from the St Paul Newspaper
from the St Paul Newspaper
http://vhfrance.activebb.net/ (1 er Site Francophone sur Van Halen)
http://www.youtube.com/user/VHFranceVideos (Our new Channel)
Great footage !! Its almost like being there ! He He ! Props to their sound man. He knows how to mix these guys. If you see a boot of this show get it. They were on fire.
I thought the show sounded sub-par. It was much better in 2007!
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8...19yc8872wu.jpg
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5...0269il5.th.jpg
Originally posted by fuckhowardstern - dude - you sounded cool as a cucumber - totally relaxed and spoke with authority - must say I was a bit surprised but you sounded really at ease - super cool-like.
Originally posted by DavidLeeNatra - nate, you are the fucking attention whore of the day and you DESERVE it
Originally posted by Jérôme Frenchise - BTW, bravo NATE! Soon Dave will mention the Army by himself!
Originally posted by franksters Have you heard Nate properly, We now moved up to an ''Organisation'' Awesome man!!
Roth army....more than an army....it's a gr8 Organization!!
Originally posted by Northern Girl
Nate, so cool. I'm listening to the Dallas feed, so it'll be coming up in a while. Can't wait!
Was that due to your location in the arena?Originally Posted by NATEDOG001976
Rolling Stone will pic this photo up and say, "Eddie Van Halen's hatred for David Lee Roth came to a head with this on stage punch as brother Alex looked on with an approving smile."
from the St Paul Newspaper
http://www.startribune.com/entertain...152207065.html
Review: Van Halen not yet erupting
Updated: May 20, 2012 - 1:00 PM
Diamond Dave's singing was rough, but the band sounded far from over at Saturday's congenial Xcel Center show.
David Lee Roth and his Van Halen bandmates played to a crowd of 14,000 on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
If dysfunction and infighting were reliable indicators of a band losing its musical chops, then half of the legendary bands out there would be punchlines, and the Dave Matthews Band would be the greatest group in rock.
Saturday's nearly sold-out Van Halen concert at Xcel Energy Center wasn't the Hall of Fame rock band's greatest showing, but it was still a whole amplifier's stack better than what many people expected.
The show arrived on the heels and headlines of the quartet's abrupt cancellation of the final two months of its summer tour. It's not a cliché to suggest that the 14,000 Twin Cities fans could have seen the beginning of the end of Van Halen. Nor is it too trite to suggest that, if true, the band appeared ready to go out on a high note.
OK, so singer David Lee Roth had trouble hitting his high notes. He missed plenty of low and in-between notes, too.
It's hard to say exactly what was going on with ol' Diamond Dave. On one hand, he lazily sang and scatted his way through some songs such as "You Really Got Me" as if he just didn't care -- and he even skipped an entire verse in "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love" near the end of the two-hour set. But he fully invested himself with his usual showman antics throughout the concert, and he actually sounded pretty decent singing more challenging parts in "Panama" and "Oh, Pretty Woman." He sounded winded late in the show, but then he would pull off one of his famous high kicks or sassy-pants dance moves and not look anywhere near his 57 years.
Whatever his problem, Roth's vocal shortcomings were bad enough to perhaps be the true culprit in the tour cancellation, instead of the rumored infighting (the band members remain mum on the matter, and were all-smiles and chummy to each other on stage). His singing wasn't bad enough to derail Saturday's concert, though.
Dave's cocky, hammy character and on-stage antics were always as important to the band as his vocal parts. Those qualities were certainly intact Saturday.
"How old am I?" Roth interjected into "Hot for Teacher." "I made my first sex tape in 1982, that's how!"
The rest of the band sounded as virile as it did in 1982. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen has visibly and audibly bounced back from years of battling alcoholism and cancer. His "Eruption"-fueled solo just before the finale of "Jump" was leaps and bounds better than his last one at Xcel Center in 2004 (the final tour with Sammy Hagar and original bassist Michael Anthony). Eddie's brother Alex was as forceful as ever on drums, too, although his solo weirdly sounded like a Gloria Estefan jam.
