Van Halen
Queens Wharf
Wellington, NZ
April 10, 1998

Set List - Click Here!

Photos by Pat Kenny

Review by Kevin Gaunt - GauntK@MSN.com

The opening band were not too hot but warmed up the audience.

When Van Halen came on stage it was difficult to believe they were actually there, in Wellington. I always swore they are the only band I would travel to Australia to see and there they were.

Gary Cherone is absolutely great !!!!!! He fits in really well and obviously got a kick out of the whole thing.

???? Was Alex wearing a neck brace ?????

It left us wanting more. How about more than one encore next time guys ?

Anyway many thanks and all you other people who have bought tickets are going to see the best live band in the world.

Fantastic!

I was blown away by eddie, just watching him and that guitar was awesome.

I was impressed with gary cherone too, he was great with the old songs as well.

Alex was great, he must be fit, the amount of energy he put into those drums was great.

Micheal Anthony, what a guy! and to top it all off, he comes on for the encore in an All Black jersey.

Excellent concert.

It is an hour since the first concert of the new world tour as I write this. And all I can say is, AWESOME!!!!! The band started off, for their very first concert ever in New Zealand, with Unchained, before kicking into Without You.

Gary Cherone was a F@#kin live-wire, and the band sounded as if they are just starting to warm up. Older favourites such as Somebody Get Me A Doctor, Romeo Delight, Mean Street were mixed with Dreams, When it's Love and the new Shit.

The only down point was Eddie's solo, but this was more to do with the sound not being perfect rather than his playing.

Overall, I give them an 8.5 out of 10 - and only stop short of a full 10 as they will only get better as they go on.

OK..here it is. The shows not been over 45minutes so I'm going to try and be as objective as possible while it's still fresh in my mind...

But before I start...Hmm...here's a little side note. The band have been keen to promote that there partying days are over right? Well maybe, but it certainly didn't stop them cavorting around out the back of the local strip club a few days ago...

Anyway...

THE SHOW

OK man, whatever anyone says about this new band...the news is that live they are very, very good. True enough, I've never seen the previous incarnations, but I have enough bootlegs and videos to know that this new band kicks ass!

But first the setup...Hmm..Pretty much nothing special about this touring rig. We've see US arena-style setups in Wellington before, but no, this set was just a few racks of lights, a stage, and two dayglo backdrops; one of the Van Halen 3 album cover, and one of the VH logo, simmilar to the F.U.C.K album cover. Strangly absent was Eddie's rack of 5150 amps..where was that sound comming from? there was a setup at the back, but it was shrouded in black cloth...has Eddie switched back to his old Marshalls?

But hey, that's not what we came to see anyway.

The show ripped open with Unchained...man that was something. Gary had it nailed down good, and Eddie... man, I heard that Sammy never let them play alot of the real old stuff; it was like a weight had been lifted off of this guy...alot of these songs haven't seen the live light of day for sometime, the audience knew all the words and almost drowned out the band... he was loving it.

Mean Street...man they made that song sound good. Eddie was absolutely on top of it tonight, how can I explain it...just wait till they play it in your town. It was good stuff.

Next up was Without You, this has been getting a lot of airplay down here lately, so everyone sung along with this one too...alot of fun. They played a lot of new stuff, which I guess was expected. Most of it got a polite response. Fire in the Hole...A Year to the Day... an acoustic encore of Josephine (is that it's name?) ala more than words, with Gary and Eddie sitting in a corner...They all went down pretty ok...

What really shone tonight though was the old Roth songs. Gary proved tonight that he was more of a front man than Sammy ever was, and was at least on par with Roth. He had the crowd right in the palm of his hand, and kept it there. When Eddie ripped into Mean Street and Romeo's Delight...Man, Gary was good...It didn't sound like Roth, but then why should it? He made this old stuff sound fresh, and rest assured he can cut it with these old tunes...They played alot of that old stuff, Gary has a great Rothlike energy. This was where Gary was at his strongest. This guy's is a frontman, not just a lead singer, and he really is a consumate showman.

