MR

Just got back from a roadie to Las Vegas to catch both Van Halen shows at the MGM Grand. One on Friday, Dec. 28, and the second, two days later on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007. The shows were incredible, visually. A huge hi-def screen displayed multi-angle camera shots of the band in real time behind the stage. Which ran the entire length of the stage. I found myself just watching that most of the time even with my $190 seats!

But, Eddie's playing started to rear it's ugly head. The capper was his infamous solo. I've seen Van Halen in the early 90's going away astounded at the greatness of his solo. This time around, he can't play a damn thing! He played as if he was highly intoxicated. Such a disappointment! It was a cluster-F. He would start with Spanish Fly, then choppy, unintelligable portions of 316, then some grungy simple power chords, into some (I think) portions of Eruption, and a feeble atempt at Cathedral which was frustratingly almost inaudible. He would 'short' the swell so that the notes were mostly muted. I would put it at 75% muted, the rest audible. Wrong notes the entire solo, too.

Since I was able to see both shows, it allowed me to go again with an open mind just hoping he was having a bad day on Friday. Maybe the guys or management would say something to him on Saturday and he'd be back to form for Sunday's final first-leg show.......WRONG!!

Sunday's solo was worse being rushed and shorter. Shorter, to the point that the only portion of Eruption that made the cut was a remnant of the infamous finger-tapping which closes the track. None of the 32nd note double pick jingle! 316 was pathetic too, being shortened to maybe 10 seconds worth, again, wrong notes and structure.

Sunday's show made me listen to his overall playing in general. It seemed it was all he could just to get the ryhthm parts right and in time, let alone the leads. It is fair to say that, throughout Sunday's show, there was not one lead played correctly or in proper tempo. Friday's show was probably the same, but that goes unnoticed in the excitement of seeing them with DLR for the first time.

The rest of the band is impressive. Wolfgang is a story, for sure. DLR sounds and looks great. Although it sounded he would sing higher than normal at times. And Alex was decent too. But as far as Eddie....gulp. Does anyone else share a similar observation?

They were GREAT when I saw them. Felt something was missing though, Michael Anthony! Nothing against Wolfie, He played fine. It's the energy, the bass solo, the Jack Daniels. I feel he got jipped with this whole "reunion" thing. But, If this is the only version of the band that I get to see, then fine.
Can't wait to see them again!!

Eddie has been hit-and-miss on this tour from what I have gathered. For a few weeks you see large glimpses of the 1996 Eddie... then all of a sudden the 2004 Eddie rears his ugly head. It seems to come in cycles. Right before Van Halen was supposed to play Saint Louis, there were reports of a few really bad shows (Kansas City being one), then out of the blue they cancelled Saint Louis. After that, Ed seemed to snap out of the drunken stupor or whatever it was. Now all of a sudden a seemingly drunken Eddie shows up for all the shows in Vegas.

You're not the only one reporting this. Longtime diehard Eddie fans have been admitting it... and these are people who have seen dozens of Van Halen shows this tour and never talk bad about Eddie.

I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

Eddie's "316" solo on Right Here, Right Now gives me chills every time I hear it....and I was there for the second night of the recording of RHRN. This time, Eddie just wasn't the same.

I was actually impressed with Wolfie, but he's no Michael Anthony...that's for damn sure.

Diamond Dave? It's time to go play paramedic now Dave.

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

Eddie's "316" solo on Right Here, Right Now gives me chills every time I hear it....and I was there for the second night of the recording of RHRN. This time, Eddie just wasn't the same.

I was actually impressed with Wolfie, but he's no Michael Anthony...that's for damn sure.

Diamond Dave? It's time to go play paramedic now Dave.

IMHO, the standard for an EVH solo has to be his performance on the "Live Without a Net" DVD. Every note perfect! "Right Here, Right Now" was incredible, too, but that '86 solo was positively bitchin'. Nothing I have heard on this tour comes close. JMO, of course!

Trailblazer wrote:IMHO, the standard for an EVH solo has to be his performance on the "Live Without a Net" DVD. Every note perfect! "Right Here, Right Now" was incredible, too, but that '86 solo was positively bitchin'. Nothing I have heard on this tour comes close. JMO, of course!

I agree. Anybody wanna buy some Saint Louis tickets cheap?

Wow...with all the bad reviews, I'm debating now on going to the Jax show. I have my ticket, but having to shell out money for 2 nights in a hotel plus gas, I'll be pissed if I get a shitty show.

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

I saw VH with Roth 3-4 times back in their prime, so I think my expectations are going to be too high. LOL

Lady Luck wrote:Wow...with all the bad reviews, I'm debating now on going to the Jax show. I have my ticket, but having to shell out money for 2 nights in a hotel plus gas, I'll be pissed if I get a shitty show.

Good.. boycott the show and come down and see me instead.

