Van Halen Tokyo Dome 2013 Proshot

[Silexxx]

And now it seems like his youtube channel has been deleted completely.

[Rikk]

And now it seems like his youtube channel has been deleted completely.

Yeah, I saw that.

Looks like Wolfie or Alex taught this poster "a good lesson."

Fucking losers. I'm just glad I downloaded these concerts before the videos (and the channel) were taken down for good. Thankfully, someone else is posting Sydney still. And Tokyo is still up (in parts) sync'd to the live album.

If anyone still doesn't have Sydney, someone else has uploaded it and it's still there...

[Terry]

Someone did a great upgrade of the 78 &79 Fresno shows also on YouTube. I hope the guy who who leaked the Tokyo & Australia shows posts a 08 show. Roth actually looked interested in singing still on that tour.

That was Roth's last good tour.

[78/84 guy]

😟☝️ Ouch ! Come on Terry. You must have watched some videos of Ed & Alex raging on Roth. He was fine unil about 81. Actually I think he was mostly fine until 2008. Except 1994 when I saw him. He was bad. Well so was his dime store band that tour. V.H. started playing too fast on the D.D. & 1984 tours. You try keeping up vocally with those b.p.m. I think he was decent on the Vai tours. And from 99-08. It was over in 2012. By the way a guy is selling boots of both of these shows on Blu ray on ebay already. If you want a hard copy. Fuck the V.H. camp for not releasing this stuff. I just wish a 08 show would've leaked out.....

[Terry]

😟☝️ Ouch ! Come on Terry. You must have watched some videos of Ed & Alex raging on Roth. He was fine unil about 81. Actually I think he was mostly fine until 2008. Except 1994 when I saw him. He was bad. Well so was his dime store band that tour. V.H. started playing too fast on the D.D. & 1984 tours. You try keeping up vocally with those b.p.m. I think he was decent on the Vai tours. And from 99-08. It was over in 2012. By the way a guy is selling boots of both of these shows on Blu ray on ebay already. If you want a hard copy. Fuck the V.H. camp for not releasing this stuff. I just wish a 08 show would've leaked out.....

No, that was what I was saying, referencing the ADKOT Tokyo and Down Under tours but saying from my perspective that the 2007-2008 tour was Roth's last good tour. Far as lead vocals went, anyway.

I definitely wasn't saying Van Halen's second tour in 1979 was Roth's last good tour!

Nah! Roth was fine in 1984 and 1986 when I saw him. AND 1999 when opening for Bad Co. And 2005. And 2006. The voice, screams and such weren't as strong as the years wound on, but he was able to service the tunes live. Until 2012. Once the ADKOT tour hit, [Roth] was so sporadic vocally...and not even from one show to the next or one song to the next but literally from one verse to the next!

[Rikk]

😟☝️ Ouch ! Come on Terry. You must have watched some videos of Ed & Alex raging on Roth. He was fine unil about 81. Actually I think he was mostly fine until 2008. Except 1994 when I saw him. He was bad. Well so was his dime store band that tour. V.H. started playing too fast on the D.D. & 1984 tours. You try keeping up vocally with those b.p.m. I think he was decent on the Vai tours. And from 99-08. It was over in 2012. By the way a guy is selling boots of both of these shows on Blu ray on ebay already. If you want a hard copy. Fuck the V.H. camp for not releasing this stuff. I just wish a 08 show would've leaked out.....

Why the fuck do people spend money for these Blu-Rays?

It will take me about an hour to make my own Blu-Ray of the Sydney show...and I'm adding the press conference (still available on YouTube) and the Aerosmith show (Aerosmith in 2013 isn't exactly in the same universe as their 1970s peak, but the Blu-Ray with the press conference, entire VH show and entire Aerosmith show is a pretty sweet package).

I'm also in the middle of sync'ing the Tokyo Dome live album to my download of the pro-shot show.

