VH Tribute Bands..WHat Do you think?

[83USFESTIVAL]

I am curious what everyone thinks about VH Tribute Bands and if anyone knows of any great ones. I am from Los Angeles and there is a tribute band based here called the atomic punks. they only play early vh up to 84. i must say that they truly capture the essence of early vh right down to the look. in fact dlr has taken the last two guitar players from them on his tours. most recently brian young. if you have never seen them before i would definitely suggest going. you can check them out at theatomicpunks.com. while alot of tribute bands are composed of posers seeing a good one can be the next best thing to the original. if anyone knows other great tribute vh bands please let me know.

[Sarge's Little Helper]

I am curious what everyone thinks about VH Tribute Bands and if anyone knows of any great ones. I am from Los Angeles and there is a tribute band based here called the atomic punks. they only play early vh up to 84. i must say that they truly capture the essence of early vh. in fact dlr has taken the last two guitar players from them on his tours. most recently brian young. if you have never seen them before i would definitely suggest going. you can check them out at theatomicpunks.com. if anyone knows other great tribute vh bands please let me know.

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[Roth-Halen]

www.vanheineken.com

[Fabulous Shadow]

Seen um, know um, Brian was my guitar teacher. Definitly a must see when they're in your neck of the woods!

[WOAHYEAH]

Too bad they never hike up to Canada

[Northern Girl]

Paying tribute to Van Halen

BAY AREA BAND CAPTURES FEEL OF THE CLASSIC DAVID LEE ERA

By Jon Matsumoto

Special to the Mercury News


In the late '70s and early '80s, Van Halen was the definitive party rock band. Spearheaded by guitar ace Eddie Van Halen and flamboyant frontman David Lee Roth, the Pasadena-bred quartet ruled the heavy-metal roost with its rowdy odes to wine, women and life with the top down.

Now the tribute band Hot for Teacher is attempting to bring back some of that celebratory rock 'n' roll spirit. On Saturday at Slim's in San Francisco, the Bay Area outfit will be serving up its platter of Van Halen tunes from the classic Roth era.

Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar in 1985, but although Van Halen has racked up numerous hit albums since then, it has never been able to duplicate the infectious energy and swagger of its early years with Diamond Dave.

``The David Lee songs are a whole lot more popular, if you listen to classic rock radio,'' says Randy Monroe, the vocalist for Hot for Teacher. ``It's like the Sammy stuff is `la de dah.' Sammy's a lot more melodic. The David Lee stuff is like, `Whoa!' He's in your face.''

Some tribute bands go all out trying to duplicate not just the sound but also the look of the group they are honoring. But you won't catch Monroe dressing up in Spandex à la Roth or guitarist Terry Lauderdale donning a shaggy, early '80s Eddie Van Halen-type wig. Hot for Teacher is about capturing the feel of the music, something it claims to do better than any other Van Halen clone.

``We try to look rocking,'' says Monroe, ``but we look like ourselves, which means no girls' clothes. There's another Van Halen tribute band in Los Angeles called the Atomic Punks. They dress a little more like Van Halen did back then. The singer looks a hell of a lot like David Lee Roth. I'm not slagging on them -- they're friends of mine -- but my band has shredding musicians.''

Hot for Teacher formed five years ago. Monroe says the group has played countless bars in the Bay Area. More recently, word of mouth has brought the quartet higher-profile gigs. The band, which also includes bassist Jimmi Ward and drummer Larry Howe, has played for thousands of people at festivals and has performed at events in places such as Reno, Seattle and Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Monroe may not look like Roth, but he has the singer's confidence and self-assurance. ``I guarantee any bar that I perform in that they will get a 50 percent increase in bar receipts the night that I play,'' he says. ``When Hot for Teacher is on stage, people are drinking and partying. I check the receipts when I play. It's pretty discouraging when all they want to pay you is $500, and the bar has just doubled its receipts for the night.''