You guys have the tickets-GO!!! I don't understand the bad reviews. They were ON When I saw them. I agree, Maybe the diehards are expecting too much. There's no Michael Anthony, No Jack Daniels. It's just straight-ahead rock!!!
I spent $400.00 to see the 2004 VanHagar reunion, Definitely was not worth it!!! Though it was a good show.
Take it my input, for what it's worth. I thought it was a good show!!

I got talked into going to a VH show in a few days. We took the cheap seats... If it sucks, I'll damn sure report back. Actually, I'll report back either way.

I was at the show last night (January Twenty Eight) in Houston, Texas and anyone that is on the fence about going to see a show NEEDS to go. I don’t know if Eddie had a few bad shows at the end of the 2007 leg but four shows into the second leg and I can tell you the man is on fire. I’m a guitarist myself so I can vouch for his guitar performance. His stand alone guitar solo was 10-15 minutes long without flaw and I can’t even put into words how mesmerized I and everyone else was.

I’m only 21, this was my first Van Halen show so I don’t have the benefit of comparing past performances but it doesn’t change the fact that this was one of the best shows I’ve ever attended.

As for the rest of the show and the other members well I’ll let a professional finish the review:

http://blogs.chron.com/handstamp/archiv ... ves_1.html

Thanks! Looking much more forward to the show now! Never seen VH with Roth before, and just want it to be great!

Lady Luck wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

I saw VH with Roth 3-4 times back in their prime, so I think my expectations are going to be too high. LOL

Just be ready to cringe alot when DLR tries to hit those high notes again. I still say that was the worst VH show I've seen since 1980.

Fourt9rkim wrote:

Lady Luck wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

I saw VH with Roth 3-4 times back in their prime, so I think my expectations are going to be too high. LOL

Just be ready to cringe alot when DLR tries to hit those high notes again. I still say that was the worst VH show I've seen since 1980.

She wont have to, she's coming to visit me instead. LOL! The bubbly made her do it!

Ratgirl wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:

Lady Luck wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

I saw VH with Roth 3-4 times back in their prime, so I think my expectations are going to be too high. LOL

Just be ready to cringe alot when DLR tries to hit those high notes again. I still say that was the worst VH show I've seen since 1980.

She wont have to, she's coming to visit me instead. LOL! The bubbly made her do it!

Hey now! That's MY bubbly...remember that!

Ok, here's my report for the Little Rock, AR show on 1/29/08...

The show KICKED A!!! Everyone sounded great... We'd taken the cheap seats this time around, and it was not too loud or distorted. I was pleasantly surprised. I've heard the rumors about Eddie's performances, but he looked sober, had lots of energy, smiled all the time, and sounded AWESOME! Dave was quite the showman and also sounded excellent. It didn't sound as if he was struggling at all, but you know how those cheap amateur bootleg videos sound... they all suck and pick up every flaw that you don't detect in concert. He really was in great shape, and was sporting that 6-pack any chance he had.

Here was the set list:

You Really Got Me
Show Your Love
Running With The Devil
Romeo Delight
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Beautiful Girls
Dance The Night Away
Atomic Punk
Everybody Wants Some
So This Is Love
guitar solo intro
Mean Streets
Pretty Woman
drum solo
Unchained
I'll Wait
The Cradle Will Rock
Hot For Teacher
Little Dreamer
Little Guitars
Jamie's Cryin'
Ice Cream Man
Panama
guitar solo
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

Encore: Jump

I'm glad you enjoyed the show! Maybe they are becoming more comfortable together, and their performances improving? I just know when I saw them in November, they were not up to par for what I consider to be a good VH experience.

Glad you enjoyed the show, Rip. I'm looking forward to my VH show on March 8th. Haven't seen them since 1987 with Hagar and 1982 with Roth.

Fourt9rkim wrote:

Ratgirl wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:

Lady Luck wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

I saw VH with Roth 3-4 times back in their prime, so I think my expectations are going to be too high. LOL

Just be ready to cringe alot when DLR tries to hit those high notes again. I still say that was the worst VH show I've seen since 1980.

She wont have to, she's coming to visit me instead. LOL! The bubbly made her do it!

Hey now! That's MY bubbly...remember that!

I'll let you know how it is.

NealIsGod wrote:Glad you enjoyed the show, Rip. I'm looking forward to my VH show on March 8th. Haven't seen them since 1987 with Hagar and 1982 with Roth.

Thanks to both you and Fourt9rkim -- yes, it was a blast, and great chemistry between Eddie and DLR. May have been for show, but you know, before the tour was announced, DLR said "Hey, it's showbiz" referring to all the water under the bridge. Eddie now refers to him as a "brother", and that's great. They really interacted quite well together. Wolfie was great on bass, but pretty much stayed on the sidelines... no theatrics out of him. The kid must be immensely talented. The very few times they did show him up close, he appeared to be badly broken out, but I never got enough a long enough glimpse of him to tell. From everything I've heard, he's a great kid. Still, I did miss seeing Mad Anthony!

