David Lee Roth: Opinions on live performances.

[Terry]

St. Patrick's Day, 1984. CVH Live. Roth had command of the audience from the first drum riser split until the end of the show. Back then, Roth was the apex far as active rock frontmen went. This was before posers like Jon Bon Jovi, Vince Neil and the like really had kicked their careers into high gear. All the man had to do was hold the mic out to the crowd and the whole place went nuts...

Still has the same enthusiasm these days. Voice is more or less intact. Still exhibits the same physicality onstage, served up with his perma shit-eating grin.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Originally posted by Keeyth
May 10th 1984 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

My first real concert. In all my life so far, I have not seen one better. It was the standard to which I held all future concerts, and while many have been great, there has been none greater.

Drove up with a bunch of buddies and some chicks in about four cars doing speeds of up to 100 mph on 280 just to get to the parking lot and tailgate party for 4 or 5 hours before the show. Talk about an off the hook party!

When we finally went to get in line, the line going into the Palace went in a big square about 100ft x 100ft with a single garbage can sitting in the middle. People were hurling glass bottles as high into the air as they could trying to make a basket in the can. Meanwhile, drunk as f**k morons were making the dash right across the middle of the square amidst all the broken glass in a mindless streak of glory I guess.

I remember a big drama between two of my buds about this chick, and she didn't go home with the one she came with, and all this transpired while waiting in the drunken, stoned line...

Inside the show, they had this band called The Velcros I think, playing and they were the worst thing I had ever heard. People were throwing everything they could throw at them. VH had a reputation back in the day for hiring lame openers so as not to detract from their show. Well, they needn't have worried.

All of the sudden, the lights go down...

There is an explosion of light, and I see this blonde, long haired wild man jump 20 feet into the air and do the splits, touching both his feet with his hands and arms outstretched... ...an onslaught of music and sound as his background... ...and I have never been the same person since.

And from then on it has been Dave or the Grave, baby!!

Rock on Classic Van Halen!! May you again rise from the ashes one day!!

I was there motherfucker! Sounds like you were actually sober though...........:D

[Keeyth]

Originally posted by Bill Lumbergh
I was there motherfucker! Sounds like you were actually sober though...........:D

Not at all, I can just hold my liquor and weed very well. Actually, I think I had gotten stoned for the first time the day before, and we had plenty of weed there that day too. There has never been a show like that one. It fucking rocked.

What High School did you go to Bill?

[conyo]

EEAS - I saw VH w/Sammy. My first concert. (Unfortunately) I was 17 and blown away by Eddie, the VH idiots toured before 5150 came out so I had no idea what the songs were...until I saw how it was supposed to be done. First of all, EEAS came out in like the begginning of the summer(?) and I had about three months to literally listen and memorize every song. I was ready, then I heard the announcement on the radio. I can still remember it to this day. "Guess who's coming to town." (Guitar strum to Yankee Rose) "David Lee Roth." I couldn't wait. When the day came, Oh my God! Cinderella opened the show and they were booed and they threw bottle caps at them. The lights go dark and the Hollywood Sportatium goes freaking nuts. He jumped from the riser and goest into Shyboy. He had the audience in the palm of his hand. At one point he just stood there and held the microphone to the audience to make it louder. He didn't have to say a word and I loved every minute of it. I remember that he was nastier/dirtier/funkier than VH w/Sammy it wasn't forced. It just seemed like he cared for the show.

Skyscraper: Okay album, unbelievable show. Same intensity as EEAS. I remember Dave wearing a Mariachi costume. (I don't know why that kicked so much ASS!) He did the Skycraper thing from the top of the lights and the boxing ring. it was crazy, but great. Sold out show.

ALAE: All I can say is...what happened. Weaker album (sorry) weaker tour. Dave looked and was forcing the performance. Had Extreme (Oy) and Cinderella (Oi Oi!) open for him and the crowd just wasn't into Dave like they used to. It seems that his guitarist learned all the VH songs of Hal Leonard/mel Bay songbook. It sucks when the featured performer in the band is Gregg Bissonette. (a super nice guy, that I met at a drum clinic a few months before. I am a drummer and he shouldn't be the featured performer. Sorry.) I knew things were fucked up when Dave walks off the stage and immediately talks to his manager. They cancelled the rest of the tour a few weeks later for low ticket sales.

a sad day indeed...a sad day.

P

[Nitro Express]

I saw Dave on three different Van Halen tours. I saw Van Hagar on the OU812 tour. All I remember from the OU812 show was the sound was making me sick and I puked my guts out and left the show early during the drum solo. Yeah, I was pretty fucked up at all those Dave shows too but I had a good time. Van Hagar made me puke.

[Molly Blue]

I saw Dave live with CVH... and then again this year. But missed all the years in between. Cool thread, and always great to hear about Dave. I think his solo years don't get near enough attention.

From reading the thread though I would gather his first years following Van Halen were his best as far as touring goes?

His live performance is still amazing. Dave always has, and always will have a way of working the crowd. Even if you know his lines by heart... when he throws one out at you... you think he is saying right to you. And I guess maybe he is. The worst thing about his live performance these days, in my opinion, is his continued use of the same set list. But, since Dave does hit and miss shows... and visits different areas, I can see where it works for him.

[SloBurn]

I saw Dave on the Skyscraper tour in Sydney, Australia. To this day it is the BEST show i have ever seen (and i've seen plenty). I was over awed to finally be seeing my hero DLR!

In contrast i saw VH with Gay Cherone at the same venue about 10 years later and well.....if you can't say something nice....

[moose]

EEAS..............SOLID had the goddamn crowd freakin unfuckinbelievable show.


Kudos for the Skyscraper tour(saw him 2x) excellent.

Recently, I'd say Dave is in top form.
Can grab the fuckin microphone and take Van Halen back to the top from where that fuckin spammy has helped leave em, at the bottom of the Marianis trench!

[Matt White]

Saw EEAS in ANN ARBOR MI.....

Have a 6-8 song Boot vid of the show i was at.......

DAVE & the band were STELLAR........

played between 10-12 CLASSIC VAN HALEN tunes.....

KICKED THE SHIT OUT OF THE 5150 tour.......