Yeah, Gary's good with the old Roth stuff, probably cause he grew up on it. I wished they'd played more from the Roth catalogue but hey.

Where Gary isn't so good however is with the Sammy catalogue.

This was painfully obvious on When It's love. He was really struggling and didn't manage to strike half of Sammy's high notes. There where moments in that song where I longed to hear Sammy's voice. Gary's just couldn't cut it. May be he'll get better...I hope so. On song he did nail down well though was Humans Being. That really sounded good. Another thing...Michael Anthony sung all of Somebody Get Me A Doctor. It was interesting. Gary has got a few things to work on though...least of which is his chit-chat between songs. "How many of you got the new album yet?...well go and buy a copy, Don't go taping from your friends!" c'mon man, do you think you could sound a little more desperate?

Anyway, lets see if I can remember the set list. hmm... Unchained, Romeo's Delight, Dreams, Why Can't this be love, Humans Being, Right Now, When it's Love, Somebody Get me a Doctor, Aint talking bout love, Panama, Jump...and just about everything from the new album. A two hour show, not bad.

There was of course also the obligitory Solos.

I'll tell you something, Alex looked physically ill tonight. He looked like he was going to keel over at any moment. He had a neck brace on, a bandage thingee wrapped round his head...geezz I half expected him to walk off in crutches. As for the solos...Well personally I think they've had their day. People are polite enough to applaude a ten minute drum solo, but who really enjoys it? Alex's was good to start with. He started playing the solo from Lighting Up the Sky (now that would've been a beautiful thing) and then in the middle of it, this cheesy bossanova/Bgradeporn electronic stuff starts happening! Sorry, that really didn't work Alex!

Eddie's solo stuff was OK, but again a ten minute solo gets lost on a non-guitar playing audience. I would have liked to have seen these solos presented in their origin al context. You know, Eruption before You Really got Me, Cathedral before Secrets...Eddie played the original solo before Mean Street, and that was pretty cool...

Anyway, as a concert experence, this was up there with the best. No fancy light shows, no flashy video walls, just a great band and a great soundtrack. They were all in absolutely top form, especially Eddie, and performed a fantastic show to an enthusiastic crowd. I hope they come back here sometime again...it was alot of fun.

As for those how don't think Gary's up to it...man think again. This guy is really really good. He's not David Lee Roth, and he's certainly no Sammy Hagar, he's his own man and that's the way it should be. He lead the band, he didn't just sing in it. I reckon they made the right choice.

It's been about 11hrs since VH stepped off the stage at the Queens Whalf Events Centre in Wellington, NZ.

First up - never fear...Gary actually pulls the old VH stuff off!! In some cases I think he sounds better!!

The sound system at the Queens Whalf Events Centre was bad. Now I know what "Oasis" were talking about!

It was great to hear a mix of some of the old and new. They even played some really classic stuff like 'Unchained', 'Somebody Get Me A Doctor' and 'Mean Street'.

The only strange thing about Gary was his showmanship. Whereas Dave and Sammy stomped, strutted and flew across the stage, Gary actually dances. I mean does this guy have a Performing Arts degree or something? Seriously - they way he moved was out of place. I'm not saying it was bad...not at all...but I think for me it will take a while getting used to.

All in all a top show and I hope they come back to "the land of the long white cloud" (New Zealand) sooner, rather than later.

"BUCKO"

PS: My ears are still ringing.

Awesome! Packed House - excellent setup.

We've been waiting for these guys to come here for 20 years - and last night was the night! It was Fan-Fuckin-Tastic. Eddie was in good form. The band seemed to really enjoy themselves, which helped to inspire the crowd even more.

Eddie didn't seem to want to end the set, which included an excellent mix of old and new, prompting the band to play two more encores - Panama and Jump. These two songs being possibly the most recognisable tracks by Van Halen. The crowd went ballistic.

