3/4 of original Van Halen in Seattle 12/3/2007, barring another Eddie eruption |
Loading ...From shut down to power up, knock on wood or whatever anti-jinx technique so that the 3/4 Van Halen tour can come to a city near you Fall/Winter 2007/2008.
That’s right, according to the tour schedule — take screenshots now while you still can — Van Halen with Diamond Dave on pipes and Eddie Van Halen’s 16 year old son manning the base will be touring. Eddie is out of treatment again and the good bet is this “new band” as they are billing it, not a “reunion tour” will go bust before being able to press a new album.
via Street:
“This is not like the Police (reunion). The idea is that this will continue,” said Roth, who acknowledged that — without bassist Anthony — this wasn’t really a Van Halen reunion, even though it’s being billed as just that. “This is not a reunion. This is a new band. … Usually when a band comes back like us, it’s rockers with walkers and this is everything but. Meet us in the future, not the past.”
Rockers with walkers, love it! As a VH fan I hope they don’t self-destruct before making it to Seattle. After seeing David Lee Roth live last November, I’m stoked.
Eddie is a genius on the fretboard. Arguably the best guitarist I’ve never seen in concert somewhere in the pantheon of Jimi Hendrix. I’m not going to miss a chance to see Eddie playing live and hope that he’s staying off the sauce long enough to blow me away with his fiery fretwork.
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I truly love old Van Halen - both pre-Slammin’ Sammy and post-Diamond Dave - but I hafta wonder if a little bit of what’s keeping Eddie sauced is that he may not be top dog anymore. I mean, maybe his chops aren’t what they were 15 years ago. And at the same time, look at the incredibly gifted players who grew up in his shadow and are out there tearing it up now. Now sure, there’s a magic that’s pure “Eddie” that nobody else can do, but there are quite a few younger guys who can at least rival his technical skill & mastery, if not his essence & style.
What do ya think? Maybe I’m onto something?
Comment by Rob O. — August 13, 2007 @ 5:11 pm PST
If Eddie has kept practicing through the years I’m sure he’s still in great form. Alcohol doesn’t make you a better guitar player, so it can only help him if he stays clean and sober, Rob O. What would have deteriorated his skills is if he stopped practicing. All the greats stay great because they keep honing their craft. Guys like Randy Rhoads were living, breathing, sleeping and eating with their guitars nearby. We don’t know much about what Eddie has been up to the last 10 years beyond the boozing. I’d like to think he is still passionate about his guitar. If he’s not, then their next album will be as forgettable as VH 3 with Cherone.
There are faster players than Van Halen (Malmsteen comes to mind) and there are guys that can imitate Hendrix and Eddie’s chops, but very few who can create them. These guys are guitar gods and the list of guitar gods is relatively small.
Comment by TDavid — August 13, 2007 @ 5:29 pm PST
And of course, let’s not forget that Eddie does a respectable job on keyboards too! I’m crossing my fingers that they can hold it together this time.
Dunno that I’d really compare them to Eddie, but there are certainly some very worthwhile guitar gods tearing it up these days. I’m really digging Zak Wylde. And I’ve always been a Satriani fan…
Comment by Rob O. — August 13, 2007 @ 9:03 pm PST
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TD - Let’s hope they pull it off. Eddie vs Jimi - No comparison, man. Jimi hands down.
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