Official 4/21 Greensboro Meetup/Review Thread

[Angel]

He was invited by Sniper and I multiple times, however, he didn't have the balls to man up and come play over here....just spread his cancer all over the FB VH pages, and of course on Spammy's page

Yeah, I was the first to invite Molly here. Funny, I was on Youtube today and almost replied "Molly, what are you doing off Spams FB page", but my battling days are over.

We used to have some pretty nasty flame wars here and at DDLR, so I know where Lou's coming from.

Damn glad to see the boy back. Yes, Lou, I've missed you.

[DONNIEP]

DDLR could be a tough place to hang. But the Army??? Man, when DDLR went down for good I was almost scared to come over here. This place definitely has mellowed. When I joined, back in '04, this place was as friendly as a prison riot But it's all good now.

[DavidLeeNatra]

DDLR could be a tough place to hang. But the Army??? Man, when DDLR went down for good I was almost scared to come over here. This place definitely has mellowed. When I joined, back in '04, this place was as friendly as a prison riot But it's all good now.

sounds like a compliment to me...

I miss these days a bit...but having the band back and a new album slows things down...we stay frosty...

[SunisinuS]

wow...this girl is as much of an icon as Sir Warf..."this one's for you honey"...if some guy wants to date her one day she will say: "David Lee Roth sang Dance the Night Away for me...so give your best shot now, motherfucker!"

Diamond Dave in Action.

[DONNIEP]

sounds like a compliment to me...

I miss these days a bit...but having the band back and a new album slows things down...we stay frosty...

Hey dude, I agree. Let's see where everyone comes down on the line...Let's see who supports who and let's burn off the assholes who run around here posting their bullshit every day.

[VAN HLN CA]

That is great. Out of curiosity, for those of you with kids - how old would your kid have to be before you would consider taking them to a VH show?

Took our sons at 15 & 11 to 1st 2007 Anaheim show, the older wanted to use his 7 month away BDay present to go the 2nd night before Xmas that year.

I was 5th row next to ramp in front of Ed with pal while he was 10 yards away having a blast basking in VH joy closest tik we could get last minute. Point is these shows are PG at worst not NC17 like the Crazy Ol'Days....

[VAN HLN CA]

Oh yeah... I'd also include the LAST Greensboro crowd in '07, that place was nuts...

Funny you mentioned "fortyish" and "tired"..... 'Cause my ass was exhausted after the show.... As soon as I laid down in the hotel, I was out....

That was most pumped an older LA crowd gets anymore, certainly not as much as peeps mix at any Staples show. That is typical in a shed that has 1/2 crowds at events for all the wrong reasons for both concerts and sports. Many just to say they went or comped not knowing Shit about sports let alone VH. I still raise hell when at shows and your right afterwards its not the same game, pulling all nighters comes at at a price anymore.....well worth it in our 2012 Cyclone

Sinners Swing & Light Up the Sky for 6/1!

[VAN HLN CA]

Its not as loud as last tour imo..I remember my brain rattled at points in 07,,not at all this year

Last Tour in SoCal had Anaheim shows louder than the Staples shows and concurred by Chip E. the Mother of Loud all the tour, San Diego. It was not only loud but kickass good time, know I have referred to it as the Party of CA run, great in every way with the attitude of '84 and before. That one had 2 day post show ringing and place 1/3 smaller, intimate size for here and much smaller than SDSA where shows are scarce anymore and used to play. New preference is wanting to be further back wherever best sound and best overall visual is. Been up front most of my VH/Dave days and when you compare how far away row 1 is from stage and highth of it, it's not even close to what front row was all about in the day....I'd be going in debt to get as close as possible if not experienced, just enjoy wide angle 40's vision ;-) and may do one close.

[VAN HLN CA]

Well shit. I really want to give this ticket to one of the members here. I swear, I never thought I'd be in the position to: A - Have a spare ticket to a Van Fucking Halen show; and B - not be able to find one taker on this website. Ah, the hell with it I'll just sell the damn thing on the street corner.

