Doesn't it piss you off ...

[Hummarstra]

...that there is nothing but shitty video footage of the EARLY VH tours? Do you think the brothers have any decent footage of the these shows? I don't mean Oakland, goddammit, I mean the VH1 and VH2 tours. I can't believe the beginnings of this incredible phenomenon known as VH aren't available somehow in a watchable form and that we're just left to watch those shitty audience shot videos shot by some liquored up Volks Wagon Bus driving Brady Bunch tard from the 70's. That pisses me off!!!!

[TwoFoolsAMinute]

The stuff exists, somewhere. And it pisses me off I ain't seen it.

[Matt White]

I know I got an old video tape around here somewhere that has videos of DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY & maybe 2 others from JAPAN(?) from the 79 tour. I think it was used overseas. I'll have to take a look tomorrow and see what it is. Boot copy{prob a 200 generation, very grainy} but it's got the promo vides for VHI. I'll put my people on it.


DAVE OR THE GRAVE BABY!!!!

[Lou]

There's no video out there from the Japan 1979 tour. There's amateur footage of Fresno 3/25/79 which is barely watchable. Then there's the three Warner Brothers live videos of Dance The Night Away, Bottoms Up! and You're No Good--I'm not sure where that's from, perhaps Los Angeles for the CA World Music Festival? The only other 1979 footage out there is about 15 minutes' worth of amateur footage of Boston 5/14/79 which based on that excerpt, sounds like one kick-ass show (but then again weren't they all).

[Panamark]

Wolfgang will make a lot of money one day !

[interceptor]

Originally posted by Panamark
Wolfgang will make a lot of money one day !

No doubt he will....with Dave getting stiffed with no mention from the band on BOBW, and VH releasing a previously released concert on DVD, it REALLY doesn't look like Ed's gonna let us see anything anytime soon.

[FORD]

Originally posted by Lou
Then there's the three Warner Brothers live videos of Dance The Night Away, Bottoms Up! and You're No Good--I'm not sure where that's from, perhaps Los Angeles for the CA World Music Festival?

Just like with Oakland '81, the fact that these three clips exist is proof that someone filmed the entire show. For all of the stuff that manages to get "leaked" from record company "vaults", it's amazing how tight the security is on this stuff.

Of course that's assuming WB owns the material, which they might not. Obviously they had the rights to use it to promote VHII and Fair Warning (and I believe there were some WACF live promos as well, though I can't remember the last time I saw one), but who actually owns the film footage?

Don Kirshner's rock concert?? Is Kirshner still alive? If so, is he planning on releasing his own DVD's of the "rock concert" series. This could be bad news, because then, odds are that only the clips originally shown on TV would make it to that DVD.

The US Festival footage would probably be owned by Showtime, who broadcast the concert, or possibly Apple Computers, who sponsored the gig. Showtime and their parent company Viacom might not want to contribute to the profits of a direct competitor like TimeWarner though. And I have a feeling that Eddie would probably prefer that concert was never officially released.

Bottom line - It's all corporate red tape bullshit. It's really too bad that WB and/or the band weren't rolling their own cameras.

[diamondsgirl]

I got lots and lots of clips too and compilations, etc. but no full shows. Except US Festival.

I think if Dave had the shows on video, we'd have seen them by now.

[Terry]

All depends on who retained not just the broadcast rights of those Don Kirschner tv shows for the 1979 (DTNA, YNG, BU!) and 1981 (U, HAIL, STIL?) shots, but who ultimately wound up with the footage and has the ancillary rights to release it.

Agree that it would seem unlikely the 1979 and 1981 shows were limited to just shooting three songs each. Also, Largo 1982 was obviously a pro-shot gig, and several of the 1984 shows were pro-shot.

Wouldn't even mind just seeing the Kirschner stuff that's already been shown on tv, and only that material, being cleaned up and put onto a DVD release. My VHS copies are worn to shit, and the bootlegs I've seen of that stuff that was transferred from VHS to DVD-R aren't really that hot in terms of quality.

Would have to imagine that Warner Brothers/Van Halen retained the ultimate rights/control over the Kirschner and Showtime material, but didn't on the 1983 shows filmed in South America.

Also feel that if Ed and Al wanted that stuff out there and were pushing for it to be out there, it'd be out there. Dave may have copies of the stuff, but would reap legal repercussions if he made an endrun around the Van Halens/WB and released them wihtout their authorization.

That material should be available and isn't. That it isn't is a financial loss for the record company and another slap in the face of the classic fan base. Roth is on the record saying he is as confused as anyone else as to why it hasn't happened.

[Lou]

I wish we could have some officially released material but when you think about it, how many bands release a lot of live material in general? Other than the stupid Dave Matthews Band releasing live CD's and shit every year. I mean it took Led Zeppelin FOREVER to release live stuff, and that's the Atlantic label, which is of course part of Warner Bros.

We at least have SOME complete shows:

Largo 10/12/82
Montreal 10/27/82
Sao Paulo 1/16/83
US Festival 5/29/83
Montreal 4/19/84

I'd love to see any Fair Warning show released but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I have bootlegs, and the bottom line with all of this is the music. The quality may not be the greatest but at least every fucking time you turn it on, you can still feel that surge of emotion and that magic even on shitty computer speakers--THAT's how great David Lee Roth is and the mighty Van HALEN once was.

[Matt White]

Originally posted by Lou
Then there's the three Warner Brothers live videos of Dance The Night Away, Bottoms Up! and You're No Good--I'm not sure where that's from, perhaps Los Angeles for the CA World Music Festival?

Yup, good show LOU. My old vhs tape has the 3 79 WB promo vid mentioned above. Never remember seeing them on MTV. UNBELIEVABLE that when they released the VIDEO GREATEST HITS in 97 that the WB promos from 78-79 where not on there. FUCKING CRIMINAL!!!!

DAVE OR THE GRAVE BABY!!!