So, I met John 5 last night

[Nitro Express]

But yeah you do need PT Barnum to organize and manage the freaks or The Greatest Show on Earth doesn’t happen.

[MasonL]

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.

I think Alex was the best business guy in the band, Dave had the willpower and the go get-'em that made VH take off. That much is fact. Monk said as much that he was the leader and steered the band. No, I don't think he was a business genius or some kind of all in one manager/singer/strategist but he had a vision and the persistence and VH wouldn't have made it without him. Case closed.

[Nitro Express]

Dave was a good frontman and spokesperson for the band. The rest of the band aren’t very interesting once they are off the stage. Dave was the guy who did the radio promo and interviews. He was the best in the business at that stuff.

[Vinnie Velvet]

I think you guys are undermining Dave's contribution to the band. He clearly was the driving force in the early days before they got signed. This is all in that VH Rising book.
If left up to Ed and Al, they'd be stuck in a club playing Sabbath covers with no record deal.

The whole no brown M and Ms was a quality control measure - all orchestrated by Dave. Ed and Al would've never have thought of that.

[ZahZoo]

You're right VV... although that was 44+ fucking years ago.

I was appreciative back then and enthusiastic. At this phase I think it's fair to say... What have you done for us lately?

[Nitro Express]

You're right VV... although that was 44+ fucking years ago.

I was appreciative back then and enthusiastic. At this phase I think it's fair to say... What have you done for us lately?

You have to stay in the game. I find the most successful long term acts have a bit of humility to them. They aren’t beating their chest saying I’m the best and they appreciate their fans and interact with them and give or share some fun stuff with them. It’s called keeping it real. If anything let your fans know you are still alive and really some honesty doesn’t hurt. If things are delayed for a while let the fans know.

[Nitro Express]

Wolfgang said Alex’s thinking was don’t interact with the fans unless something is coming out. That’s what VH did. They would hide in a hole until the next project needed to be promoted.

[ZahZoo]

Interaction is nice... but honestly that's not where my interests are at all.

For me, it all started with the music... the primal heartbeat of the drums... the sonic compression waves of the bass assaulting my gut... the 128th note guitar hooks that energized my brain with catchy melodies... and the swashbuckling story telling in the lyrics... That shit is what got me in the door!

The circus clown show of the band's personalities and shenanigans was entertaining back in the day. But hey... we're old men now not 14 year old's impressed with jackass slapstick.

Gimme something to tap my toe and sing along... it's that fucking simple.

[Terry]

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'd say his solo career post-DLR Band album has been a bit like that for me, in that what he has done since 1998 seems a bit slapdash or aimless.

Dunno if it's because Dave is financially solvent to the point where he doesn't have to do the album/tour cycle, or maybe he realized as far back as YFLM that his commercial zenith was behind him, thus why bother putting 1000% into a solo career when the public interest is no longer there.

[Terry]

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!

Shit, the summer of 1996 after news of Dave being in the studio with the band leaked out, I was hoping for the Second Coming!

[Nitro Express]

Shit, the summer of 1996 after news of Dave being in the studio with the band leaked out, I was hoping for the Second Coming!

Instead of the messiah we got a false prophet.

[Nitro Express]

Interaction is nice... but honestly that's not where my interests are at all.

For me, it all started with the music... the primal heartbeat of the drums... the sonic compression waves of the bass assaulting my gut... the 128th note guitar hooks that energized my brain with catchy melodies... and the swashbuckling story telling in the lyrics... That shit is what got me in the door!

The circus clown show of the band's personalities and shenanigans was entertaining back in the day. But hey... we're old men now not 14 year old's impressed with jackass slapstick.

Gimme something to tap my toe and sing along... it's that fucking simple.

Well the chief architect of the sonic magic had his ashes dumped into the Pacific Ocean two years ago. The clown is still around but not seen much. If the occasional wierd art project floats your boat that’s basically what’s still on the menu.

[Nitro Express]

If you are into Sammy Hagar he’s everywhere. He won’t go away. One reason I think we might be living in Hell right now.

[Nitro Express]

I keep Van Halen in the cellar and enjoy it like a fine wine. I fire up my tube powered McIntosh audio equipment. Carefully pull an original VH LP from its paper protective jacket. Put it on my awesome Bang Olufsen turntable and listen to the magic come through six foot tall 60’s vintage electrostatic speakers.