Damn, would love to re visit Opener of last tour. Last minute flights are just wrong, can fly to Sweden for the price. Your gonna have a Blast!

[Carmine]

The show...a few personal details that the folks haven't said or the vids don't show...

We found our seats and I instantly got excited...8th row...My girlfriend said I was like a 13 year old with a new bike...

Kool and the Gang...if you've skipped this or don't plan to see them...change your mind...these guys really do put on a good show...a few of them are pushing 70 and I'll tell ya...when they Jungle Boogie...they drop the hammer. I've enjoyed them each time...great choice by Dave getting them out...

As they're readying the stage for VH, I walked back all of the 8 feet down the aisle to where Va and Pojo were...we're chattin it up a bit and the DDE rep walks up to say hello...nice lady...I had a few VIP'ers seated near me that had told me they'd sound checked As Is and Light Up The Sky again...So...given the opportunity to ask her, I did...and like Va said...I don't expect them in the set anytime soon...the band just likes playing them...but, me being ever the optimist, I think, if the band likes playing them then maybe that's an even better sign they MAY make the set list? Who knows...

The 3 of us continue talking...and then...there's that all familiar "squeal" from that guitar...

Va and Pojo are in row 14 in front of Ed on the aisle...I'm in row 8 in front of Dave on the aisle...easy access to each other...more on that later...

Unchained...It's intense...I'm thinking of Pojo and Va behind me shittin bricks...lmao...and I could just tell...Dave....Dave was ready...Runnin with the Devil...She's the Woman...yeah, I said to my girlfriend..."Holy Shit, Dave's on fire tonight!! He's shuckin' and jivin'..he's splittin' and kickin'...he's all over the stage...way more active tonight than I'd seen so far...

On the opening notes of Hear About it Later...I ran back those 6 rows to where the boys were...I had to give Va Beach a high five...he was waiting for this tune!

I said to Pojo, "Well?"...all I got from him was "Holy Fuck!!"...lmao...

The show highlights for me were Dance The Night Away and Ice Cream Man...

DTNA obviously because Dave did that story with the little girl up front "That kiss and this music is why you exist in the first place", sang to her while her little face was up on the screen...it was nice...

ICM...Dave really nailed the ending...he even had Alex laughing...just Dave being Dave...Alex has watched him do it for 40 years and to see that Dave still can make him laugh was cool...

Woman in Love and Outta Love Again....now remember, Pojo doesn't know shit...he has no idea these tunes are being played regularly...So, I made that 8 foot walk again and said to him "Did ya ever think you'd be hearing those 2 tunes tonight?"

another "Holy Fuck!"...

that sums up this show: HOLY FUCK...I can't say anymore...I'm very glad we made the haul down the coast for this one...

I do hope there's a DVD of this show...Lou recorded the audio and told me it sounded just as good as we thought it would...

Once again,Lou, Va Beach, Pojo, Warning, Sparky D and Tiki Tom we had a great time with all of you...

We're really looking forward to Cleveland...

HOLY FUCK...

[DavidLeeNatra]

so this is the official "HOLY FUCK"-Tour now?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/22/2017667/van-halen-plays-greensboro.html

Van Halen plays Greensboro
BY DAVID MENCONI - DMENCONI@NEWSOBSERVER.COM

GREENSBORO -- Let’s face it, David Lee Roth or Eddie Van Halen would drive you nuts if either of them were in your band. Between rampaging egomania, moody paranoia and high-strung personalities, it would be a nonstop dramafest every single day; kind of like the soap opera that Van Halen has been for the last 30-plus years.

Nevertheless, they need each other because whatever behind-the-scenes unpleasantries are involved, Van Halen’s onstage show is one of the best in the rock world. When it comes to good, stupid Y-chromosome fun, nobody brings it like the Roth model of Van Halen, which was on display Saturday night in Greensboro.

