Official 2/20 Auburn Hills Meetup/Review Thread

[Seshmeister]

[guwapo_rocker]

I'll Wait:

[Va Beach VH Fan]

http://www.freep.com/article/2012022...-at-the-Palace

Van Halen rocks like old times at the Palace
February 21, 2012 | 3 Comments

By Brian McCollum

David Lee Roth had the big kicks, Eddie Van Halen had the hot licks, and a sold-out crowd at the Palace of Auburn Hills got its fill of good-time rock ‘n’ roll Monday night.

Dropping by metro Detroit for the first time since its 2007 reunion tour, Van Halen arrived with two hours of vintage hard-rock hits and a serving of material from the new “A Different Kind of Truth.”

Show officials declined to release attendance numbers, but the multigenerational crowd appeared on par with previous Palace audiences in the 15,000 range.

If it often had the feel of an early tour stop by a band still working into its groove – well, that’s exactly what it was. The Palace was night two on a lengthy U.S. tour that started Saturday night, and there were moments – like a shaky “I’ll Wait” – when the kinks were apparent.

Still, a twirling, wiggling front man Roth and the squalling guitar fire of Eddie Van Halen offered ample party energy as the band chugged through songs such as “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “(Oh) Pretty Woman” and “Panama.”

The ’07 tour had been attended by a sense of mystery, a venture into the unknown, as Roth linked back up with his old band mates for the first time in two decades. Monday night felt more like a comfy night with old friends. The interplay between Roth and Eddie Van Halen seemed natural and good-spirited, the roles easy and unforced.

The guitarist largely kept to his station at stage left, occasionally joined at the mic by his son, bassist Wolfgang Van Halen. It was, as always, his show when he wanted it to be, whether sending squalls of sonic fire rolling through “Unchained,” or standing among billowing smoke as he masterfully crafted the multicolored solo that became “Eruption.”

Wolfgang — who had just hit driving age the last time the band rolled through town — showed a cool but unobtrusive poise as he locked in with his uncle Alex Van Halen on drums.

It was clear no one remains more charged by this latest Van Halen chapter than Roth, who was at his showy, schmaltzy best as he worked through a series of sparkly outfits, hamming it up and giving his speak-singing baritone its best go.

An abundance of black T-shirts, a few headbands and a jammed smoking patio before the show gave the night an ’80s throwback vibe on a low-key Monday night. And while the crowd was game for new tunes like “Tattoo” and “She’s the Woman,” have no doubt: It was the classic fare these fans had come to hear, and it was left to numbers such as “Everybody Wants Some” and “Hot For Teacher” to draw the pumping fists.

After a flat reception for the new “The Trouble With Never,” Roth gently mocked the crowd as the band kicked into the old hit “Dance the Night Away."

“Well, I know this song!” he said playfully. “It’s one of my favorites!”

[Va Beach VH Fan]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...CFRONTPAGE%7Cp

Van Halen proves they still got it at Palace show
BY ADAM GRAHAM DETROIT NEWS POP MUSIC WRITER 2 COMMENTS

When Van Halen hit the road in 2007, the excitement was in seeing the band back together with lead singer David Lee Roth for the first time in more than 20 years.

But that's the thing about reunion tours: you can only do them once. So now, five years later as Van Halen hits the road again, is the magic still there?

Monday night at a sold-out Palace of Auburn Hills, Van Halen -- back with Roth in the driver's seat and supporting the recently released "A Different Kind of Truth" -- proved it can still kickstart a party. The group still sounds as powerful as it did in the '70s, the '80s, the '90s and even on that '07 tour, and it's a safe bet that if Van Halen makes it to the '20s, it will still sound just as huge.

That doesn't mean there weren't some kinks to work out. Monday's show was only the second date on the group's 2012 tour, and it sometimes played like rehearsal for the opening show. Video screens malfunctioned early on, and Roth openly chided the screen's operators, comparing them to "the guys working the spotlights at Pearl Harbor." After introducing the new song "China Town," a beat passed and Roth asked, "that's the right song, isn't it?" During "Pretty Woman," Roth asked the lighting guys to turn off the lights behind the massive video screen, in the middle of the song's chorus. And late in the show, Roth nearly lost his footing after hitting one of his patented roundhouse kicks.

