The stage at Van Halen last night

September 28, 2007

Hail to Van Halen
By JANE STEVENSON

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Their hair is a lot shorter but the undeniable chemistry is still there.

After 22 years apart, Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen and original lead singer David Lee Roth were back on stage together for the L.A. hard rock band's much-anticipated reunion tour, which launched last night at the Charlotte Bobcats arena in front of some 18,000 fans.

Joining the duo, whose long locks used to be as much a part of their identity as their respective showmanship and incredible finger dexterity, was original drummer Alex Van Halen and Eddie's 16-year-old son Wolfgang on bass.

Wolfgang is replacing the band's fourth and final original member, Michael Anthony, who's touring next month with one-time Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar.

And while Wolfgang may be the odd man out, sharing the stage with three fiftysomething musicians, he displayed a confidence and musicianship well beyond his age, even venturing out on the band's S-shaped catwalk by himself to get closer to the crowd.

Eddie, meanwhile, was all smiles all night long, beaming like a proud parent at Wolfgang, hi-fiving Roth -- who grinned right back -- on more than one occasion, and performing scissor kicks while playing his guitar at lightning speed.

He was the undisputed star -- "The Maestro" as Roth called him -- of the night.

For example, when Roth and Eddie had a contest about who could make a better motorcycle sound with their mouth or guitar, Roth easily backed down saying: "I can't do that!"

If anything, it was Roth who was the weakest link of the evening, at least physically.

He still sounds decent enough and loves to tell a good story, like the long-winded but funny one right before he played acoustic guitar on Ice Cream Man, but his legendary limberness isn't what it used to be.

This was a guy who could high kick and jump with the best of them.



Van Halen's two-hour-and-10-minute performance kicked off with a triple-shot of great classic rock -- their cover of The Kinks' You Really Got Me, I'm the One, which the band stopped mid-song to rapturous applause -- "It only took us 20 years to get this far," said Roth -- and Runnin' With the Devil.

In between, there were such classics -- all from the Roth-fronted years of 1978-84 -- as Romeo Delight, Beautiful Girls, Dance the Night Away, Everybody Wants Some, their cover of Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman, I'll Wait, And the Cradle Will Rock, Hot For Teacher, Little Guitars, Jamie's Cryin', Panama, and Ain't Talkin' Bout Love.

Truthfully, it was hard to maintain the energy of that trio of opening songs, but the band definitely aimed to please with a hits-heavy set list and backed by impressive green laser lights, an enormous video backdrop and confetti raining down on the audience by the very end.

"I can't tell you all how excited we are to be here tonight," said Roth.

The unseasonably warm temperatures outside -- in the low 30s Celcius -- did little to dampen the enthusiasm inside the arena as fans held up everything from signs to flags to hand-drawn pictures.

Like most big tours, Van Halen's 29-date road trip started in a relatively small market before travelling to Greensboro, N.C. tomorrow, Philadelphia on Monday and Wednesday and then crossing the border to Toronto for two shows on Oct. 7 and 12.

The other Canadian dates are Vancouver on Dec. 5, Calgary on Dec. 7 and Edmonton on Dec. 9, the latter the final date of the tour.

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VAN HALEN

Charlotte Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, N.C.

Last night

Sun Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5







Van Halen tickets for Madison Sqaure Garden are on sale now at www.tixx.com

Van Halen rocked NC tonight

Members of Van Halen from left: Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Wolfgang Van Halen (on the jumbo-tron) and Eddie Van Halen perform during their concert Thursday Sept. 27, 2007 at Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte

Van Halen tour starts tonight !

Van Halen fans can't wait to "feel the love" tonight as guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen reunite with original lead singer David Lee Roth to launch their first tour together in 22 years at the Charlotte Bobcats arena.

After years of largely ego-driven public feuding, Eddie and Diamond Dave recently patched up their differences last month at an L.A. press conference to announce the reunion tour, which also has Canadian stops in Toronto on Oct. 7 and 12, Vancouver on Dec. 5, Edmonton on Dec. 9 and Calgary on Dec. 11.

Heck, Eddie even laid a kiss on Dave's cheek in front of reporters.

Still, the Van Halen trek isn't strictly a reformation of the L.A. hard rock band's original lineup from 1974 given bass player Michael Anthony, and his Jack Daniels' shaped instrument, isn't on the bill.

In Anthony's place, will be Eddie's 16-year-old son Wolfgang, whose presence is the biggest question mark on this trek given his youth and inexperience as he shares the stage with three seasoned fiftysomethings.

That and wild Roth, a strutting, flamboyant, outspoken and opinionated frontman who once asked yours truly if I wanted to go to Paris for the weekend during his lean solo years, drive guitar virtuoso and recent rehab resident Eddie crazy?

As you might imagine, early reports from their rehearsals at the Forum in L.A., have the newly reunited Van Halen steering clear of any post-Roth era catalogue.

In 1985, Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar, who was then replaced by Gary Cherone in 1996.

