1999 Roth Tour announced 10 years ago today...
Ten years ago today, the Diamond One announced to the world that he was going to be kicking off his first tour since his stint in Las Vegas in 1995. It was a tour that DLR fans had waited (in my opinion) way too long for being that it was Dave finally returning to big rock. Like many others on this site, in 1998 I was still reeling about the VH fiasco from two years earlier, and I was just dying for some kind of answer/retaliation from the Roth camp besides one new song on a Best Of compilation and an autobiographical book. Don’t get me wrong, “Don’t Piss Me Off” was cool in its own little way, and I still pick up my hardcover copy of CFTH from my bookshelf and read a chapter here and there. But I’m sorry, I wanted the real deal. I wanted a new, kick-ass album. A full-length album of newly-written, newly-recorded studio songs that would just blow VH away. I say “newly-written” because I didn’t want newly-recorded OLD music (sorry, but I’m now reminded of 2003’s Diamond Dave CD). I just didn’t want that. What’s so wrong about wanting a new album from a musician that you like? Then, when news of two new hard-rocking songs from Roth came (which were rumored, at the time, to be included on a new upcoming full-length album), I jumped (no pun intended) at hearing the samples of them that made their way onto the Internet. It was like my wish came true. I bought the Slam Dunk/King of the Hill CD single as soon as my local record store could order it in, and I salivated from then until the day of the DLR Band album’s release. Bought it in June (the 9th if I remember correctly) when it came out, listened, and wanted more! But then after that, the wait continued and I remember thinking, “Where’s the tour?” I also remember scratching my head and thinking at the time that releasing an album without touring on it was kind of like putting a new engine in a car and then not running the car or cooking food and then not eating it. You get the idea. I waited.
Enter 1999. Long story short, Dave announced on this day in April, when I was finishing up my Junior year in college, that he would be starting a tour in June with his new band: Bart Walsh (Atomic Punks) – Guitar, Todd Jensen – Bass, and Ray Luzier – Drums. I remember thinking: who better to fill EVH’s shoes than an EVH impersonator. Say what you like, but I saw Dave twice on that tour, and those were damn good times (again, no pun intended). I wish they would have played more DLR solo stuff, but I’m certainly not complaining. I got my money’s worth. My only real problem worthy of mention was that I didn’t get chance to see them a third time. Or a tenth time!
Dave played 62 shows (4 shows were cancelled). I don’t know how much money the tour grossed or any figures like that, but if the other 60 shows were anything like the 2 shows I saw, it really didn’t matter if Dave made a single penny. What he earned was something more than any amount of money could get him. He showed the VH camp that he still was “the guy”, regardless of how much the VH camp wanted the world to believe otherwise. Dave kicked ass on that tour…plain & simple. And he did so for one reason: He was a man on a mission. He had something to prove again. And fuckin’ A, he did!
Man, to be able to go back 10 years, especially when that would mean going back to being 21 years old, still in college, and still living the worry-free, care-free, maturity-free, routine-free, responsibility-free, party-hearty college lifestyle (Loooooooong sigh). So, to quote Ric Flair, “I say with a tear in my eye”, this sucks getting fucking older!!!!!
Your thoughts, people?
