So, I met John 5 last night

[DLR Bridge]

Does John ever bust out any DLR Band riffs at his shows?

[Igosplut]

What the fucks up with that face-painting shit?

[ZahZoo]

What the fucks up with that face-painting shit?

Von has a thing for men in heavy makeup...

[Seshmeister]

Nine fucking years now.

Just ludicrous.

[ZahZoo]

Time keeps marching on... productivity not so much...

[MasonL]

It's really puzzling how Dave works recently. He was trickling out those individual John 5 tracks one at a time, without any kind of endgame to it. Then he releases like 4 re-recordings of old VH tunes for unknown reasons, and has apparently stopped that as well. I just think he does things on a whim without considering what he's going to accomplish with it. That's kind of what plagued his solo career too, he just tried out thing after thing without a real goal. He's like a dog chasing cars.

[Vinnie Velvet]

It's really puzzling how Dave works recently. He was trickling out those individual John 5 tracks one at a time, without any kind of endgame to it. Then he releases like 4 re-recordings of old VH tunes for unknown reasons, and has apparently stopped that as well. I just think he does things on a whim without considering what he's going to accomplish with it. That's kind of what plagued his solo career too, he just tried out thing after thing without a real goal. He's like a dog chasing cars.

I suppose there is little motivation for Dave.

He could resume his solo band he put together for the KISS tour and do festivals. But then again, maybe it goes back to physically he just can't do it anymore. Years of jumping off drum risers, back flips, high kicks have taken their toll.

Hence that retirement announcement. Seemed real.

The re-records and other recent releases he probably thought was just enough to keep himself out there without having to actually perform live.

[Von Halen]

Add? Adhd?

[ZahZoo]

I suspect ADD/ADHD with a heavy case of LSD (Lead Singer Disease)...

For decades, there was the myth that Dave was this highly motivated genius that orchestrated and drove the rise of early Van Halen, the 6-pack era, and then the early phase of his solo career. Maybe he was... or at least he was the lightning bolt in the Cheerios that fueled a part of that greatness.

But... through all that... there was always a manager or management team that kept the impending train wreck on the tracks for the most part. Plus kept the bookings and contractual commitments fulfilled. Although in every case, when Dave lost a management entity... his momentum, productivity and career direction ground to an immediate halt. Then you'd see impulsive sputters and an occasional spark only to be followed by long unproductive periods with dabbling in various hobbies and assorted bullshit.

Dave doesn't need to tour or perform live in order to remain relevant and entertain his millions of fans around the planet. His run with the Roth Show™ was perfect blend of music, fun and creative output that could continue today. Dave could release all kinds of solo work that's sitting in vaults from various phases of his career.

But the heart of the problem here... there's no management, leadership nor a rudder on Dave's ship. Back to my original point... I don't believe Dave was ever the business force he took credit for. Thus the results of what you see today. As with the Van Halens... left to their own motivations and productive abilities... nothin gets done on their own. Sad to see such talent just rotting away with a vast mountain of musical treasures buried and fading away...

[Nitro Express]

I’ve heard several people inside the VH camp say it was Alex who was really the business manager of Van Halen. I’ve seen old business cards that said contact Alex Van Halen on them. These were cards the band would hand out to get bookings or to get hired for a party. Of course Warner Brothers became the real boss after they got signed and Noel Monk was hoping to manage the band to a big fortune.

Roth was an asset in the beginning. The band got PA equipment, Roth’s dad’s basement to practice in, financial and management support from Dr. Roth. Dave wrote good lyrics, was great up front and a good funny interview. Dave had issues with hyperactivity and probably attention deficit disorder. Add in drugs and ego and not a good mix. Van Halen self-destructed. That’s the truth of it. Dave was great on MTV and had a short MTV career but then Nirvana and Guns & Roses nailed the coffin shut on him. The spandex king of big hair lost his kingdom. MTV became a reality show.

[Nitro Express]

Dave could be bi-polar. Several people said you didn’t know what Dave you were going to get. The nice guy or the crazed asshole. A telling sign Dave has problems is he’s a loner. All his so called friends seem to be business relationships. The guy lives alone. Claims he likes it that way but I think he might just be miserable to be around.

[Nitro Express]

Well Van Halen was exciting but it’s gone now. Nice memories.

[Nitro Express]

Maybe the unsung hero of VH’s rise is Dr. Nathan Roth. He gave that band a lot of support in the early days. From what I’ve heard, Dr. Roth was a pretty good guy. He did Dr’s Without Borders and made his medical expertises available to people who couldn’t afford it. Dealing with Dave the man would have to have the patience of a saint.

[Nitro Express]

Agreed. Dave is not a good self-manager. If you know how to deal with him he has the work ethic. Noel Monk knew how to handle Dave and he used Big Ed Anderson to be a personal handler of Dave. That setup worked pretty well but as Noel said, Dave just burnt him out.

[Nitro Express]

Anyways people have waited decades to get more from a very dysfunctional group of people. People are still waiting. They are like Christians waiting for Jesus to return. Ha! Ha!