Gary just clicked right from the start. He ran around the stage like a man possessed. He is an excellent front man and performs as part of the team. He put is own touch on the band, not a replacement, an addition to what is possible the best band to come out of the States.

Michael Anthony put the finishing touches on the show, appearing in an All Black Rugby Jersey. A great performer with awsome backing vocals.

Alex performed what I personally think was one of the Best Drum solos I have seen live. I don't know where he gets the energy from - just brilliant!

But the night really belonged to Eddie - The greatest! He has such talent - a real magician. I for one certainly hope they return. I hope they enjoyed their week in Wellington and certainly welcome to come here again.

I was in the mosh pit, front row, hard left. When the band came on (in the dark) I could make out Alex's neck brace - hasn't he got that neck fixed yet?

Eddie, Alex and Mike were dressed casual, as was to be expected. Gary appeared wearing a polyester shirt and flared polyester pants - blerkkk! Somebody call the fashion police - this guy's in the wrong band! :^)

After about two songs, he'd sweated the shirt right through - and you know what happens when you sweat heavily in polyester - pe-ewww! Get that man some de-oderant!

But I digress, Gary may not have dressed for the part, but the band looked as though they'd all be playing together forever - he fitted right in. No slip-up's or anything. I guess Gary used to be a VH fan way back in the old days when he'd just got out of his nappies! Now all we need to do is get his to grow his hair back a bit and take him shopping for clothes.

When they started with Unchained, the crowd knew this was going to be a great concert with plenty of the good ol' stuff in it. Remember here though, 99% of the crowd (not me, not me!) had never been to a VH concert before - this was the first time they'd made the effort to visit here. They'd better visit regularly from now on. Unchained puzzled many of the younger members of the audience - they didn't know the song and here are all these old guys like me going absolutely wild right off the start line!

When Mean Street started, we all thought Eddie's solo was starting early, but when the rest of them kicked in, the crowd went wild. Well, us oldies that knew the song did, anyway.

Alex's drum solo wasn't particularly long - I could see he seemed to be having neck troubles during it. My guess is that he cut the heavy stuff short, stood up and moved left to another small drum kit and played a surprise segment of Salsa rhythm, complete with backing track. Some of the more staunch members of the audience voiced their dis-approval, but I loved it.

Eddie's solo saw the crowd hushed in awe during Cathedral - remember again, these guys had NEVER seen Eddie play live, and frankly never thought they ever would, so it was full concentration all round. You could see him put all his feeling into 316 - he must sure love that kid!

They left the stage without playing either Panama or Jump - people were starting to talk about giving them a lynching - so it was just as well they played those two songs during the encore.

Overall the concert was a great success, although I wish it had been twice as long and with lots more old stuff in it. Let's hope they add more old stuff to the next tour!

Well, what can I say?. After waiting for so long to see Van Halen live, the first concert in Wellington was simply awesome! There was a great mix of old and new material, and they lived up to their reputation as being not only one of the loudest bands I’ve seen, but delivered a full on, high energy show, proving there’s nothing quite like the original. The guys played full on for about 2 hours. The response from the audience was great,- alot of happy faces left the auditorium.

For those who haven’t made up their mind about the new album, just go to the concert anyway. I personally felt some of the live material came across better than on the album, simply because it is more direct, and Gary does a good job of the Hagar/Roth era.

A few of the highlights included Mike singing ‘Somebody get me a doctor’ (although Mike didn’t do a bass solo), Alexs’ drumsolo was phenomenal (he also wore a brace around his neck for about two thirds of the show). Gary Cherone was great. He proved to be a good showman with the throat to match, and of course Eddie was amazing throughout. You’d never think the guy needed a hip replacement! The only disappointment was his solo seemed quite short (compared to previous live solos. He played Cathedral, 316, the end of Eruption, but no spanish fly).