I'm SOOOO glad my pal begged me into going to the show.

Rip Rokken wrote:Ok, here's my report for the Little Rock, AR show on 1/29/08...

The show KICKED A!!! Everyone sounded great... We'd taken the cheap seats this time around, and it was not too loud or distorted. I was pleasantly surprised. I've heard the rumors about Eddie's performances, but he looked sober, had lots of energy, smiled all the time, and sounded AWESOME! Dave was quite the showman and also sounded excellent. It didn't sound as if he was struggling at all, but you know how those cheap amateur bootleg videos sound... they all suck and pick up every flaw that you don't detect in concert. He really was in great shape, and was sporting that 6-pack any chance he had.

Here was the set list:

You Really Got Me
Show Your Love
Running With The Devil
Romeo Delight
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Beautiful Girls
Dance The Night Away
Atomic Punk
Everybody Wants Some
So This Is Love
guitar solo intro
Mean Streets
Pretty Woman
drum solo
Unchained
I'll Wait
The Cradle Will Rock
Hot For Teacher
Little Dreamer
Little Guitars
Jamie's Cryin'
Ice Cream Man
Panama
guitar solo
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

Encore: Jump

Great to hear! I hope they do that good in Saint Louis. I've got to wait two more months.



P.S. - I wonder if Diamond Dave will do one of those flips like he is doing in my avatar?

Voyager wrote:P.S. - I wonder if Diamond Dave will do one of those flips like he is doing in my avatar?

No flips, but he does a nice little trick with a top hat you might enjoy!

Kinda like a hat rack, Rip?

Rip Rokken wrote:

Voyager wrote:P.S. - I wonder if Diamond Dave will do one of those flips like he is doing in my avatar?

No flips, but he does a nice little trick with a top hat you might enjoy!

Oh yeah - I can't wait! And I love the flag trick too!

Trailblazer wrote:Kinda like a hat rack, Rip?

LOL...

Lady Luck wrote:

Fourt9rkim wrote:I saw VH in Fresno in November....out of the 5 VH/Van Hagar shows I've been to over the years, this was by far the WORST. Eddie just wasn't the same...although to hear people who were seeing them for the first time, they thought it was the greatest show since sliced bread.

I saw VH with Roth 3-4 times back in their prime, so I think my expectations are going to be too high. LOL

When was Van Halen in their prime just curious? I am not talking about their studio work, talking live. I saw them twice. Lousy both times.

First time was the 1984 tour (with DLR), The guys were so freakin wasted I that by the end of the show you could not even recognize songs. You had a drunk Eddie doing 15 minute solos that with most the audience either drunk or high, they could not tell how horrible the solo was. You had Michael so drunk his bass solo was him rolling and jumping on his bass and the crowd even cheered that.

Then I saw them on the 5150 tour, I don't remember the playing being as lousy as it was on 1984...still don't remember it being great. Plus on that tour they didn't seem to want to play DLR songs....I think they played three. So it was them playing all the 5150 songs and just dragging them out with solos to give the crowd an hour and a half of music. VH didn't care because they knew that the worshippers would be happy with anything.

I will admit I wanted to go see them on this tour, but the price and my past experiences seeing them I passed.

If I am not mistaken, VH did not play any DLR-era tunes on the 5150 tour. In fact, I think it wasn't until the Carnal Knowledge tour.

jrnyman28 wrote:If I am not mistaken, VH did not play any DLR-era tunes on the 5150 tour. In fact, I think it wasn't until the Carnal Knowledge tour.

I think you are mistaken - Live Without A Net has them playing Panama and Aint Talkin Bout Love.

jrnyman28 wrote:If I am not mistaken, VH did not play any DLR-era tunes on the 5150 tour. In fact, I think it wasn't until the Carnal Knowledge tour.

Got this off a Van Halen website.

"5150 Tour (1986)

The band's first outing with Sammy offered a departure from the usual set lists of old. All but four songs from the Dave years were dropped (only two from Van Halen, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love and You Really Got Me; and two from 1984, Panama and Jump were kept). In their place were virtually every tune from 5150, two or more solo Sammy cuts, sometimes a Montrose song or two, ocassionally a brief jam on Robert Palmer's hit Addicted to Love or the Troggs' Wild Thing, a brief guitar "duel" between Sammy and Eddie, and Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll (which they closed with every night).

The typical song order:

You Really Got Me * There's Only One Way to Rock * Summer Nights * Get Up * Alex's Solo * Why Can't This Be Love * "5150" * Mike's Solo * Panama * Best of Both Worlds * Love Walks In * Good Enough * Ed's Solo * I Can't Drive 55 * Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love * Jump * Rock and Roll "


And those solos were LONG. It was a very lame setlist, but people were just happy to have Van Halen music. Honestly neither the 1984 or 5150 concerts impressed me.