Van Halen has never been a band to go away quietly and the last show of the 2004 reunion tour was no exception. Fans have been trading accounts of the last show, trying to decide if the onstage drama was end-of-tour high jinx or the collapse of the band and its namesake guitarist. The VHND was there and we've got an opinion on the matter, but first let's give you an update on the status of the band.

Before the "continuation" with Sammy & the 2004 tour, VH was planning on releasing a box set. We don't know if it was planned to be another rehashing of the same familiar tunes, or if it was expected be loaded with rare gems. The project may not have even been that developed before it was shelved in favor of the tour. It is also reported that Eddie was planning on doing a solo album but this too was put on hold when the tour was realized. So, we assume that whenever VH decides to stop touring & recording, a box set is almost a certainty at some point. We were also told that the band was thinking of making new music after the tour.

It is also said that Ed & Alex do not want the tour to end. They had at least two more U.S. shows, both in Southern California, in mind and then hopes for dates overseas. It is reportedly Sam's position that if they do any shows beyond the 80 on the original schedule they need to negotiate a new contract. The brothers oppose this and this appears to be the current state of things. Does that mean they will stop working with Sammy? There is no way to know that now but we expect that someone will find a way to appease all parties and that Van Halen is likely to continue working with the current lineup.

So what are the odds that VH is retired, or will they release new music or tour again? A member of the band was asked that very question backstage right after the final show at the Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater in Tucson, AZ on November 19, 2004. The answer was "I couldn't tell you. Right now I'd say it's 50/50î.

Now, about that already-infamous show, no one disputes the fact that Ed smashed two guitars, most notably the green Peavey 5150, that he played on so many dates this year, during the outro of Right Now. Many fans thought this an expression of rage, possibly directed toward Sammy and maybe Mike. Our sources tell us this was not the case. Not only did the IloveAllAccess representative inform the Five Star fans before the show that many pranks were planned by the band and the crew, such as the Great Silly String Assault, but she specifically forewarned "I'm not going to tell you, But I will Say Whatever You Do, DO NOT be in the Bathroom During RIGHT NOW." Our source does tell us that Ed was in fact very mad at someone backstage that night, but it wasn't Valerie, his girlfriend, his son, or anyone else in the VH camp so we do not think it appropriate to name them.

So whether he smashed his guitar because he was mad is anybody's guess. Maybe he did it for fun, maybe he did it because he was drunk & thought it would be cool. Maybe it was because he was glad the tour was over. Maybe he was frustrated with Peavey or the guitar itself, but whatever the case, we are told that it was NOT an issue with Sam or Mike.

We have 25 exclusive pix coming tomorrow that we will post in the order that we snapped them so you can take a look for yourself. Edward appeared pretty happy at the end of the show and rock history suggests that a smashed guitar is not necessarily the end of a carreer, starting with Hendrix and hopefully most recently including Van Halen. Beyond all of this, from our very close view of the stage, we are surprised how much attention this event is receiving. Smashing the guitars, while admittedly unusual in a VH show, did not stand out as either the high or low points of the concert. We were surprised when Ed did it because he did not seem angry before, during, or afterward. Ed just smashed 'em, for whatever reason rock stars smash guitars.

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