Those were the rough spots. But you don't go to a Van Halen show for technical perfection, you go for the vibe, and Monday's show had a hard-partying crowd in high spirits. The band stormed the stage to the opening sounds of "You Really Got Me" and immediately kicked into high gear, with Roth spinning some sort of ninja stick like a baton twirler on a caffeine binge. The stage was a bare bones set-up with Alex Van Halen's drums atop a small set of stairs and a gargantuan video screen anchoring the set, and it gave David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen and bassist Wolfgang Van Halen plenty of room to roam free. Wolfgang seemed much more comfortable and confident on stage than he did on the last tour, and Eddie could still move mountains with his guitarwork, though his mobility has been limited since even the last tour (and this time around, he kept his shirt on). Despite all that, the night was really all about Roth.

Roth isn't so much a frontman or a lead singer as he is a master of ceremonies; he's a rock star, a game show host and a circus ringleader all in one. Working his own dancefloor in the center of the stage, he kicked, shimmied, salsa danced, did karate and performed any other kinds of moves he could think of, all while wearing the world's biggest grin across his face. He's as expressive as a silent film actor and he's got charisma by the caseload, and that's not ever likely to change. He's a treat to watch.

That wasn't enough to stop the show from dipping in its flabby midsection, following Alex Van Halen's Caribbean-flavored drum solo and the show's fourth new song, the sloppy "Trouble With Never." And a catwalk that extended into the crowd was woefully underused, with Roth only venturing out onto it once late into the show before quickly making his way back to the stage.

The classics still roared with that timeless Van Halen sound though, with "Hot For Teacher," "Beautiful Girls," "Panama" and "Dance the Night Away" recalling the band's heyday. And Eddie's late-show solo was on a level of technical mastery that was befuddling.

However, the No. 1 thing Van Halen has going for it in 2012 is it's still Van Halen, and it turns out that still carries a lot of weight.

In an inspired pairing, Kool and the Gang opened Monday's show, and set the evening's tone early on with a hits-packed 50-minute set that had the crowd grooving as it got situated for the evening.

[Zing!]

Did your computer see Van Halen back in the day?

My computer sees Van Halen back in the day every day.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

[chi-town324]

glad to read such great reviews

[Von Halen]

Magic!

That's the best word I can use to describe the show. Great setlist. Great performances.

Edward Van Halen - Still a rock guitar fucking God!

Wolfgang Van Halen - Definitely coming into his own, and very comfortable playing anything from the past or the present.

Alex Van Halen - Is a drum solo a drum solo when Alex fucking Van Halen is playing it, or what?

Diamond Dave - The greatest fucking front man in the history of rock and roll.

Girl Gone Bad? Are you fucking kidding me? Wow!

I of course took some pics, but will have to get them downloaded later to see how or if they turned out. I didn't take many, as I just wanted to soak in the performances.

[DONNIEP]

Did your computer see Van Halen back in the day?

Nope, I just posted in the wrong thread...I blame the alcohol

[Seshmeister]

http://www.freep.com/article/2012022...-at-the-palace

#gnash !

[TJMKID]

I still can't find "Girl Gone Bad" from the Palace show on YouTube ---- someone had to record that ---- PLEASE POST IT ASAP !!!

[MUSICMANN]

I keep reading about how some of you are a bit disappointed in Dave's vocals. Let's all remember that this is not a autotuned pop band. lt's perfectly ok to hit a flat note or sing out of key sometimes, makes Dave human and real. VH has always been about the, in the moment over the top kick you in the teeth type of show. The band is playing tight and Dave is doing what he does best. I can guarantee that back in the day Dave didn't hit every note and the band didn't play as tight every night. We live in such a digital and to the minute world now, if it would have been like that back in the day VH or any band would have never been able to survive for any amount of time. I say, go to the shows or if you can't watch video's and just sit back and take in the raw and realness that this band is bringing and have brought for many years.

[FALCO]

I keep reading about how some of you are a bit disappointed in Dave's vocals. Let's all remember that this is not a autotuned pop band. lt's perfectly ok to hit a flat note or sing out of key sometimes, makes Dave human and real. VH has always been about the, in the moment over the top kick you in the teeth type of show. The band is playing tight and Dave is doing what he does best. I can guarantee that back in the day Dave didn't hit every note and the band didn't play as tight every night. We live in such a digital and to the minute world now, if it would have been like that back in the day VH or any band would have never been able to survive for any amount of time. I say, go to the shows or if you can't watch video's and just sit back and take in the raw and realness that this band is bringing and have brought for many years.

