. They're so good. And we've got Gregg Bissonette playing drums on it, and I played the bass, and they're really great songs."
The guitarist said that Roth's vocals on the album sound "like nothing you've ever heard. It's old VAN HALEN — sounds like 'Could This Be Magic?' or anything like that. It's just that sound, that tone."
In a 2014 interview with "One On One With Mitch Lafon", John 5 described the LP as "11 of the greatest songs you'll ever hear, and it's just me and Dave, and we had Gregg Bissonette play drums on it. And it's unbelievable," he said. "There's a song called 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar & Grill'. And you know, just great, great songs."
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Steve Luthaker seems to indicate there are future VH plans of some sort, or plans for those with the surname Van Halen. Second person to say it's not for him to comment on their plans, but sounds as if there are plans and it doesn't include DLR. Don't know if the plans are "Van Halen" or or just pops and uncle doing a "project" with Wolfie's solo album or something else.
"I think they're on a hiatus, there's been some health issues that they're dealing with and stuff like that. We're older guys now, and to go on the road requires a lot of extra effort in terms of - as a human being.
"I don't think there's any drama issues that are keeping them from working. I'm not the guy to say anything, I love those brothers so much and we've always had a great relationship. I'm a big fan and also adore them as human beings."
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"I love those guys, I'm not holding any secrets, but I have no right to speak of what their plans are."
I could see the brothers not wanting to work with DLR again and saying as much. Or perhaps they want to spend the next year supporting Wolf and cut DLR loose so he could keep his voice in shape. Brothers could have said VH the band is not doing anything before summer or fall 2020, or possibly even 2021, so they took the contractual no-media shackles off Dave. And left the future up in the air beyond that.
Who knows with this band?
And I agree they won't do anything with Sammy if Dave is out permanently. They don't even acknowledge that era even exists, and completely ignore the catalog for remasters. Won't speak of it in interviews. Hell, they wouldn't even give Sam permission to play the Hagar-sung VH songs on the Daryl Hall tv show. Opposite of love is indifference, and that is 100% what the VH brothers give Sam.
