read this!

[MUSICMANN]

You guys know my feelings about this tour. I can't stand Sammy and i truly think that ED and Al made the biggest mistake in their life in what 96 and their second right before this tour thing started happening, not to get dave back and truly give us fans what we deserve. on that note though, i downloaded the dvd of the St. Louis show on 7/29/04. I wanted to see for myself, if everthing was true about the shows. I can honestly say that ED, Al and Mike never played better. Ed was right on the money from the beggining to the end. Now let me tell you guys this, i love the internet and hate it also. If a few people put out that these guys were playing like shit, if you hear that enough times everyone starts to believe it. Well i am no differant. I to am reading about how Ed can't play and that the music is just horrible, but what i saw, was that those guys can still deliver the goods live. Now i have been flamed for my love for Vh these days, VH as in just Ed,Al and mike. , I've been called a sheep, stupid motherfucker and all kinds of shit buy newbies and mods alike, but i tell you now, if your opinion of the way these guys are playing is solely based on that 20 second clip of the dress rehersal and the RWTD clip, then your not getting the whole picture. I knew i was never going to go see those guys live again if Dave is not there, and that was the reason for the download. Now don't get me wrong, Ed And those guys are not the same as they were when they were in their 20's, and the show does lack that total production they once were admired for. It just seems that they are having fun and goofing around alot on stage. Having all that fun with Sammy is fucked up to see, and ashame, but even through all that, they can still rock their ass off, and Ed can still play all the old tunes perfect. All i say is, if you will or never go see these guys play on this tour, don't judge them until you atleast watch a dvd of one of their shows. Then and only then can you have a truthful opinion on these guys.

[scorpioboy33]

i seen vh in 84 in to and van Hagar this year...huge different..but was a pretty good show.....sammy's way agrivating though

[DLRdelight!]

I know what you mean, i went to the first los angelas show because it is probably the only time i would get to see Ed, ho is like my idol in guitar. I did not go for sam but i went for the 3 originals. And man was it a full on attack of a show, ed was all over the place, i wrote a thread about it called "please dont call me a sheep" because i aint no fuckin sheep. I am 16 n this was the only chance that i would prob get to see my favorite band( roth era) and just went for the three not spammy. Maybe i will get lucky n see dave some day or even with the old band again(ed, al, mike).

[MUSICMANN]

Now i don't mean loving or even having to stand to listen to those Van Hagar songs, i just mean the way those boys can still deliver the goods live.

[scorpioboy33]

but I really don't feel like I saw Van Halen this year...just a good guitar player fronting a band with a clown singing..but yah...it was fun.....but the real show is nov. 4 ...DLR :!

[scorpioboy33]

but Im glad you guys dug it

[MUSICMANN]

Don't get me wrong, I seen Vh 3 times in my life, 84 and 2 other times with Sammy. I didn't say i liked it, i just was saying how so many people have a horrible perception of the way Ed, AL amd Mike are playing live these days, and how they could not hold up on a real reunion with Dave is bullshit.

[scorpioboy33]

i hear yah..it's just that there truly dick heads who kinda killed the good memory of the band...so I would hope dave wouldn't go back...but than again..who the fuck knows.....

[Nitro Express]

I went to the San Jose show and it was a discrace. Eddie played horribly and was in his own little world the whole night.

[bueno bob]

Well, here's the thing about gigging...you're either right on the money or you're way the fuck off. Especially with Van Halen. There never seems to be any sort of in-between with them. Generally speaking, I have been unfortunate enough to see Van Hagar twice and while they appeared to be playing their hearts out and trying to pull it all off, both times (F.U.C.K. and the '93 tour) they seemed a bit disjointed and it lagged and often times seemed like it had no direction (mostly, these are during the Hagar rants about whatever fucking alien topic he decides to speak of at the time).

I don't think it's just the internet, either...newspaper reviewers are giving this thing thumbs down across the board...and I'm sorry, but any Van Halen concert that ends with When it's Love or Right Now ends BADLY.

Individual opinions can and will vary, but I've seen a few of the boots from this tour and haven't been impressed with anything yet. They seem off in their own little worlds and Ed's performance has been shipshod (at worst) or uneven (at best).

I am hoping, somewhere against all odds, I guess, that this really IS a warmup tour for the DLR reunion (of course, I don't really believe this and 89% of me doesn't want to see that happen anymore, either). If that's the case, then maybe your positive outlook on their performance could bode well for the future.

But I ain't holding my breath, you know.

[ELVIS]

I've listened to boots from this tour and I think it totally SUCKS!

Fuck you internet sympathizers!

I know what the fuck I'm hearing!

I don't need it spelled out to me...

[WARF]

Glad to see you survived the hurricane ELVIS!

[Panamark]

Originally posted by ELVIS
I've listened to boots from this tour and I think it totally SUCKS!

Fuck you internet sympathizers!