Perhaps the most impressive Van Halen of the night was 21-year-old replacement bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son, who understandably looked tentative on his first tour in 2007. Lil' Wolfie had a much bigger presence this time, especially during some of the well-lit songs off the new "A Different Kind of Truth" album, including "Tattoo" and "She's the Woman."
Whatever you thought of the new kid or Roth's vocal dilemma, you have to hand it to Van Halen for sticking to its core-four format -- no backup singers nor hired-gun musicians, augmentations that even the Who, Stones and Eagles all rely on nowadays. Too bad the Van Halen guys just can't seem to get along like those contentious bands somehow do.
Saturday's concert featured the unlikeliest of openers: '70s-'80s R&B/funk stars Kool & the Gang, who played lively renditions of "Celebration," "Get Down on It" and "Ladies Night." Their inclusion on the tour made perfect sense in the end. Even the most hateful headlining band would have been forced into a good mood at the site of an arena full of beer-guzzling, middle- to senior-age blue-collar rock fans dancing to those ubiquitous hits.
See Van Halen's set list at startribune.com/artcetera
chrisr@startribune.com • 612-673-4658 • Twitter: @ChrisRstrib
Eat Us And Smile - The Originals
"I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth
"We are part of the, not just the culture, but the geography. Van Halen music goes along with like fries with the burger." - David Lee Roth
Yeah, Could of been. I was in the upper deck under a overhang, sounded shitty up there.
That was a great moment! Great way to start the show...
from the St Paul Newspaper
Same ole song and dance...
Yup!! Right after the killer jam.
A guy I know was up high and said Daves vocals were muddy up there. That place is known for good sound though. On the floor was clear as hell. Loved the mix.
Last edited by 78/84 guy; 05-20-2012 at 03:07 PM.
I've stayed away from here for the past few months so I wouldn't read all the BS and watch any vids, but I did hear some things about Dave's singing; and I have to agree. I was disappointed and somewhat embarrassed of Dave. His voice is still there (excellent actually), he just isn't singing half the lyrics. He missed more than he sang. Just flat out skipped them or sang them wrong. He was having a hell of a lot of fun though and danced his ass off.
I still enjoyed it thoroughly - just seeing them live and up (fairly) close was worth it for me.
Some of that is true. Thats why I wish he would lose the dance floor ! But Dave has never been one for getting it all perfect. Not his thing. He lives in the moment on stage. And so be it. I think he gets lost in the moment and forgets his spots on some of the verses he mixes up. Fuck it. He is in my top 5 of all time. Why ? Great lyrics and the fucker puts a smile on my face ! I was going to pay as much attention to Ed as I could last night being so close but Dave is hard not to watch !! I put that show in my top 5 of all time. I wouldn't say that about the 07 show. But that was a great show also.
I'll chime in too, I'm a frequent lurker but non-poster. I sat in row one on the section next to Eddie so had a great view of everything going on.
Eddie was phenomenal, I've seen VH five times and this is the best I've ever seen him play. Solos, sound, and effort all were top notch, you couldn't really ask for anything more from him.
Dave's vocals were definitely off at times. There were a few times where his voice was flat to actually off key, I don't think there's any denying it. I didn't think skipping lyrics was a big deal (some of the people I was with didn't like it), because he's been doing that from the beginning. Both of those items being said, Dave more than makes up for any voice weakness with showmanship, personality, and stage presence. To me that's what people love about Dave, and that's why you you can't take your eyes off him when he's onstage.
In terms of not getting along, there was no evidence of it onstage last night. I was at one of the last shows w/Hagar and at that show it was obvious that Eddie and Sammy weren't getting along. After seeing everything up close last night, I'm skeptical that infighting is an issue.
All in all a great show overall, one that I'd gladly pay to see again.