With all due RESPECT ( and I mean that... I'm not one of the serial flamers here) I totally agree with part of that statement... hitting a bum note or out of key once in a while of course happens (been singing for 29 years, happens lol) ...
However, the problem here is Dave is completely changing the melody lines and singing in a register that the songs were NEVER in (a HIGHER ONE???) ... combined that with the fact that quite honestly he CANNOT even hit that range, is I am sure what is driving many of us Rothtards crazy...
AND as I have mentioned on a different thread... while Dave may not have "performed" every song the way they were recorded back "in the day", he still "sang" them in the proper key and he sounded good, whether it was just a "whooo" or a mumble of a verse...

What he is doing now is just, for me, UNEXPLAINABLE... I want Dave to the MAN up there... and this is not him being that (on some songs... others he is in control and sounds ok) ...

I don't feel I am "hating" because I am NOT a Ronald McDonald fan... it's Dave or Grave... but I can be objective and know what I am hearing...

He needs to keep the mid range swagger and stop straining... because he may not make it through the tour if he keeps doing that... just sounds like there is more going on with his voice than meets the eye...

Obviously still looking forward to seeing them live in April, but just being honest about what I'm vibing on...

\m/ \m/

[Jagermeister]

Magic!

That's the best word I can use to describe the show. Great setlist. Great performances.

Edward Van Halen - Still a rock guitar fucking God!

Wolfgang Van Halen - Definitely coming into his own, and very comfortable playing anything from the past or the present.

Alex Van Halen - Is a drum solo a drum solo when Alex fucking Van Halen is playing it, or what?

Diamond Dave - The greatest fucking front man in the history of rock and roll.

Girl Gone Bad? Are you fucking kidding me? Wow!

I of course took some pics, but will have to get them downloaded later to see how or if they turned out. I didn't take many, as I just wanted to soak in the performances.

Right On!

[So this is love]

MusicMann and Falco... You are both right, and this ain`t the `80s anymore and they were never perfect in the first place, if you want perfection listen to the record and if you want to party just go to the show, I am spending my hard earned money on both and its my choice, you will never see me at a Madonna concert. I live with the flaws and this world isn`t perfect, enjoy VH live as it might be the last time you see them as it is.

[ELVIS]

Maybe Dave is trying to get his scream to emerge...

[Jagermeister]

Maybe Dave is trying to get his scream to emerge...

I think you people are picking fly shit out of pepper. Dave use to forget the words to songs back in the day.

[Matt White]

Maybe he's hoping if he sings a bit "off" that GHEY closeted van haggis fans will piss & moan...and stay home listening to "Love Comes Walking IN" and "Ooooh" and "ahhhh" to the pristine vocals and brilliant background vocals..................

Fucking Hair farmers........................................... ...............................

[Seshmeister]

It's the difference between a bunch of 40 somethings quietly watching songs on YouTube at work and misremembering what it sounded like 25 years ago when they were at a gig wasted at 120 decibels.

[Seshmeister]

A reminder until last nights version appears...

[FALCO]

I think you people are picking fly shit out of pepper. Dave use to forget the words to songs back in the day.

I think everyone is missing the point... but it is a waste of time to try to discuss it I guess... has nothing to do with that... Dave always had his schtick and it is great...

It's the difference between him singing the song in the actual register it was recorded in and sounding like a cat stuck in a fan belt for no apparent reason...

I can be objective and say when Dave sounds great and I can say when he doesn't... I think he doesn't on alot of the stuff I am hearing...

To each their own...

[SNIPER]

I have been learning the GGB tabs for the last couple hours. I am gonna push my band tonight to learn a thrash re-make version of it to put in our set. Haha!!!! I got the GGB fever going on!!!

[ELVIS]

What does FALCO mean anyway...

Fat Ass Loser Casting Opinions ??

Faggot Ass Licker Can't Orgasm ??

1-800 Tell us, dickhead...

[MUSICMANN]

I think everyone is missing the point... but it is a waste of time to try to discuss it I guess... has nothing to do with that... Dave always had his schtick and it is great...

It's the difference between him singing the song in the actual register it was recorded in and sounding like a cat stuck in a fan belt for no apparent reason...

I can be objective and say when Dave sounds great and I can say when he doesn't... I think he doesn't on alot of the stuff I am hearing...




To each their own...

I get what you're saying. It does seem that Dave is getting caught up in the moment on some songs and pushes his vocals into a range that he just can't hit. I wouldn't let it put you off. Just sit back and enjoy the show

[ELVIS]

Thrash is so 1991

[FALCO]

What does FALCO mean anyway...

Fat Ass Loser Casting Opinions ??

Faggot Ass Licker Can't Orgasm ??