Pisses me off that people are buying this for good money. Real fans should be happy to share these clips with each other.

And yes...FUCK Van Halen. The only reason both of these gigs are such a hot commodity is because this fucking band shares NOTHING with its fans.

But didn't you hear that fat fuck Wolfgang? "Anything worth releasing has been released so far." I don't buy that philosophy...and we have a ton of leaked stuff that disproves Tubby.

Hell, that fat guy keeps releasing MAMMOTH WVH albums that aren't worth releasing...so he should keep his big fat mouth shut.

[Rikk]

No, that was what I was saying, referencing the ADKOT Tokyo and Down Under tours but saying from my perspective that the 2007-2008 tour was Roth's last good tour. Far as lead vocals went, anyway.

I definitely wasn't saying Van Halen's second tour in 1979 was Roth's last good tour!

Nah! Roth was fine in 1984 and 1986 when I saw him. AND 1999 when opening for Bad Co. And 2005. And 2006. The voice, screams and such weren't as strong as the years wound on, but he was able to service the tunes live. Until 2012. Once the ADKOT tour hit, [Roth] was so sporadic vocally...and not even from one show to the next or one song to the next but literally from one verse to the next!

Honestly, he was completely fine when I saw him in Chicago in 2012 (the last time I saw VH).

Also, Roth sounds pretty damn good in the last gig at the Hollywood Bowl (which Hardrock, from this forum, posted a great multi-cam 1080p video of, sync'd with the soundboard).

[78/84 guy]

I misunderstood you Terry. Maybe I should've reread my own post. LOL ! I didn't think Roth was good at those last shows at all. A few songs. Maybe half if I'm being nice. I think the effort was there on most of them. But I can't really listen too it. Or the Tokyo show. Again, half of it is solid. I kinda like the Sydney show. They seemed a little jacked up even for a shorter set. But again, could you drop Dance The Night Away & Chinatown ? Just awful vocals on both.

[Terry]

Honestly, he was completely fine when I saw him in Chicago in 2012 (the last time I saw VH).

Also, Roth sounds pretty damn good in the last gig at the Hollywood Bowl (which Hardrock, from this forum, posted a great multi-cam 1080p video of, sync'd with the soundboard).

Nope, he didn't sound fine when you saw him in Chicago in 2012. You were just making excuses and allowances for him, engaging in self-delusion because you wanted him to sound fine. It's understandable. I didn't go to the Tampa 2012 show wanting him to sound hoarse and badly off-key for more than half the show...but he did. And it was a situation that never rectified itself. Not on that tour nor the subsequent one.

Nah, I'm just fuckin' with you. If he sounded good to you, then he sounded good to you.

[Terry]

I misunderstood you Terry. Maybe I should've reread my own post. LOL ! I didn't think Roth was good at those last shows at all. A few songs. Maybe half if I'm being nice. I think the effort was there on most of them. But I can't really listen too it. Or the Tokyo show. Again, half of it is solid. I kinda like the Sydney show. They seemed a little jacked up even for a shorter set. But again, could you drop Dance The Night Away & Chinatown ? Just awful vocals on both.

It was misdirected effort on his part, expending too much energy to yelp off-key when it would have been less of an effort to not yell the tunes in that strained yelp of his and merely sing the stuff. Would have sounded better, too. But whatever. That's all in the past, and it's not sensible to wallow in nostalgia. Not when we still have Wolfgang's solo career to look forward to...and Sammy's tour!

[Rikk]

Nope, he didn't sound fine when you saw him in Chicago in 2012. You were just making excuses and allowances for him, engaging in self-delusion because you wanted him to sound fine. It's understandable. I didn't go to the Tampa 2012 show wanting him to sound hoarse and badly off-key for more than half the show...but he did. And it was a situation that never rectified itself. Not on that tour nor the subsequent one.

Nah, I'm just fuckin' with you. If he sounded good to you, then he sounded good to you.

