Van Halen Vocal Coaching Interview

[ZahZoo]

Full article is here...

http://www.examiner.com/article/voice-teacher-peter-strobl-on-coaching-technique-and-working-with-van-halen

Sounds like Dad and son took to some serious vocal training in 2007 and continued thru the making of ADKOT and the 2012 tour.

Be interesting to learn what Dave did or didn't do...

Interesting out-take from the article...

In Wolfgang’s case, I worked in their environment. I went to them and worked with him in his comfort zone. We worked three and sometimes four or five days a week in a row, whenever they were rehearsing. When they were rehearsing for the album, they rehearsed like crazy. When they were doing the writing sessions and rehearsing, I would go in on rehearsal days, two hours before the rehearsal, and work, work, work, and then he’d be tuned up and ready to rehearse. When they moved to Henson, I would still meet them at 5150 and work there before. He’d go from there to the recording studio. He was really intense. If everybody, everywhere, worked that hard, they’d all be good at what they do. Wolf is no joke. There’s a reason why he’s doing as well as he does — because he works really hard.

[ELVIS]

You can tell Wolf worked really hard...

He has really good chops, timing and vocals...

His tone could use some work, but he's the real deal...

And that's how good Dave was in 2007-08...

You got the feeling he had put in a lot of work...

He knew the songs well, his voice was strong, he did a few screams and he was more consistant than ever...

That Dave with the 2012 band would have ROOOOLED !!!

[chuckjitsu]

Read this yesterday. He definitely put in the time to get the vocals down. Thinking back to '07, that was a lot of pressure for a 16 year old kid. He had to deliver on bass AND provide the signature background vocals. Ed mentioned in an interview (Esquire I believe) that Dave told him Wolfgang stepped up above and beyond- I have to agree with that.

He didn't mention Dave specifically, but in another part of the interview he talked about the dry cold air that circulates around arenas when the a/c is on and the havoc it can wreak on the vocals- basically lending credence to Dave's issues during the "Dave vs. the blowers" part of the tour.

I'm with ZahZoo- I'm curious to know what Dave's prep was. There was a lot of talk about Dave's vocals this tour, as in why he wasn't as good this tour as he was in '07. My personal theory is that is that they went straight from recording to rehearsing to touring, without much rest in between. Throw in Dave's age and the general wear and tear on his voice over the years and I think you have an explanation of sorts for his vocal issues. It'll be interesting to see how Dave sounds in the Japanese shows.

[Yount]

The slice of the pie was already massive for Wolf, you can't deny that. He just had to work extremely hard.

The rest of us have to work extremely hard and then somehow get lucky.

[ELVIS]

Check out Dave on this !!!!

[ELVIS]

That's a fucking awesome solo he does in Atomic Punk on that clip...

[DavidLeeNatra]

That's a fucking awesome solo he does in Atomic Punk on that clip...

and Dave is nailing both of them!!!

[ELVIS]

Hell yeah !!

That show should be on DVD...

[ZahZoo]

and Dave is nailing both of them!!!

Well that was 2007... which Dave was consistently on his singing game.

[Nigel]

Hell yeah !!

That show should be on DVD...

It is, check out www.maximumsound.org and look at all the VH goodies. . . .

[BenJammin]

Yes, Dave was definately nailing it on that tour. I enjoyed seeing him/them in 2012 but too bad he couldn't keep it at that level, especially since the rest of the band seemed to step it up.

His vocals on songs like DTNA this year were definately sub par (sad thing is we knew he was capable as recently as '07).

[TJMKID]

Seemed like the authentic Diamond Dave on the 2007-08 tour ---- bare-chested, no rehearsed stage moves ---- he had the old swagger again.

Let's hope he drops the Broadway dance routine and newsboy cap old-fart look when the tour resumes ---- get back to being a bad ass.

Scheduling gigs will be problematic going foward ---- the blower rants were getting tiresome and people arent going to tolerate lack of A/C if they tour next summer in the States.

[Nigel]

Seemed like the authentic Diamond Dave on the 2007-08 tour ---- bare-chested, no rehearsed stage moves ---- he had the old swagger again.

Let's hope he drops the Broadway dance routine and newsboy cap old-fart look when the tour resumes ---- get back to being a bad ass.

Scheduling gigs will be problematic going foward ---- the blower rants were getting tiresome and people arent going to tolerate lack of A/C if they tour next summer in the States.

Amen, to dropping the Broadway Dance Routine. Watch Baltimore 08', that's what I want back again!

[ZahZoo]

Seemed like the authentic Diamond Dave on the 2007-08 tour ---- bare-chested, no rehearsed stage moves ---- he had the old swagger again.

Let's hope he drops the Broadway dance routine and newsboy cap old-fart look when the tour resumes ---- get back to being a bad ass.

Scheduling gigs will be problematic going foward ---- the blower rants were getting tiresome and people arent going to tolerate lack of A/C if they tour next summer in the States.

You raise some excellent points... well except for the bare chest thing which lit up my gaydar alerts... but that aside...

2007/8 clearly had Dave on his "A" game singing and performance wise. With the exception of AL... the Van Halens were still working their way up to form.

2012 seems just the opposite... results of this vocal coaching is fucking obvious. Then add on both Ed's return to Guitar God™ greatness and Wolfgang's growing a pair on bass just totally solidified the whole Van Halen contingent top to bottom. But... Dave showed some greatness but clearly he struggled and dropped a cylinder mid-race often enough to be noticeable... Yet few here are brave enough to call it out and would rather waste time polishing the turd...

Then add on the A/C rant issue... Sure, OK, it's logical that dry, cold air can present a challenge singing... duh... But wait a FUCKING MINUTE... Diamond Dave™. the Toastmaster General™ he ain't no fucking Luciano Pavarotti... he's an entertainer for Christ's sake!!

98% of the folks here have defended or rationalized Dave's "singing ability" is secondary to his legendary front-man stature! Now all of sudden 99% are buying this bullshit on the A/C rants effecting his "singing" performance issue. Did somebody sign off on having it both ways now? WTF?

A/C off, layered clothing, designer scarves, pants on... errr... chaps with an ass... sorry TJMpunk no bare chest... why is Diamond Dave holding back? Throw on the old leg-warmers from 1983 and add a puffy down-lined Matador jacket under the sweltering heat and 100 lights on stage!! As Larry the Cable Guy would say... fellers that just ain't right... How bout we recognize the elephant in the room from the great state of Indiana and paint 'er pink..?

The tour cancellation due to biting off more than we could chew... it's too taxing to haul it from Memphis to Biloxi but the only band member showing signs of struggling on the first leg is on his second leg of sword lessons in Japan..?

Is the gang here afraid to question things because the DDE rep might be watching? Or am I the only one to get into "one of those moods" Elvis excepted... since last Christmas..?

[vandeleur]

A/C off, layered clothing, designer scarves, pants on... errr... chaps with an ass... sorry TJMpunk no bare chest... why is Diamond Dave holding back? Throw on the old leg-warmers from 1983 and add a puffy down-lined Matador jacket under the sweltering heat and 100 lights on stage!!

During the 2012 shows a lot of what you have said kept running round my mind.
Watching the tour before Dave was obviously in the zone and looked more rock n roll .
In 2012 he is on stage with compared to previous Dave stage wear a hoody and scarves. The ac rants on reflection make no sense.
But I'll be honest there are lots of clues here but I can't put them together to get an answer to what was up.