Tesla bassist Brian Wheat says David Lee Roth not only wanted Tesla to open for him back in 1987, he also wanted to manage the band. After a series of dates supported by Cinderella during the second half of 1986, Roth tapped Tesla to open for the Eat 'Em And Smile band in January and February of '87. Roth had picked the band after seeing the video for "Modern Day Cowboy", … [Read more...]
Exclusive: Childhood Friend Recalls Eddie Van Halen’s Early Years
Credit: Neil Zlozower In an exclusive interview with the Van Halen News Desk's Jeff Goebel, Eddie Van Halen’s childhood friend Tom Broderick revealed private moments with Eddie and Van Halen from 1968 to 2019. Tom’s older brothers Rob and Rick were the first to meet Eddie doing paper routes in the Pasadena area they lived at. Rob, a drummer, even jammed with Eddie in … [Read more...]
Rick Beato Celebrates Eddie Van Halen with Guest Guitarists
Credit: Neil Zlozower Rick Beato recently interviewed two of the most celebrated up-and-coming guitarists in the world, Mateus Asato and Matteo Mancuso, on his YouTube Channel. It was only a matter of time before the name Eddie Van Halen came up. In the clip below, the three reflect on Eddie's impact and unique style. During the discussion they listen to the “Ice … [Read more...]
Making Sense Of Van Halen’s Years-Long Internal Conflict
Credit: Neil Zlozower The story of David Lee Roth and the Van Halens is one for the ages, really. The most explosive rock and roll music you'll ever hear. Impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, neither is the often explosive drama. In case you hadn't heard, Roth has been making headlines lately by firing shots at the Van Halens, particularly Wolfgang, via his podcast … [Read more...]
Part Two: Greg Renoff Interviews Donn Landee
Photo Credit: Warner Music Group Part two of Van Halen author Greg Renoff's interview with legendary Van Halen engineer Donn Landee has arrived! Renoff shared part one of his interview for Tape Op magazine with VHND readers back in September. Now he's back to make good on his promise to deliver part two. Below is an excerpt from part two of Renoff's two-part … [Read more...]
Watch Van Halen ‘1984’ 40th Anniversary Special Pt. 2
The 5150 Show's celebration of Van Halen's 1984 is back with more! They've just released another episode devoted entirely to the album released 40 years ago this month. Joining the show once again are authors Greg Renoff (Van Halen Rising, Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music) and Chris Gill (Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen), who will discuss the … [Read more...]
Satriani On Aborted Eddie Van Halen Tribute: ‘Alex’s Intentions Were Pure, But I Don’t Know About Dave’
As Joe Satriani prepares to perform a Van Halen-heavy setlist for the upcoming Best Of All Worlds tour with Sammy Hagar, he's still left wondering why his role in a planned Eddie Van Halen tribute with Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth never came to fruition. In April of 2022, Satriani confirmed that he had been in regular contact with Alex and David Lee Roth about a … [Read more...]
Billie Joe Armstrong On Seeing Van Halen At 12: ‘I Cried’
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong says his first-ever concert experience was seeing Van Halen in 1984. During Green Day's recent appearance on Howard Stern's show, Armstrong recalled the emotional experience. "When I saw Van Halen in '84 I was 12," Armstrong told Stern. "They were my favorite band and...I cried. [laughs] 'Cuz Eddie was so....it's like his guitar playing … [Read more...]
Engineer Defends Eddie Van Halen’s Replacement Of Michael Anthony With Wolfgang
Engineeer Ross Hogarth says whatever criticism Eddie Van Halen faced for replacing Michael Anthony with his son Wolfgang in 2007 was unmerited. Hogarth recently appeared on the Anthony Merinelli Music YouTube channel to share stories from his experience as engineer on Van Halen's last-ever studio album and first with David Lee Roth since 1984 - A Different Kind Of Truth. It … [Read more...]
Satriani Having Amp Built To Replicate Eddie Van Halen’s Sound
In a new interview with Australian Musician, Joe Satriani said he's having a special amp built to replicate Eddie Van Halen's sound for the upcoming Best Of All Worlds tour. "What I learned from 'The Howard Stern Show', besides it's still important to rehearse and you can't do gigs without rehearsals... But what, what it confirmed was a couple of things I was thinking about, … [Read more...]
Behind-The-Scenes With David Lee Roth & Eddie Van Halen
Credit: Neil Zlozower You want David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen stories? Frank Meyer's got the stories! Just recently, the VHND's Eric Senich had the opportunity to interview Darren Paltrowitz, author of the new book DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed the World. Paltrowitz shared a few David Lee Roth stories from the book courtesy of author/musician/documentarian … [Read more...]
Frank Hannon: Eddie Van Halen Is Forever Rock Guitar’s ‘Mozart’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon says Eddie Van Halen's smile and style places him forever among music's elite, calling him "the Mozart" of rock and roll guitarists. During a recent interview with Cassius Morris, Hannon explained why he believes that the passing of Eddie has had such a profound impact on rock music fans worldwide. "Eddie Van Halen … [Read more...]