Girl! I missed ya...and I say it like I mean it
Roth Army Icon
First official owner of ADKOT (Deluxe Version)
As I was slightly behind the speakers, my opinion of the sound would probably differ than most - but it sounded great to me. I skipped the earplugs for the first half of the show just so I could soak in the pureness and raw energy of VH's sound - then put them in for the second half just so I could more accurately gauge Ed's playing and Dave's singing. If Ed missed a note, I didn't hear it - he was flawless - even during Cathedral (which honestly put a lump in my throat, it was so beautifully played). I've seen EVH perform 7 times in my life, and that was easily - hands down without question or contest - the best I've ever heard him play... or ANYONE play guitar for that matter. A+ perfect score plus extra credit for his flying Eddie jump after his solo!
Dave, on the other hand, sounded ragged. I didn't really notice him forgetting words or entire verses - or maybe I just didn't care. It's Dave - it's a rock concert - and it honestly didn't bother me (in fact, I thought he did fantastic on some songs, like China Town, getting in as many words as he did!) What pisses me off for those people bagging him, is that in my eyes the man knew his pipes were running at red-line, but he still gave it everything he had to put on the best show he could, making up for his vocal shortcomings by being the hardest working frontman in rock. He was all smiles and seemed absolutely thrilled at the capacity crowd (yes, it seemed capacity to me - not sure how or why it is being called a 'near-sellout'). Perhaps it was the fact that I put in earplugs, but Dave's voice seemed to get hoarse and VERY raspy at the half-way point. Perhaps recordings of this show will bear this out and not just be my beer-soaked interpretation.
In my opinion he made it through the 5/19 show, and who knows how many shows prior to that, by sheer will-power alone. Am I heaping to much super hero praise on the man? Probably. I love Dave to death and want people to appreciate him as much as I do. But I'm also calling it like I see it (or hear it). The fact that he even attempted a couple of screams - during Panama and ATBL I think - amazed me. The tour break HAS to be due to Dave's vocal issues, in my opinion.
Last edited by Zing!; 05-20-2012 at 05:06 PM.
My karma just ran over your dogma.
Hey Zing! Thanks tons for the updates last night....much appreciate!
Told ya I was comin' back... Say you missed me... Say it like ya mean it!
yeah, even Al manages to fake a smile...
You're welcome - but I feel like I totally dropped the ball for you guys. I had the best of intentions to keep you up to speed on the set-list, but once they got to STW, I was in full =VH= mode. Couldn't bring myself to look away from the spectacle and bury my nose in my phone. I did get one vid (Tattoo of all songs!) and I will try to upload some extremely random pics from my day in St. Paul.Hey Zing! Thanks tons for the updates last night....much appreciate!
You did great! Between you and Twitter, we pretty much got the idea of what was happening. We were screaming for a confirmation of Cradle, but I guess you didn't hear us...
David Lee Roth! David Lee Roth! Your Ice Cream Man! The one and only!
Thank you Eddie and Zing.
That actually made me tear up.
Last edited by SunisinuS; 05-20-2012 at 07:17 PM.
Can't Control your Future. Can't Control your Friends. The women start to hike their skirts up. I didn't have a clue. That is when I kinda learned how to smile a lot. One Two Three Fouir fun ter thehr fuur.
Love from Germany! Outstanding!Girl! I missed ya...and I say it like I mean it
I thought the sound was great, but I was dead center on the floor too!
see how they deeply hate each other!
THIS is VH, bitches!!!
Ha ha - you got me. I was so in the moment, it did not register whatsoever that Cradle was an alternate. After seeing them play it in 07 and then again in 08, it just seemed natural that they would play that song now. I did not realize that that was unusual until I got home and checked the Army! I told you I get INTO IT when I'm at a VH show. It's probably only a matter of time until "Idiot Air-Guitaring At Van Halen Show" appears on YouTube...We were screaming for a confirmation of Cradle, but I guess you didn't hear us...
Glad to hear you enjoyed the show! As for Dave's perceived issues, I think that anyone who wants technical perfection should just not bother buying concert tix and just keep listening to the albums.
