Van Halen's Last Show......

[Hardrock69]

I made this video in fall of 2015. Even uploaded links to a 2-DVD set here in this forum a year later.

I had in the meantime remastered it in 1080p. Did not upload it to youtube until August of 2020.

How the fuck was I to know it would wind up being Van Halen's last show? Ironically, I uploaded it to youtube because one day I thought "If I died today, nobody would get to see this in HD on Youtube".

So the very next day I uploaded it. I had no idea that Ed was having health issues, as of course they were keeping it under wraps as much as possible.

6 weeks later, Ed was gone.

The video is now a piece of rock history.

Enjoy it in HD if you have not already.

[Nitro Express]

I saw the last VH tour in the Seattle area. I’ve seen VH live many times but I think Ed played the best that last show I saw him. The guy was solid. He looked happy, healthy and even looked like he was spending some time in the gym. I was shocked hearing Ed had passed. I’m glad he did get himself straightened out and was happy with his family and had a great tour before he went. I’m glad he didn’t go when he was in that awful Smoking Loon meth bum phase. Glad he got out of that and enjoyed a quality life for a bit.

[ZahZoo]

Thank you for sharing this!!

[Seshmeister]

I didn't know that was you that did that Hardrock, I've returned to that show a few times recently Ed was in great form a fitting way to bow out.

How many other rock bands can you think of that still play arenas do it that bare with just guitar, bass drums no backing tracks or gimmicks?

[Kristy]

Enjoy it in HD if you have not already.

Well, I won't be enjoying it in HD or whatever else. Matter of fact, I'm personally going to write a letter to management to complain.

[Seshmeister]

Well, I won't be enjoying it in HD or whatever else. Matter of fact, I'm personally going to write a letter to management to complain.

Of course, forget the music you are just here for the love.

[Terry]

I saw the last VH tour in the Seattle area. I’ve seen VH live many times but I think Ed played the best that last show I saw him. The guy was solid. He looked happy, healthy and even looked like he was spending some time in the gym. I was shocked hearing Ed had passed. I’m glad he did get himself straightened out and was happy with his family and had a great tour before he went. I’m glad he didn’t go when he was in that awful Smoking Loon meth bum phase. Glad he got out of that and enjoyed a quality life for a bit.

The Van Halens - all three of them - were playing very well on that last tour. LOT of deep, DEEP cuts.

I mean, opening up with Light Up The Sky...Drop Dead Legs...Dirty Movies...

I'm kinda wishing these days that I had caught this tour despite the unevenness of Dave's vocals, if only to hear the Van Halens and those deep tracks. But, c'est la vie.

[Nitro Express]

Wolfgang was on his game. Great bass playing and great background vocals. Yeah the band was tight.

[Nitro Express]

Dave’s frontman skills were top notch. Father Time took his voice. He was struggling singing wise but he was Dave and not Sammy thank God. I would take Dave with laryngitis over Sam the ham any day.

[Terry]

Dave’s frontman skills were top notch. Father Time took his voice. He was struggling singing wise but he was Dave and not Sammy thank God. I would take Dave with laryngitis over Sam the ham any day.

To be sure, but is this really the metric of success in terms of how low the bar needed to be placed for Dave to limp over it circa 2015? That he was still preferrable to Hagar?

[Seshmeister]

The Van Halens - all three of them - were playing very well on that last tour. LOT of deep, DEEP cuts.

I mean, opening up with Light Up The Sky...Drop Dead Legs...Dirty Movies...

I'm kinda wishing these days that I had caught this tour despite the unevenness of Dave's vocals, if only to hear the Van Halens and those deep tracks. But, c'est la vie.

Also important to remember you are watching it on fucking YouTube, way different from being there.

[Nitro Express]

To be sure, but is this really the metric of success in terms of how low the bar needed to be placed for Dave to limp over it circa 2015? That he was still preferrable to Hagar?

Dave was the weak link for sure. He clearly was past his sell date but the rest of the band was just killing it. But hey I was at the US Festival where Dave was pretty wasted, so even in his younger years Dave wasn’t always on his game either. Was going to the US Festival still worth it? Hell yeah!

[Terry]

Also important to remember you are watching it on fucking YouTube, way different from being there.

Right, but a youtube video posted from someone in the audience who shot the concert on their phone doesn't by default autotune lead vocals so they sound dreadfully strained and offkey for half the concert, correct?

But I would agree that had I gone to a 2015 show, the excellence of what the Van Halens were doing instrumentally WOULD have offset the uneven nature of Dave's vocals to a degree, as was the case in 2012.

[Terry]

Dave was the weak link for sure. He clearly was past his sell date but the rest of the band was just killing it. But hey I was at the US Festival where Dave was pretty wasted, so even in his younger years Dave wasn’t always on his game either. Was going to the US Festival still worth it? Hell yeah!

Van Halen Mach IV 2015 vs. CVH US Fest 1983...not sure what the point is of THAT comparison, but I will say that in retrospect I do kinda wish I had caught Van Halen in 2015. I mean, I certainly could have. They were playing in the same venue that I saw KISS in last fall, and if I recall correctly Van Halen were playing on a Saturday night and tickets for the lawn section weren't nearly as expensive as they had been for the 2007 and 2012 tours.

[Vinnie Velvet]

At least with Dave he went out there without the aid of any canned pre-recorded vocals (Paul Stanley) or to even have the band tune down songs to the point where they don't even sound like they did originally (Ozzy, 2018 tour).

It was what it was. And afterwards Dave tried to improve and did improve his vocal delivery on those dates he did with KISS in 2020.