1-800 Tell us, dickhead...

Really??? It's my name... sorry ELVIS... I try to be respectful when I post, regardless of whether I agree with someone or they agree with me...

So I respectfully say go fuck yourself douchebag fuck...

Fucking sheep...

[Jagermeister]

What does FALCO mean anyway...

Fat Ass Loser Casting Opinions ??

Faggot Ass Licker Can't Orgasm ??

1-800 Tell us, dickhead...

Damn. That wasn't very nice.

[Jagermeister]

Really??? It's my name... sorry ELVIS... I try to be respectful when I post, regardless of whether I agree with someone or they agree with me...

So I respectfully say go fuck yourself douchebag fuck...

Fucking sheep...

That a boy.

[vandeleur]

I have been learning the GGB tabs for the last couple hours. I am gonna push my band tonight to learn a thrash re-make version of it to put in our set. Haha!!!! I got the GGB fever going on!!!

shit that tune never sounds right every couple of years i try and nail it ...

[RealTwisted]

David Lee Roth was never known as a great singer... but as the perfect frontman for Van Halen. Van Halen would not sound right with a singer that hits every note, they need it to have rough edges, which is what Van Halen is about. As someone said earlier, if you want it polished, listen to the record... but Rock'n'Roll was never meant to be polished live, which is why I love live versions of songs. Dave's voice is the perfect compliment to Eddie's mastery and Alex's thunder. Missing notes and forgetting words have always been part of the show. I remember at the US Festival him screaming out "I forgot the fucken words!!!!!" Dave is great because he brings so much to the show without being steller voice.

[ELVIS]

Fucking sheep...

I take offense to that !!

Your fucking name is FALCO ??

WTF, was Draton Dartmouth Lashaun III already taken ??


BTW, don't take me so seriously...

[Seshmeister]

Ooof!

Dave nearly lost it there...

[SNIPER]

Thrash is so 1991

Naw, It's more like 1986

[chefcraig]

I still can't find "Girl Gone Bad" from the Palace show on YouTube ---- someone had to record that ---- PLEASE POST IT ASAP !!!

This showed up in the last half hour. Yes, it's short and like bread and water to a starving man, but it certainly whets the appetite for the full versions that are bound to show up sooner or later.

[Jagermeister]

I take offense to that !!

Your fucking name is FALCO ??

WTF, was Draton Dartmouth Lashaun III already taken ??


BTW, don't take me so seriously...

Yeah chill out WHACO. Don't be so thin skinned dude.

[Guitar Shark]

With all due RESPECT ( and I mean that... I'm not one of the serial flamers here) I totally agree with part of that statement... hitting a bum note or out of key once in a while of course happens (been singing for 29 years, happens lol) ...
However, the problem here is Dave is completely changing the melody lines and singing in a register that the songs were NEVER in (a HIGHER ONE???) ... combined that with the fact that quite honestly he CANNOT even hit that range, is I am sure what is driving many of us Rothtards crazy...
AND as I have mentioned on a different thread... while Dave may not have "performed" every song the way they were recorded back "in the day", he still "sang" them in the proper key and he sounded good, whether it was just a "whooo" or a mumble of a verse...

What he is doing now is just, for me, UNEXPLAINABLE... I want Dave to the MAN up there... and this is not him being that (on some songs... others he is in control and sounds ok) ...

I don't feel I am "hating" because I am NOT a Ronald McDonald fan... it's Dave or Grave... but I can be objective and know what I am hearing...

He needs to keep the mid range swagger and stop straining... because he may not make it through the tour if he keeps doing that... just sounds like there is more going on with his voice than meets the eye...

Obviously still looking forward to seeing them live in April, but just being honest about what I'm vibing on...

\m/ \m/

I've noticed this on some of the videos too... Dave's vocal range just isn't what it used to be. It's to be expected of a 57 year old, and not a big deal to me. If he tries to overcompensate by singing in a strange, unnatural manner, that's a problem.

[SNIPER]

shit that tune never sounds right every couple of years i try and nail it ...

I am reworking it a full step down and with a drop C. Gonna have a chunky grind to it.

[Jagermeister]

Ooof!

Dave nearly lost it there...

No shit. I have a bad feeling about that wood. One other thing. Where are the monitors at? How the fuck can they hear what they are playing?

[SNIPER]

It's a good thing I have no day job.

[SNIPER]

No shit. I have a bad feeling about that wood. One other thing. Where are the monitors at? How the fuck can they hear what they are playing?

In their ears.