I went to the 2007-2008 tour twice (once at United Center in 2007, once at Allstate in 2008). Dave was really good for both. I can't say which was better.

I went to the 2012 tour once (United Center, as I mentioned). I went with my wife and my cousin (very close friend). My cousin had never seen VH before but had been a fan since the mid-80s...but would NOT go to a Van Hagar show. He'd had to back out of the 2008 Allstate show at the last minute. All three of us (in 2012) listened very closely and we all thought Dave did a great job (except for his temper tantrum in the usual "dog sequence" before ICE CREAM MAN...he lost his shit, which kind of disappointed us...the crew had fucked something up and he couldn't be professional about it).

I have (I think) 3-4 shows from the 2007-2008 period on Blu-Rays. I have maybe 15 shows from 2012-2013 on Blu-Ray. I've listened closely. Roth is fine. One thing people keep not noticing is that the backing vocals were backing tracks in the 2007-2008 period. That's how they got that "high Michael" vocal sound. In 2012, they started just doing live vocals from Eddie & Wolfgang...and they never properly sang the high vocal parts Michael used to do (just low vocals) and it sounded like shit.

And Dave got the blame for that.

I've debated with sheep at the Links over the quality of Roth even back in the old days. These people will watch Montreal 1984 or Largo 1982 (even Fresno '78 & '79) and go on and on about how "horrible" Dave is.

I don't buy it. His voice gets shrill sometimes, sure. He tries to reach notes he shouldn't. But generally, Dave sings on-key. I'm a singer...and I have perfect-pitch...I'm picky about this shit. And I've watched a ton of Dave gigs. It's a form of performance art. He's like James Brown...he's not concentrating on singing every line...he's more interested in a performing package.

I don't defend Dave because I'm some sort of "super fan." I defend Dave because I really think he has it right.

In fact, another thing that doesn't get mentioned nearly enough is during the reunion years, Dave did less moving (he was older, after all) and more singing. He was far more consistent (and clearly using less substances).

The guy who posted Sydney 2013 and Tokyo 2013...he also had a Van Hagar gig from 2015 (the last gig of the tour...pro-shot...not that Toronto gig or that Pensacola gig). I watched some of it out of curiosity. If you listen to Sam in that gig, he's singing fucking flat line after line. He sounds fucking horrible. Do the sheep ever talk about how often that idiot could slip out of tune?

The 2012-2013 tour was Roth's least-consistent...maybe worst tour (at least out of the reunion era). In 2015, he was far more on. I wish I hadn't missed that tour...but my daughter was one, we were ecstatic to have her, I was going to less shows. I NEVER thought Van Halen would never tour again.

[DLR Bridge]

In fact, another thing that doesn't get mentioned nearly enough is during the reunion years, Dave did less moving (he was older, after all) and more singing. He was far more consistent (and clearly using less substances).

The guy who posted Sydney 2013 and Tokyo 2013...he also had a Van Hagar gig from 2015 (the last gig of the tour...pro-shot...not that Toronto gig or that Pensacola gig). I watched some of it out of curiosity. If you listen to Sam in that gig, he's singing fucking flat line after line. He sounds fucking horrible. Do the sheep ever talk about how often that idiot could slip out of tune?

I always imagined a better path for a less mobile (jumpy kicky) Roth would have been him strapping on a Tele or something good enough to flesh out some rhythms or simply bang out a chord or two. I think a switch up like that would’ve been more rock and roll than the jazz hands and slip’n slide, but hey, Dave gotta do Dave and I love him no less.

I never did like him blasting the crew, though. It became his “I’m gonna fuck your girlfriend, pal” of modern times and it was not a good look. He pulled that at the final show I’d seen them. Camden NJ 2015. They had just picked up from pausing the tour for whatever ailment he had. I can’t recall what it was, but he sounded like he was singing with a sore throat. Rikk, I’m sure you’ve been there. Sucks, don’t it? Anyway, there are YouTubes of the show and in the second or third song, he stops it mid way to go hand this guy his ass. For some odd reason, antics like that usually garner an applause, like ‘you tell’em, Dave!’ Ugh. No, never like that.

