Van Halen - Part 2
Even more so than Ed's declining health, a lot of stuff has come to light recently that really makes me look at a hero of mine much differently.
There been a lot of problems for a long while in the Van Halen camp.
David Lee Roth quits
Sammy Hagar joins
Eddie gets treatment for alcoholism
Dave is back in
Sammy is out and finds out by seeing Dave on TV with the band
Dave is out
Gary Cherone joins
Gary is out
Eddie gets a hip replacement
Eddie fights tongue cancer
Several attempts with Dave to reunite the original band
Dave and Sammy tour together
Sammy is back and "reunion" tour happens
Dave is now an on again/off again radio host
Blah, blah, blah... Most of it was much more dramatic than a simple list reads. What we never really heard was any details behind all these things... Recently an interview with Micheal Anthony was printed in Japan that had some surprising revelations. There's one translation HERE, but a few other sites have carried it as well. Mikey's always been the good guy in the band, and has always been there for the fans 1,000%. There's no reason to doubt him.
-After Gary Van Halen tried to reunite three times with David Lee Roth and it fell apart each time.
-According to Mike reuniting with Dave was "magic" and the spark was there just like in 1978.
-They wrote and recorded almost a complete album.
-According to Mike, Ed will NEVER let those tapes out.
-As standard practice Mike is not allowed to take ANYTHING home from Ed's 5150 studio. Working with the reunited band he did have to take a few demos home to work on some stuff alone and he still has those at home. He expects his grand kids to steal them one day and release them as bootlegs.
-The whole reunion fell apart when Dave and Ed started acting in their old ways. Al was interested to try Dave's new ideas, as was Mike, but Ed wasn't having it.
-Instead of doing what Ed and management wanted, Dave stuck to his guns and eventually turned his back on the band and walked away from more than a $50,000,000.00+ tour. End of reunion.
-During the Sammy and Dave joint tour, Micheal traveled with Sammy and often jammed on stage with him. One night early in the tour he unloaded on Dave in his dressing room for the failed reunion. Dave avoided him and refused to even make eye contact with him from that point on. At the end of the night Sammy and Mike would often try to get Dave up for the encore, but Dave would never answer or open his dressing room door.
-The 2004 reunion tour was basically Mike's idea. He prodded Sammy to get back with Eddie, and once he got Sam and Alex together for dinner it was basically a done deal. The three of them only had to twist Eddie's arm for it to happen. (Sounds like a romance when I actually write down eh?)
-Eddie, for whatever reason, didn't want Micheal Anthony to be apart of the 2004 reunion tour. Mike says he doesn't know why. It was Sammy's influence that finally got Mike on the tour.
-Mike was "not part of the band" when the three new songs where written for the "Best Of Both Worlds" compilation. He didn't help write them and didn't even play on them. He ended up adding a few background vocals after they were totally done to help give them the VH sound.
-The VanHalen brothers put Mike on a SALARY to play bass on the tour.
-Mike swallowed this insult and did the tour for two reasons. He thought it might be the last VH tour and didn't want to kick his ass later for not being part of it, and for the fans.
-Tensions ran high during the tour. Ed complained about Mike selling his hot sauce and Sammy advertising his tequila and bars, all the while selling guitars on eBay himself and endorsing (IE selling) signature guitars, amps, strings, pedals and anything he could stripe red, white and black and sell online. (lighters, stickers, picks, etc) Sammy complained in public about the high ticket prices Ed and Alex demanded.
-Things got so bad during the tour that they hired a second jet. Ed and Alex travelled in one and Mike and Sammy traveled in the other. The backstage area was also divided into two separate camps.
-Again, according to Mike, Ed doesn't want to tour anymore, possibly never. No one knows the future of VH.
-Mike and Sammy are going out ton tour again this summer as "The Other Half". Pretty much a slap in Ed's face and will be playing old VH tunes.
Honestly this stuff REALLY bothers me. I grew up watching these guys party their faces off and having a great time. We based our childhood friendships on being buds like Dave and Eddie. The whole good buddies party together was part of the appeal of the VH machine. Eddie was the happiest, coolest guitar player around. (must have been the coke) and Dave was the coolest, hippest front man around (must have been the coke). To find out how they treat each other is pretty eye opening.
Was it all an act back in 1984? Did these guys always hate each other? I guess if anything, it just goes to show you that even ones heroes are only human.