The big thrill, though, was getting to meet Ed, Gary and Mike briefly before the show at the hotel on the way to their final rehearsal. Some mates and I were in the Hotel lobby having a beer, and suddenly Mike and Gary came out of the lift! I just about fell over! A few fans were talking to them so I went over. Then, Ed comes running out of the lift. Security was rushing the guys through, but the guys stopped and shook everyones hand, and talked with us as long as they could before having to go. My only regret was I had nothing on hand they could sign, but it all happened pretty quickly. For a band who have outlasted, outsold and done more than many other bands, they are the most unassuming, relaxed and down to earth guys you could meet. No egos!! Enjoy your shows Aussie - you’re in for a good time!

One of the greatest bands in history finally turns up in New Zealand, and they sure made it worth the wait. I'd never seen VH live before so wasn't all that sure what to expect, but whatever it was, I sure wasn't disappointed.

Starting the concert with my personal favourite of all the VH tracks, "Unchained" had to be a good sign. Gary sure doesn't _look_ like Sammy or Dave, but he seemed to have the energy of both of them, singing with a voice that belied his size, unlike many performers I've seen, he, and indeed, the entire band actually seemed to be really _enjoying_ themselves, and happy to be there. Alex had a neck-brace on for some reason, obviously nothing major as he took it off for the final bow.

The lead-in act "Destiny" deserves a mention, while their vocals may have been somewhat lacking, their musical talent must have been something to impress even the great Eddie Van Halen with their eruption-esque guitar soloing, good use of effects and a generally good performance from a band whos' members are no older than about 18 or so at most.

I was about 2-rows back and a couple of metres to the left of centre-stage, and this was a concert where being front & centre really made a difference, Gary high-fiving the front row and getting low down which would have made him invisible to all but the front or those in the seats at the back.

As has been said, this show was a no-nonsense full-on rockfest, with Gary bringing the old songs to life, and making the new tunes from III sound a lot more energetic than they do on the album. Eddie, Mike and Alex all gave it their most, including a very long full-on drum solo from Alex and a good rendition of Eruption from Eddie. This was one concert I'm glad to say I was a part of, and I look forward to managing to lay my hands on a copy either the video that a guy running up and down on the inside of the barricade was making, or the audio tape that was recorded straight from the mixing deck - hopefully they make it available, as this was an experience that it'd be great to relive!

To quote a sign I saw in a local bar, "You don't stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing." Here's hoping Van Halen doesn't get old anytime soon!

Fantastic!!!!

Finally got to see the boys in person. Sounded better live than on the CDs. Lasted 2 hours but I would have stayed for 10. Great drum solos from Alex. Classic solo stuff from eddie, Mike sang "somebody get me a doctor". Gary is a great singer and did really well. All the classics I wanted to hear and some new stuff as well.

Bloody Marvellous!!!!!!!

The first leg of the Van Halen 1998 world tour kicked off in fine style with their new lead singer Gary Cherone. The Queens Wharf events centre, in Wellington, New Zealand, although not packed to capacity was absolutely buzzing with atmosphere.

Unchained the first song of the night kicked off what was to be the best two and a half hour concerts ever. The concert included some brilliant solo efforts by Eddie and Alex.

Gary was spectacular, any people that had worries about how he would fit in should see the concert. Songs played off the recent VH3 album were perfect, but he also showed his true talent when Van Halen were using some of the older material such as Mean Street.

Merchandise on sale was cool, consisting of T-shirts, caps, badges, dog tags and more.

Van Halen finished this concert in style, after getting the crowd pumped up with songs such as Humans Being and Panama, they rocked the Queens Wharf events centre with probably their most famous song, JUMP!.

Gary Cherone....now this dude knows how to work a stage and he knows how to give the fans what they want. Having met him (and it was a honour) you can tell that the panther that stalks his way around the stage and screams when required or waves his arms when required...the mans a class act no doubt about it.