It was an entertaining couple of hours, even though they didn’t seem to be having a particularly good night. Eddie was actually (dare I say it) sloppy in spots. Roth managed to forget the words of “Dance the Night Away,” missing a verse completely. Alex Van Halen’s drum solo lasted three minutes and felt longer. And toward the end of “Pretty Woman,” they bricked a change so bad it made you wince.

But even not hitting on all cylinders, Van Halen puts on a pretty grand arena-rock party. The opening heartbeat-paced fanfare of “Runnin’ With the Devil” is so iconic, it’s hard to believe there was ever a time when it did not exist. “Devil” was song number two, and it killed.

Mostly, that was Eddie’s doing. The guy’s playing is a force of nature, and it seems to conjure up a huge serpentine beast come to devour the room. I’ve never heard any musician take up as much sonic space all by himself, a sound you have to hear live to full appreciate; I can only imagine it’s what Jimi Hendrix was like back in the day. “Guitar fireworks” is an overused term, but it definitely applied.

As for Roth, more than ever he comes across like your drunk uncle at a wedding reception – which was actually a lot more charming than it sounds. He’s not a great singer, but he’s a memorable one and a terrific showman. Wearing tight leather pants that left precious little to the imagination, he was gleefully, hilariously profane in word and gesture. And even pushing 60, he still pulled off the high leg kicks (though not quite as many as in his ’80s-vintage prime).

Saturday’s show commenced with an hour-long set by venerable r&b hitmakers Kool & the Gang, a seemingly curious opening-act choice. But they were good fun, 10-strong onstage, reminding everyone who they were with “Jungle Boogie,” “Too Hot” and of course “Celebration.” Unfortunately, the crowd stayed outside in droves, which was too bad for them.

“You didn’t know Kool & the Gang was a [expletive] religion to us, did you?!” Roth asked later.

Once Van Halen got going, they played two-dozen songs focused on the group’s early-’80s glory days. The four new songs from this year’s “A Different Kind of Truth” were somewhere between o.k. and meh, but those golden oldies are just as fierce as they ever were.

“Hot for Teacher,” “Panama” and “Beautiful Girls” rocked the noble-savage rock comedy just as hard as ever. And at the end, Eddie and Diamond Dave hugged.

Maybe they even meant it.

[Carmine]

so this is the official "HOLY FUCK"-Tour now?

You are correct, Sir!

[perrin29]

I'm really torn about my boys coming to a show. I told them if they play Jones Beach maybe, since the shows there seem a little more mellow in the outdoors. My youngest is 4, so he's definitely too young, although he always requests VH by name in the car. His favorite for years has been Sunday Afternoon in the Park - no idea why?! He also requests HAIL, Unchained, and RWTD. My middle one is 7 and I think he wants to go - he's been 'playing' ATBL on his electric guitar since he's 4, and had a VH cake and themed (EVH stripes) cupcakes for his 5th birthday. That one's gonna be a rockstar, I just know it. But I don't think he'll go without his older brother, my almost-9 year old who likes VH (listens to Little Guitars on his ipod all the time) but is super cautious (1st born) and doesn't want to go to a show. Now that I saw Dave's reaction to that little girl, I might have to bribe one of my boys to come and sit in front with me so I can get Dave's attention! Is that wrong?!

It was a proud moment for me when my 9 yr old daughter was playing dj and picking VH tunes. She didn't know all of them but picked them by the titles so I had no idea what was coming. Unchained was chosen and I saw her starting to groove in the back seat. " Heyyy...I like this one" Very proud.

[damngoodtimes]

DDLR could be a tough place to hang. But the Army??? Man, when DDLR went down for good I was almost scared to come over here. This place definitely has mellowed. When I joined, back in '04, this place was as friendly as a prison riot But it's all good now.

We should have that on the top banner of the site:

Roth Army - friendly as a prison riot.