There been a lot of problems for a long while in the Van Halen camp.
David Lee Roth quits
Sammy Hagar joins
Eddie gets treatment for alcoholism
Dave is back in
Sammy is out and finds out by seeing Dave on TV with the band
Dave is out
Gary Cherone joins
Gary is out
Eddie gets a hip replacement
Eddie fights tongue cancer
Several attempts with Dave to reunite the original band
Dave and Sammy tour together
Sammy is back and "reunion" tour happens
Dave is now an on again/off again radio host
Blah, blah, blah... Most of it was much more dramatic than a simple list reads. What we never really heard was any details behind all these things... Recently an interview with Micheal Anthony was printed in Japan that had some surprising revelations. There's one translation HERE, but a few other sites have carried it as well. Mikey's always been the good guy in the band, and has always been there for the fans 1,000%. There's no reason to doubt him.
-After Gary Van Halen tried to reunite three times with David Lee Roth and it fell apart each time.
-According to Mike reuniting with Dave was "magic" and the spark was there just like in 1978.
-They wrote and recorded almost a complete album.
-According to Mike, Ed will NEVER let those tapes out.
-As standard practice Mike is not allowed to take ANYTHING home from Ed's 5150 studio. Working with the reunited band he did have to take a few demos home to work on some stuff alone and he still has those at home. He expects his grand kids to steal them one day and release them as bootlegs.
-The whole reunion fell apart when Dave and Ed started acting in their old ways. Al was interested to try Dave's new ideas, as was Mike, but Ed wasn't having it.
-Instead of doing what Ed and management wanted, Dave stuck to his guns and eventually turned his back on the band and walked away from more than a $50,000,000.00+ tour. End of reunion.
-During the Sammy and Dave joint tour, Micheal traveled with Sammy and often jammed on stage with him. One night early in the tour he unloaded on Dave in his dressing room for the failed reunion. Dave avoided him and refused to even make eye contact with him from that point on. At the end of the night Sammy and Mike would often try to get Dave up for the encore, but Dave would never answer or open his dressing room door.
-The 2004 reunion tour was basically Mike's idea. He prodded Sammy to get back with Eddie, and once he got Sam and Alex together for dinner it was basically a done deal. The three of them only had to twist Eddie's arm for it to happen. (Sounds like a romance when I actually write down eh?)
-Eddie, for whatever reason, didn't want Micheal Anthony to be apart of the 2004 reunion tour. Mike says he doesn't know why. It was Sammy's influence that finally got Mike on the tour.
-Mike was "not part of the band" when the three new songs where written for the "Best Of Both Worlds" compilation. He didn't help write them and didn't even play on them. He ended up adding a few background vocals after they were totally done to help give them the VH sound.
-The VanHalen brothers put Mike on a SALARY to play bass on the tour.
-Mike swallowed this insult and did the tour for two reasons. He thought it might be the last VH tour and didn't want to kick his ass later for not being part of it, and for the fans.
-Tensions ran high during the tour. Ed complained about Mike selling his hot sauce and Sammy advertising his tequila and bars, all the while selling guitars on eBay himself and endorsing (IE selling) signature guitars, amps, strings, pedals and anything he could stripe red, white and black and sell online. (lighters, stickers, picks, etc) Sammy complained in public about the high ticket prices Ed and Alex demanded.
-Things got so bad during the tour that they hired a second jet. Ed and Alex travelled in one and Mike and Sammy traveled in the other. The backstage area was also divided into two separate camps.
-Again, according to Mike, Ed doesn't want to tour anymore, possibly never. No one knows the future of VH.
-Mike and Sammy are going out ton tour again this summer as "The Other Half". Pretty much a slap in Ed's face and will be playing old VH tunes.
Honestly this stuff REALLY bothers me. I grew up watching these guys party their faces off and having a great time. We based our childhood friendships on being buds like Dave and Eddie. The whole good buddies party together was part of the appeal of the VH machine. Eddie was the happiest, coolest guitar player around. (must have been the coke) and Dave was the coolest, hippest front man around (must have been the coke). To find out how they treat each other is pretty eye opening.
Was it all an act back in 1984? Did these guys always hate each other? I guess if anything, it just goes to show you that even ones heroes are only human.
Gratuitous Hot Chick
posted by Geeper at 6:00 p.m.
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