I know what the fuck I'm hearing!

I don't need it spelled out to me...

Mate, you nailed it. Especially Runnin with the Devil and Unchained,
Ed seems to have forgotten these two ..

even, Aint talkin bout love (admittedly Spammys fault)

I cant really comment on the Van Hagar songs. They sound terrible
straight off the album...

[EbDawson]

Maybe they're "on" some nights. But one look at that god-awful, shitty setlist did it for me. And having Spam sing Unchained is downright blasphemous. Not to mention Ed dresses like a wino. (why not?) $95 for that?

Nah, I'll stick with the Atomic Punks.

[Hummarstra]

I think some of us listen more critically than others - especially if you're a guitar player who has studied Ed's playing. I saw this tour and Ed played sloppy - period. He may have played better at other gigs but, the difference is light years from where he was even in the nineties. I saw VHagar in the 90's and THEY PLAYED FLAWLESSLY the night I saw them. But, this last show was shit.

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by Hummarstra
I think some of us listen more critically than others - especially if you're a guitar player who has studied Ed's playing. I saw this tour and Ed played sloppy - period. He may have played better at other gigs but, the difference is light years from where he was even in the nineties. I saw VHagar in the 90's and THEY PLAYED FLAWLESSLY the night I saw them. But, this last show was shit.

Like I said, opinions are going to vary, and when you're playing live, it can often times go either way...particularly when you're in a band like Van Halen, and playing live isn't "fun" anymore, it's "business" (Mike's own words from a '91 interview).

[Panamark]

I also believe a lot of the Hagar sheep dont pay as much attention
to detail, with Ed's classic guitar work. Hell, those cats find Sammy's
lyrics stimulating.. Theres no way they could reach the depths of
the song where individual notes are distinguished..

I think if it sounds thereabouts, the Sheep are like "EDDIE IS THE
KING MAN" SAMMY RULES"

You know its the truth...

[Matt White]

Yup, I've heard the boots and seen the footage from this tour, and it SUCKS!!! You can try and dress it up as much as you want, but it STILL sounds like SHIT!!! NO amount of rationalization by ANYONE is gonna change my mind. I have played guitar LONG enough and studied EVH's style LONG enough to know when he is ON and OFF. Everything I've heard from this tour is WAY OFF!!!
If you enjoyed it, more power to you. I HATE Van Hagar!!! The SISTERS are DEAD to me. I will only go see them with DAVID LEE ROTH. FUCK THEM!!!!

DAVE OR THE GRAVE BABY!!!

[ELVIS]

I saw Van Hagar twice...

I enjoyed it...

It was very very polished with a great loud live sound...

Even then, Edward wasn't what he was when Dave was around....

This new shit is embarrassing in comparison...

[Matt White]

A WISE WOMAN once said "You can put a racing harness on a mule, but everybody will know IT'S STILL A MULE."


FUCK YOU Van Hagar!!!!

[tjvhou812]

does it seem cold in here to you

[MAX]

Ahhhhhh...... The '88 Tour....

That was a stellar show!

TJ,

Something like that would make a stellar avatar!!!! Get to work and dump the one you have. C'mon bro, we just parolled you? Don't make us look bad?

[chefcraig]

Man...there are so many of you folk I'd like to quote and agree with, yet I edit like old people fuck.

Being someone who actually put in work hours to pay for a ticket to the VH show here in Ft. Lauderdale ( for 87 dollars and fifty cents...we will get back to that)...you honestly want to know what hurt me most?

Disappointment.

I really, truly disbelieve this "You had to see them at (fill in the blank)"
.

I guess I was looking in the wrong place for fullfillment...and that truly is my fault.

I was not looking for transcendance...I just wanted to smile.



TO DOWNLOADERS:

Save your time dowloading boots from this tour...

Dave Roth once said, to the effect: "Hey, they can't all be jems."

Well...IMO, good luck finding any.


Again, IMHO.

And about that $87.50...can anyone (besides me) calculate how much beer, steak, ribs or seafood (including lobster, clams, mussels, oysters...ect.) that money could have been used upon?

...craig

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by c.craig

And about that $87.50...can anyone (besides me) calculate how much beer, steak, ribs or seafood (including lobster, clams, mussels, oysters...ect.) that money could have been used upon?

...craig

Definitely would've financed several trips to Hooters!

[guwapo_rocker]

Watch the New Jersey boot, iti is truly pathetic.

[Rikk]

Originally posted by tjvhou812
does it seem cold in here to you

What's there to do tonight...anything?

[Rikk]

Originally posted by guwapo_rocker
Watch the New Jersey boot, iti is truly pathetic.

I downloaded and burned the New Jersey boot (BitTorrent)...pure curiousity. DVDs cost me about a dollar now, so it was no chore. Anyway, it was a monstrosity. I sat and watched 10 minutes of it and then (I kid you not) threw the DVD in the garbage. It was awful. The band was lame, Ed did NOT play very well...but Sam was the worst. His singing on even his new songs was piss-poor, and the performance of UNCHAINED I sat through made Gary Cherone look like Dave in 1979.