Their tentative 26-song set list is culled from all of the Roth-fronted records, beginning with their 1978 self-titled debut and ending with 1984 and all the hits in between -- their spirited cover of the Kinks' You Really Got Me, Dance the Night Away, Beautiful Girls, And the Cradle Will Rock, Runnin' With the Devil, Jamie's Cryin', Feel Your Love Tonight, Panama, Hot For Teacher, Ain't Talkin' About Love, Jump, etc.

The stage, meanwhile, reportedly has a runway that snakes out into the audience in a giant 'S' shape, with a lighting rig above it in the same shape.

Anthony, who is touring with Hagar in October, has taken the high road with regards to the Van Halen trek saying he found out about it just like everyone else and that he wishes nothing but the best for Wolfgang.

"I can understand that (Eddie) wants his kid to play with him,' Anthony told Rolling Stone magazine.

"If I had a kid like that, I'd like to have him perform with me too. I'm not going to sit here and go, 'Hey, those (jerks), going out and doing this without me.' I even told fans, 'Don't judge his son Wolfgang too hard, because he's the innocent guy in this whole thing.' I'm sure he'll do fine."

The brothers Van Halen formed the group in Pasadena, after their parents immigrated to California from the Netherlands, and Eddie originally played drums and Alex guitar before they wisely decided to switch.

Of all people, it was KISS bassist Gene Simmons who financed their first demo recordings that eventually got them their first label deal.

The band has since sold 80 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

An earlier attempt to reunite with Roth this summer was derailed when Eddie, who battled cancer in 2001, went into rehab for an unknown problem.

Roth said at last month's press conference that the reunion trek, one of several this year that has seen the likes of the Police, Genesis and the Spice Girls all regroup, was just a precursor to a world tour and new album.

"Usually when a band like us comes back, it's rockers with walkers, and this is everything but. Meet us in the future. Not in the past."

Roth, who also briefly rejoined Van Halen in 1996 to record a few songs for a greatest hits compilation, also praised Wolfgang for "bringing a young energy and spirit to this."

New Van Halen rehearsal information from www.tixx.com

Van Halen will rehearse for FOUR NIGHTS next week in Charlotte NC Sunday Sept. 23 thru Wed. Sept. 26th ...these are full dress rehearsal dates, if you live anywhere near there check out the best hotels in the area to find the band!



Van Halen will kick off their reunion tour at Charlotte Bobcats Arena on September 27.

Considered by fans and media alike as one of the most highly anticipated tours in rock and roll history, Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen will perform with Eddie’s son, Wolfgang who joins the line-up as the band’s bass player.


Van Halen and Roth have not performed or recorded together since 1984’s classic multi-platinum album “1984” and subsequent tour, making this tour truly a historic event.