I cant really top the review already given by Rob, everything that you see before your eyes is rock n roll exstacy.....their facials are enough to tell you that this is what its about...Alex looks like he is whipping you into a frenzy and you're loving every moment of it (so much so that I found myself reliving the 80s again and headbanging like a bugger). Eddie....he's got a grin that tells you he loves his job..and that job is to show you that he ain't about to let a song go by without giving your ears some of that sweet delight (standing right in front of his amp my ears are ringing but i dont give a shit...this is heaven), Michael... he's looking like a demon when he's singing lead...that squeal had me looking for blacky lawless to rear his head from the floorboards... Gary is well dare i say it...he's the master of ceremonies and we're all getting the business. Whether he is whipping his arse in your face (i was told by some girls to mention that he has a great butt) if he is flicking that tongue or slinking around like King Freddie used to do you're getting your moneys worth and much much more.....you're getting the best of the best.

To best describe the overall feeling of being in the front row at a VH concert that is kicking off a world tour...in a place that they had never been to....it is a dream. 2 days (and a second show later) im still pinching myself....did this happen?? was i not saying in november 97 "bah humbug they won't come here....i wish they would it would go off"........Go Off ??? if there is a beacon of light needed in the rock world then we have 4 messiahs in the mold of Van Halen....one thing i love is that they don't follow any rules they are making the rules......with the main motive being to give you a feast of songs that you just wanna eat it.

Being a Queen addict like i am (and so too is Gary) it was particularly pleasing that during Right Here,Right Now he pointed to me (as we'd had a good long conversation the night before) and screamed out "This Ones For Freddie !!"....one thing i love is that these guys tell you who they love and don't make out that they invented rock n roll.....saying that they are giving it just the shot in the arm that it needs.

With this i thank the guys for making many a guy and girl happy that they came .....rocked and left a lasting memory or 50 in our minds......the best week of my life !!

Well I've been waiting 20 years to get to see Van Halen in concert and all i can say is it was worth the wait. It's 2 days since the show and my wife and I are still buzzing. They were all I expected live and more! Eddie's playing was absolutely masterful and new frontman Gary Cherone added a new 'class' to the band not just a replacement for Sammy and Dave but I think he's added something to the band. His powerful vocals particularly on the new songs came across superbly and I thought he handled the old tunes extremely well also. The set was,to me,an excellent mix of Roth era,Hagar era and new album songs,with quite a few of the new tracks played including Without you,Fire in the hole,Josephina,From afar, and my favourite for the whole night A year to the day which was mind blowing live. The show lasted 2 hours including an encore with Josephina, Panama and Jump to finish it off.What a great night. Eddie kept appologising for taking 20 years to come to New Zealand,well I hope they come back real soon because we'll be there!And if they are coming within 500 miles of where you live make sure you get a ticket! Chris Jury, Wellington.

David who ? Sammy who ? Gary Cherone is the best thing to happen to Van Halen since they got a recording contract. This guy can sing!!! It can't happen often that you come away from a gig thinking the new guy in the band has improved things so much. The highlight of the night for me was the unplugged version of Josephina, here Mr Cherone was able to really show us what an awesome vocalist he is......... Oh yeah and the other guys were pretty cool too!!!!

This has to be the best concert I have ever attended, great to see them in the flesh as opposed to TV and our cd's etc. As for Gary he was great nothing else needs to be said. It was a concert of good music with no shit and the next time you guys are back i'll be there.

I live in Auckland New Zealand, so I flew down to the Wellington show first then back for the Auckland show ........word can't explain the feeling inside the arena that night!!!

Totally the best concert i've seen!! I got a chance to meet them all as I stayed in the same hotel as them, even went to the private after party in the hotel......that was unreal, we got invited in by the tour manager Scotty and went we walked in Eddie was on a grand piano mucking around......was like being in a dream.

Wolfie and Valerie were and Mike and Gary too. Stayed up till 2.30 drinking JD's with Mike, man he can drink!! Then the concert in Auckland was just as amazing, I was even blown away again when I saw Eddie walk out onstage wearing on his necklace a NZ green stone I gave him in Wellington!!!......got the photo's to prove it all too!!!