Did you mean a solo Sammy show from 2015 or Van Hagar 2004? Whichever, that fucking guy is flat on virtually every challenging note he’s got. Even the less challenging ones! He could never even get that moan of his from the beginning of Poundcake right and that was their opening fucking song in 91!

Speaking of which, I had been stomaching some Hagar era YouTubes in search of some good Ed moments and that’s how I came onto noticing, retrospectively, how off Hagar is. He was a throat singer and it was usually shot by the 4th song.

[Rikk]

I always imagined a better path for a less mobile (jumpy kicky) Roth would have been him strapping on a Tele or something good enough to flesh out some rhythms or simply bang out a chord or two. I think a switch up like that would’ve been more rock and roll than the jazz hands and slip’n slide, but hey, Dave gotta do Dave and I love him no less.

I never did like him blasting the crew, though. It became his “I’m gonna fuck your girlfriend, pal” of modern times and it was not a good look. He pulled that at the final show I’d seen them. Camden NJ 2015. They had just picked up from pausing the tour for whatever ailment he had. I can’t recall what it was, but he sounded like he was singing with a sore throat. Rikk, I’m sure you’ve been there. Sucks, don’t it? Anyway, there are YouTubes of the show and in the second or third song, he stops it mid way to go hand this guy his ass. For some odd reason, antics like that usually garner an applause, like ‘you tell’em, Dave!’ Ugh. No, never like that.

Did you mean a solo Sammy show from 2015 or Van Hagar 2004? Whichever, that fucking guy is flat on virtually every challenging note he’s got. Even the less challenging ones! He could never even get that moan of his from the beginning of Poundcake right and that was their opening fucking song in 91!

Speaking of which, I had been stomaching some Hagar era YouTubes in search of some good Ed moments and that’s how I came onto noticing, retrospectively, how off Hagar is. He was a throat singer and it was usually shot by the 4th song.

Sorry...you're right. I meant to write 1995. The guy had a BALANCE era show...and it's stunning how off-key Hagar is. Dude is a complete throat singer. It makes me sick when I read sheep going on about how he's the best singer in rock and roll history. Sam Hagar isn't 1/100th the singer that Freddie Mercury was...not 1/50th the singer Ian Gillan was...Dio... His voice seems to go a lot in Van Hagar clips. These sheep act like he's Steve Perry. I do NOT like Journey, but I will admit that dude could sing. And Sam Hagar is not even in the same universe.

You are correct, sir (when it comes to singing). Singing when your throat is sore or you can feel your voice going...it just sucks. You can sing through the pain and the uncomfortable feeling in your throat. But there's NOTHING you can do when your voice just won't do it.

Dave bitching about the road crew live...who wants to hear that? (That said, I believe his story about Wolfgang kicking the person out who had the bonus checks for the road crew. We're really supposed to believe that Wolfgang is somehow above such behavior? Look at how he treats anyone publicly. Look at how he talks to fans. That fat fuck is not above treating the "common employees" like crap.)

[Rikk]

It still cracks me up that my daughter, who always tries to say nice things about people, could not help herself when we were watching the Oscars and make the comment: "Wow, that guy sure is ugly." She just couldn't help herself.

My wife made the comment when I asked her...she said, "Wolfgang is basically the complete opposite, in every way, of a good-looking guy."

[DLR Bridge]

I definitely believe Wolf pulled some shit there. Whether Dave stretched out the tale for effect remains to be known. Mr Hoodie is being praised for taking the high road by people who don’t realize he kinda shot first. Doesn’t seem like that story is going to get a follow up from anyone. Seems like the sort of thing Darren Paltrowitz P.I. might be able to look into. Talk to Dave’s guests.