for Van Halen tickets go to www.tixx.com

Van Halen Tour news from www.tixx.com

Tixx.com







Van Halen News Update
The VAN HALEN fan report from a VAN HALEN rehearsal that took place Saturday night (September 8) in the Los Angeles area (rumored to be the Los Angeles Forum):
"On Saturday night a friend of mine got me in to see a VAN HALEN rehearsal in Los Angeles. (I've been sworn to secrecy on certain aspects of this story, including location. Someone else may fill in the details, but it won't be me.)
"We arrived to an empty arena (except for the VH staff) containing VH's full stage setup. No one from the band had arrived yet.
"The stage has a runway which snakes out into the audience in a giant 'S' shape, which mirrors the lighting rig above it. The 'S' continues behind and above the stage so a band member can walk to the very top and be standing above Ed's [Van Halen] rig. There's a giant video screen the width of the entire stage, but neither the screen nor the stage lights were tested tonight; only the house lights were used. (It didn't matter in the slightest.)
"We arrived about an hour before the band while the crew fine-tuned the equipment. Drums were tested, guitars tuned, and pink noise blasted through the P.A. The general mood of everyone seemed very high with lots of smiles and friendly faces. Many people nodded to us and said, 'hello.'
"Eddie was the first to arrive, and very shortly after that, Wolfgang [Van Halen, bass] and Alex [Van Halen, drums]. Valerie [Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen's ex-wife and mother of Wolfgang] was with Wolf as were about five of his friends from school, I'm guessing. (They all looked the same age.) Alex and Ed spent about 15 minutes on stage noodling while Wolfie was showing his friends the venue. The three of them then met on stage and Eddie said into the P.A., 'We're not opening with it, but let's play 'I'm The One' just to warm up. And that they did. A funny moment occurred when Ed screwed up the bit right before they usually go acapella. He spoke into the mic, 'Did I mess that up?' Wolf confirmed, 'Yeah, you were late.' Both were smiling.
"After 'I'm The One', there was a bit more noodling and then some down time as people waited for Dave [Lee Roth, vocals]. I'm not sure if he was running late or if that's just how the schedule was.
"When Dave did show up, right from the start, he was all smiles. He was dressed in tight, flared out leather pants and a black/striped dress shirt.
"The rest of the account is going to contain, for lack of a better word, 'spoilers' of the show, including the set list, all though not in order. If you don't want to know, fair warning.
"Dave addressed the crowd and treated us as if we were guests in his arena sized house. He thanked us for coming and talked about how excited he was to be here and what a 'privilege and honor' it was to play with his 'bruthas from another mutha.' (And yes, that's a quote.) He then went on to great lengths to explain what we would be seeing tonight: that it was a rehearsal where they would be stopping and starting, testing things out, etc. (And he did this all very eloquently with many one-liners, as only Dave does.) Right before the band began, he explained, 'Okay as soon as you hear the first note, that 's when the curtain comes up.' He did that throughout the show; stopping to tell us what we would be seeing if this were the actual concert. The constant commentary and casual asides reminded me of that story I've heard where at a concert he wanted to turn the P.A. around so that 'everyone could be backstage.' That's how this show felt. As if we were being let it on the secret.
"The show started with 'You Really Got Me'. Dave was standing on the high part of the 'S' stage above Alex waving a giant red flag as the show began. Then he threw the flag down, and for the first time in over 22 years, David Lee Roth sang on stage with Eddie Van Halen.
"I'd say there were only about 40-50 guests there that night who were lucky enough to get in. Most of us sat in the 'fve-star' section inside the loop of the 'S' runway, but there wasn't even enough of us to fill it up. And there was a silly L.A. attitude amongst the crowd of 'Oh-I'm-so-hip- I-don't-need- to-sit-in- the-front-row' thing going on, as if this event was an every day occurrence. (After the first song, I couldn't stay away, and moved from the fifth row to right up front, just off center towards Ed's side.) The stage setup has at least 8 speakers just for the people in the first few rows, so you don't have to worry about hearing only the echoey remnants of the main P.A. You'll get the full mix nice and loud. But Holy God, bring earplugs.
"Wolfgang did a fine job, even providing decent sounding backup vocals. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about him, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that Michael Anthony was missed. While Wolf competently filled the position, he doesn't have the same sound, either in his playing or in his voice, as Michael. It's such a shame that silly personal conflicts can't be resolved so that people can finally see the classic lineup again. I do have to say though, it's obvious how much Ed loves playing with Wolfgang. He would be all smiles when he walked over to Wolfie and after one song, stepped up to the P.A. and said, 'Great job, Wolf. Great.'
"Over the next hour and a half or so the band played classic after classic that VH haven't done in years. The Sammy Hagar era is dead now, as far as I can tell. (Although when warming up, Eddie ran the VH-stripped drill across his guitar as if he was was starting 'Poundcake', but no more than that.) I was surprised by some of the gems they brought out. I'll post the songs I remember at the end of the article, but the order will be completely wrong except for the first song and the encore.
"The great thrill of the show was seeing Dave and Ed interact. If there's any animosity between them, it didn't show at all. Both were constantly smiling, and Dave often did the schtick where he holds his mic to Ed's guitar during a solo while he looks at the crowd, open mouthed in astonishment.
"That's not to say that Dave didn't get pissed, however. He was standing out by the far tail of the 'S' runway when, in the middle of a song, he yelled at the soundboard crew with intense anger, 'TURN THE FUCKING VOCALS UP! Don't make me ask you again!' I turned to Ed to see his reaction, thinking he would be pissed at Dave's behavior, but incredibly, Ed just smiled even wider. As Dave walked past him returning to the stage, they did a mini-hi-five, low and behind each other's back. I don't know what it meant. I'm guessing it's one of those things that only makes sense to two people who have known each other for decades.
"I never got to see Dave sing with VAN HALEN live. I got into the band in 1984 when I was 12 and didn't see them until the 'OU812' tour. I've seen Dave solo multiple times, but am always wonderfully caught off guard by his stage antics. He really is the clown prince of rock 'n' roll, and I say that with as much affection as I can. There's not a moment that goes by where he's not trying to entertain you, whether it be with silly facial expressions, dance moves, jokes, props or stories. He is the former 5-year-old kid who ran up to every new adult and wanted to show them everything he owned and all the things he could do and wouldn't stop talking until his parents told him it was bed time. And that attitude has never quite gone away.
"Thinking about the whole experience, I can't help but smile. I was going to write a few more details about the show, (like the brilliant way Dave introduces 'Somebody Get Me A Doctor' or the intensity from Dave that makes 'Mean Street' one of the great live VH songs) but I think it's probably better to let you all discover that for yourself.
Songs that were performed (not in order):

You Really Got Me
Romeo Delight
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
I'm The One
Mean Street
Unchained
Pretty Woman
Dance The Night Away
Ice Cream Man
Beautiful Girls
[Guitar Solo]
So This Is Love?
And The Cradle Will Rock
Everybody Wants Some
I'll Wait
Runnin' With The Devil
Little Guitars
Jamie's Cryin'
Atomic Punk
Feel Your Love Tonight
Little Dreamer
Panama
Hot For Teacher
Ain't Talkin' 'About Love
Encore:
1984
Jump
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