A Mission For Some Of You......An Old Yet Intense Request......

[Hardrock69]

So.....VH is now signed to Interscope.

ANY ONE OF YOU WHO HAS CONNECTIONS TO INTERSCOPE NEEDS TO DO THIS FOR ALL OF US......

Please mention to whatever contacts you have that the fans (though ecstatic over the studio album and tour) want some concert DVDs from back in the day!

Warner Bitches did not seem too interested in putting out any live stuff...though it could have been Ed who vetoed that.

BUT.....as they now have a new label....we gots a fresh set of peeps working their record, etc. who might be interested in leaning on Ed to allow some concerts to be sold to us, the General Public Die Hard Motherfucking Van Halen Fans!

Just thought I would throw that out there.

[sadaist]

Do you think the Interscope deal was a 1 album deal? Usually it's for multiples. And if they don't ever record a new material album again we may get live stuff from this tour or perhaps older archive stuff.

[Hardrock69]

Anything is possible. Just that trying to get WB to listen to any of us was a lost cause. And Ed, well....people can change. So we can only hope.

Glad I have my bootlegs, but naturally I want the best quality DVDs of 1978-84 possible.

[TJMKID]

I think Interscope will definitely be interested in maximizing their profits with a 2012 Tour DVD and other such ideas.

However, begging Warner Bros. for copyrights to tour footage from '78-'84 seems like a lost cause. Eddie probably wont push that hard for it --- and I bet WB denies the request simply for being bitter cocksuckers. These Hollywood assholes hold grudges for a LONG time. Plus, they realize putting out DVDs from past tours will usually end up as free downloads on Torrent sites these days --- so profits would be minimal.

Sadly, I think the only way we are ever gonna see old shit like the full '81 Oakland concert is when Eddie dies and Wolfie sues WB for access to the film reels. Could be a 20+ year wait, folks.

[Nigel]

It would have been great to have some of that "old" footage OR even some from 2007-2008
to augment the OK, but lackluster "Downtown Sessions".

Why put 16 minutes worth of acoustic stuff (from a Band who invented full-on heaviness), when we could have had an hour's worth of LIVE material
that would make us salivate even more about the upcoming tour.

[chefcraig]

Why put 16 minutes worth of acoustic stuff (from a Band who invented full-on heaviness), when we could have had an hour's worth of LIVE material
that would make us salivate even more about the upcoming tour.

Probably because of Michael Anthony's presence in the clips. Remember, VH has a peculiar way of dealing with the non-existence of former band members. Hagar joins, all (save one or two) Roth songs are dropped. Hagar quits/is fired, both eras are embraced. Cherone quits/is fired, Hagar returns and all reference to Cherone is ignored. Group reconvenes minus Anthony, and his image is removed from album covers on the band's website and a preposterous video game is introduced depicting Wolfgang Van Halen in outfits depicting the classic years, minus (blessedly and thankfully) any Hagar material.

These guys do not need a publicist, they need a science fiction writer to keep up with things as bothersome as details about their collective past.

[Nigel]

Listen, I get (and don't get) the legalities of older stuff, BUT MA was not part of 2007-2008.

Sometimes I wish I could be marketing guy for Van Halen. As a long time fan, I'd give us what we want!

When we turn 70 years old, it will mean a lot less than it does NOW.

Cheers. Nigel

[chefcraig]

Listen, I get (and don't get) the legalities of older stuff, BUT MA was not part of 2007-2008.

Who said he was? The thrust is that people want classic VH material that may or may not be laying in a vault, in an attic or under a bed gathering dust at Eddie Van Halen's house. We are talking material such as the (as far) mythological Oakland 1981 show which Michael Anthony was a part of. As for the 2007-2008 tour, anyone can find that stuff all over Youtube or on bootlegs for free.

[FORD]

Not sure who would currently own the rights to the video footage. Could be the band, could be WB, could be Interscope (if they purchased the back catalog, as Universal - the parent company - has with other classic artists) Could be other parties, in the case of the 1979 Don Kirshner Rock Concert footage, or whoever the fuck owns Oakland 1981. Does Steve Wozniak own the rights to the US festival, etc.

Ultimately, Van Halen should do what many other classic rock artists have done, and that's work with Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Right now, Eagle Rock's front page features video releases from The Rolling Stones, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, and The Doors, among others. Looks like they are becoming the "go to" company for video archive releases.

[ThatArtGuy]

Considering that Interscope is licensing the music from VH for this record, it seems most of the old fashioned way of doing things have been thrown out the window.

[rocking ron]

And don't forget the 1984 Donington show, we've all seen that 'Hot for Teacher' ( and 'Jump') footage but I'm pretty sure they've filmed the whole show at the time!!!

[VHscraps]

Nope! Unfortunately.

That was filmed as part of a BBC Whistle Test report on Monsters that year. The cameras were only allowed in the photographers 'pit' at the front of the stage, and sidestage for the first ten mins of the VH show - I remember that because someone wrote into the show afterwards and asked if they were gonna show more of Van Halen - they'll have a couple of numbers at most.

[Hummarstra]

Probably because of Michael Anthony's presence in the clips.

bingo.

[chi-town324]

I remember cameras everywhere the 3 shows i went to in 2007-08 where is the footage?

[ZahZoo]

Listen, I get (and don't get) the legalities of older stuff, BUT MA was not part of 2007-2008.

Sometimes I wish I could be marketing guy for Van Halen. As a long time fan, I'd give us what we want!

When we turn 70 years old, it will mean a lot less than it does NOW.

Cheers. Nigel

Correct Mike was not involved in the 2007/2008 tour... but Mike would be due royalty payments if a live DVD or recording from that tour was produced. Same with any classic live shows dating back to the beginning. Also with any future shows with VH material other than from this new album.

Please don't say Mike signed away his rights in 2004. He signed away his rights to the VH name, logos, trademarks, etc... Mike fully retained his song writing, publishing and royalty rights.

Then there's the legal issues with WB. They still own the full VH catalog from 1 thru Best Of Both Worlds. Interscope/UMG did not pick up the back catalog. Then there's who owns the recordings/video from any contracted filimg/recording. So for any classic live material to be released... I think we're back to square 1 with WB and whoever else had their finger in the VH pie.

[Sensible Shoes]

These guys do not need a publicist, they need a science fiction writer to keep up with things as bothersome as details about their collective past.

maybe the guys from "Lost" are available.

[SNIPER]

For now I think I have got my fix. Although "Oakland" boots would be killer I am really fucking happy with the new CD/tour and all of the other goodies we have been getting and a lot more to come I am sure of it. I am cool with the current VH (NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SAY THAT AGAIN) and all the new offerings. ...So I don't need to worry about old live box sets when we have all this killer new shit. ...But if they released it I would buy it tomorrow.

[Hardrock69]

Well, once again, all we can do is wait and hope....