'Near sell-out?' You be the judge.
This was moments after K&TG left the stage...
Last edited by Zing!; 05-20-2012 at 07:57 PM. Reason: Get down! Get down!
Sure looked capacity to me too! Fantastic crowd! It was a love fest all around. The band has great chemistry, real or imagined
I thought Dave sounded better the second half of the show with the more melodic songs like Pretty Woman. I didn't hear any hoarseness at all. The only thing I noticed was the messed up or lack of lyrics. Didn't bother me so much, but I saw a lot of eye rolling from those around me. Dave's vocals were the strongest part of the 2007 tour, so I know he can do better if he wants to. Maybe he's been reading all the idiot reviews that say he can't jump like 1984 and feels he needs to focus more on the dancing and moves. I disagree, but no one asked me. He was completely entertaining and engaging as always.
Ed was flat out amazing. Nothing else to say!
The people that rag on Dave, I really do not get it at all. And from people at the Army it really confuses me. The man has never been Paul Rodgers live !!! EVER !! Have you followed his career ?? I hate to sound harsh but really ? Like I said up a few posts, Dave lives in the moment on stage. Always has. There was no You Tube videos in 84 after every show to disect. I could do without the dance floor because he might put in more of an effort singing. But the guy can't jump from the drum riser anymore so he is doing something new. It works to a point yes. But sometimes it distracts him from singing. I have seen him sing better for sure. 07 would be the high point. 94 tour the low point. He along with his band were not great. I thought his days were numbered if he was going to keep on the path of Your Filthy Mouth. Thank god Brain Young kicked him in the ass. Or Ed in 96 for that matter. Dave was as good as he could be last night. He isn't stupid. He knows his shortcomings as a singer at this point. If his fans don't realize that he isn't perfect live the really havent watched him over the years.
Last edited by 78/84 guy; 05-20-2012 at 08:07 PM.
Dave is not even perfect on the albums...but that's just PERFECT!
out of thanks...so here is an Amen!
Looks as packed as a can of tuna fish! Kick ass!
Sure wish we could have hooked up for pints Northern Girl and 78/84. I asked several folks with Roth Army shirts their names, hoping they were you guys - but to no avail. Almost everyone I asked said they were members years ago but hadn't checked in here in ages. Many seemed surprised that the Army was still operational. Had a great conversation with a Canuck and his wife outside of Eagles for about a half an hour. Spotted his DLR t-shirt from the ALAE tour - complimented him on his attire. He had a bitchin VH tat on his shoulder - didn't even think to snap a pic of it. Next time we'll be a little more organized...
you gotta love how ed dances after the jam...! tell me these guys don't have fun...
Thank you very much !! Enough said. I think you posted this as I was writing mine. Dave did sound better than the You Tube clips. But hell most of the clips from this show are good. I think Dave talked a little more than some shows this year. It looked like he was having a blast. So did Ed ! That photo from the press says it all !! And I remember watching Ed do it. Very cool.
Hello, I'm Northern Girl, member #200! Thanks so much for telling me all about Dave. I know nothing about him. None of us here do.
No one is expecting him to be perfect, but facts are facts. I know the songs. I know the lyrics and I know what I heard. And NO FUCKING WAY was Dave as good as he could be last night. Now you are the one ragging on him and basically saying subpar is all we can ever expect of him. I don't fucking believe that.
I really was on the lookout for Army shirts. I am suprised I didn't see one. I thought it would be easy to spot you guys. I didn't even think of it in 07. Have to PM our numbers next time out.
Maybe he was getting down with Kool before the show.
How long does it take to recover from vocal cord surgery, 4-6 weeks? I wonder if that would even fix the problem. In fact I wonder why there is a problem. His voice sounded so good in 2007-08 and it's not like he did any touring between the end of that tour and this one.
Great show! I don't know if its the camera footage and how the crowd noise translates, but it seems a little quiet.
Maybe the US venues should import some Canadian brew?
Roth Army Canada
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