Last year, Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony actually joined Hot for Teacher on stage for a bevy of the band's tunes, such as ``Panama,'' ``Dance the Night Away'' and ``Unchained.'' The two joined forces when Hot for Teacher performed at Anthony's bass-guitar dedication at San Francisco's Hard Rock Café.

``He was going to do two songs, and he ended up doing the whole set with us,'' says Monroe. ``I couldn't get him off the stage. He was having a blast. He gave me props, too. He told the crowd, `Give it up for Hot for Teacher. These guys rock!' . . . The ultimate compliment for a tribute act is for one of the original musicians to play with you and give you the thumbs-up.''

Hot for Teacher is the title of a Van Halen rock hit from the band's ``1984'' album, its last with Roth. But the name was also chosen for the band because Monroe is a science teacher at Glenbrook Middle School in Concord, where he also directs the school's program for gifted and talented students. Because school kids are apt to show up at Hot for Teacher gigs, you won't find Monroe imbibing whiskey or acting overly obnoxious on stage.

The members of Hot for Teacher (which will also perform at the Little Fox in Redwood City on Jan. 28) are recording an album of original music. Monroe says he's unsure whether the CD will be released under the name Hot for Teacher or Acid Tongue, a group in which he and Lauderdale played before Hot for Teacher.

As he approaches 40, Monroe says Van Halen-type rock stardom isn't the goal of his life. ``I love teaching and seeing the light bulbs go off on the faces of these kids. . . . This is something that keeps my feet on the ground. I wouldn't want to be partying with some prima donna rock star dude in limos. You just lose touch with reality.''

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/10588163.htm

[shyboy]

If you're in the Los Angeles, Orange County area you've got to check out ERUPTION, all Dave era classic VH. IMHO the guitarist smokes the dude from Atomic Punks. I've seen both of these bands and think ERUPTION is a little ballsier, much better guitar tone!!!:

http://splawnguitars.com/ampmod.htm

www.EruptionOnline.com

[83USFESTIVAL]

RUSS FOM THE PUNKS IS PRETTY AWESOME...USE TO PLAY FOR ROBB HALFORD. I WILL DEFINITELY CHECK THESE GUYS OUT. THANKS FOR THE INFO.

[DavidLeeNatra]

how much shit must be in you to make up a tribute band like

this... (http://www.ou812band.com/)

[83USFESTIVAL]

i would love to heckle those guys.

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by shyboy
If you're in the Los Angeles, Orange County area you've got to check out ERUPTION, all Dave era classic VH. IMHO the guitarist smokes the dude from Atomic Punks. I've seen both of these bands and think ERUPTION is a little ballsier, much better guitar tone!!!:


Well they'll have to go aways to better the Punks, but I've got an open mind and can't get enough of CVH. I may have to check these guys out. Looks like they've got a couple of dates in Feb. just up the road a piece.

[Thetruthbaby]

Hate to slam them but Eruption is nowher near the Atomic Punks. It's not even close.

[Mezro]

I catch these fockers whenever possible.

http://www.hftrocks.com/

Mezro...good stuff...great band...all CVH baby...

[Eruption]

Don't slam ERUPTION in favor of the Atomic Punks until you have been to an ERUPTION gig.

[Thetruthbaby]

I've seen Eruption and like I said, they're not even close to Atomic Punks. I'm not trying to start a war of words here but it's just not a contest.

[Eruption]

I've seen both bands - I just prefer Eruption.

[jojo2371]

yeah without a doubt atomic punks is still the best by far

[83USFESTIVAL]

obviously the punks reign supreme. dlr has taken his last two guitarists from them. now they have robb halford's guitarist. by the way they are playing february 19 at the whiskey and the following friday at hob anaheim.

[shyboy]

Yes, the Atomic Punks have had 3 guitarists now, I would have to say that their best guitarist was Brian, who plays with Roth now. I think they took a step down when Russ joined, he's good but not as good as Brian. I would say that Eruption's guitarist is more comparable to Brian's playing.