This tour is a joke. The band knows they can't do this again.

[Rikk]

POOP BOY...we want to parole you! Change the avatar!

[VH LINKS SUCKS]

Originally posted by ELVIS
I've listened to boots from this tour and I think it totally SUCKS!

Fuck you internet sympathizers!

I know what the fuck I'm hearing!

I don't need it spelled out to me...

I agree with you that the live tracks sound like SHIT! Spam sucks the big one on this tour!

[moose]

Originally posted by Rikk
What's there to do tonight...anything?

Gimme another cigarette!

[Terry]

Yeah, but they're mostly playing Van Hagar tunes, and the few classic tunes they are playing have Red Tubs on vocals.

How can the music being played by this lineup on this tour be described as "delivering the goods", regardless of how well they play it?

When Dave's back on board, Ed's back on form, and I mean 100%, and they're serving up the classic catalog large and exclusive-like, THEN you can come here and say that Van Halen are "delivering the goods", cause there aint nothing good about Van Hagar music to deliver.

[MUSICMANN]

To me it really doesn't matter if they are playing the classic stuff, Van Hagar stuff or playing a tribute to the beatles, they still have the goods live. And your right, no matter how well they play, the sammy era stuff just doesn't cut it.

[BIG GOOSE]

Originally posted by Matt White
A WISE WOMAN once said "You can put a racing harness on a mule, but everybody will know IT'S STILL A MULE."


FUCK YOU Van Hagar!!!!

[Terry]

Originally posted by MUSICMANN
To me it really doesn't matter if they are playing the classic stuff, Van Hagar stuff or playing a tribute to the beatles, they still have the goods live. And your right, no matter how well they play, the sammy era stuff just doesn't cut it.

Not to split hairs, but this year's model can play any Van Hagar song live flawlessly, and it still won't stack up to classic Halen live. Content is a factor.

Have no doubt Ed, Al and Mike still have the technical ability to play the classical stuff well, but (much like the band itself) it's a moot point if Roth's not on board.

[light 'em up!]

The few clips I heard floating around the net sounded like SHIT! Ed's never sounded worse IMO.

I've been playing guitar for over 25 years. Musicians have good days and bad days. Personally, I thinks Ed and Al are in a permaslump.


Fuck 'em. I hate everything they stand for.

[MUSICMANN]

Agree with both of your posts dudes. I didn't think that i would get so much of a reaction by starting this topic. It's just hard for me to always go with the flow of things around here. Sometimes you have to go against the grain and see what happens, thats the way i play guitar and i'm always surprised at the outcome.

[rustoffa]

Originally posted by Terry
How can the music being played by this lineup on this tour be described as "delivering the goods", regardless of how well they play it?

Nice point, and it gave me an idea....

What if they covered "Delivering the Goods" on this tour just to shake up the supposed ever-changing set list a little bit?

Boy, would it be hee-larious!

"Feeling like we're, ready to kick tonight
No hesitating, my bodies aching
Looking for some action, satisfaction all right
Charging, vein faced, as active as one-hundred solid proof
Mega town, Leviathan, we're ready to hit the roof

You better watch out and hold on tight
We're heading your way like dynamite
Delivering the goods
Delivering the goods"

[spmusicplyr]

Originally posted by DLRdelight!
I know what you mean, i went to the first los angelas show because it is probably the only time i would get to see Ed, ho is like my idol in guitar. I did not go for sam but i went for the 3 originals. And man was it a full on attack of a show, ed was all over the place, i wrote a thread about it called "please dont call me a sheep" because i aint no fuckin sheep. I am 16 n this was the only chance that i would prob get to see my favorite band( roth era) and just went for the three not spammy. Maybe i will get lucky n see dave some day or even with the old band again(ed, al, mike).

Hey i was there too. im 19 and i honestly think this would be my only time to see them

[spmusicplyr]

Originally posted by MUSICMANN
i downloaded the dvd of the St. Louis show on 7/29/04. I wanted to see for myself, if everthing was true about the shows. I can honestly say that ED, Al and Mike never played better. Ed was right on the money from the beggining to the end.

Jesus, i dont know what they soundd like on 7/29, but on 8/19 i think they blew.

Eddies guitar was so horrible and drawn out. It wasnt like before where he hit you with all of his solos and then eruption. He was all over the place. I think socalchelle is the only person who liked it.

Their timing was off. They had trouble comming in on the same point, ending on the same point and keeping on tempo as a whole unit.

[MUSICMANN]

Hear you bro, Differant shows i guess. Seems to me that the biggest thing about their playing is their inconsistency. If we could only send back Ronald Mcdonald back to fun land and get Dave back in there, then we could get some real music to talk about.