DLR at M3 Festival

[twonabomber]

[twonabomber]

David Lee Roth Triumphs at First Show in 5 Years: Video, Set List

David Lee Roth made a triumphant comeback from a five-year stage absence Saturday night at the M3 festival, delivering a strong set of Van Halen classics with the help of a killer eight-piece band.

You can see video and the full set list from the show below.

"We've reached the end of my first retirement," the singer joked at one point. "How many retirements did Rocky have, nine?" The set was completely dominated by Van Halen songs, without a hint of Roth's solo career, not even his hit cover of "California Girls."

The singer was joined by Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass, Francis Valentino on drums and a keyboard player whose name we are not sure of quite yet, apologies.

Roth made great use of a new four-piece group of backing vocalists, a brilliant addition to his live show and a textbook example of turning a recent weakness into a strength. "Ain't no tracks up here tonight, baby," he noted at one point.

Roth played off his new vocal section repeatedly during song breakdowns, and of course they did "I'm the One" complete with the big a capella breakdown.

It was Roth's first official show since he opened for Kiss on March 10, 2020 in Lubbock Texas just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tour. When Kiss returned to the road a year and a half later they did so without the former Van Halen singer.

Roth announced an early 2022 Las Vegas residency in October 2021, but wound up canceling all of those shows, citing unspecified health concerns.

“I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring,” the singer revealed to the Las Vegas Review Journal at the time. Roth further added that he was “encouraged and compelled to really come to grips with how short time is, and my time is probably even shorter,” adding that “my doctors, my handlers, compelled me to really address that every time I go onstage, I endanger that future.”

Roth has reportedly played a handful of private shows since that time, in addition to posting a variety of previously unreleased songs, countless dance videos and occasionally trading barbs with his buddy Sammy Hagar on YouTube.

Although there's only one other confirmed date on Roth's 2025 schedule so far - Sept. 12 at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California - the singer seemed to hint at bigger plans as the show drew to a close. After repeatedly congratulating his band for playing "a perfect fucking show," he told the crowd. "See you on the road... I'll see you on the road!"


David Lee Roth April 3, 2025 M3 Festival Set List


1. "Panama"
2. "Drop Dead Legs"
3. "You Really Got Me"
4. "Unchained"
5. "Dance the Night Away"
6. "Runnin' with the Devil"
7. "Mean Street"
8. "Atomic Punk"
9. "And the Cradle Will Rock..."
10. "Jamie's Cryin'"
11. "I'm the One"
12. "Everybody Wants Some!!"
13. "Romeo Delight"
14. "Hot for Teacher"
15. "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love"
16. "Jump"

[twonabomber]

[twonabomber]

I wonder if Dave bought the drum riser at Al's auction

[78/84 guy]

Not a bad performance by Roth for 70. The 4 backup singers were interesting. Kinda weird. But at least it was real. Al is great on guitar. A few gigs a year like this would be fine. Not that anyone cares much these days around here. Probably to busy whining about how Trump & Musk have hurt their poor little pussy feelings......How the times have changed.....

[ZahZoo]

Nice to hear Drop Dead Legs live...

Leave it to Dave to bring something unexpected in his choice of backing singers. At first I was thinking... WTF... but it worked nicely.

[Seshmeister]

You do wonder about it taking 8 people to sound like 3 used to but it's sounding good.

[MasonL]

I think the backing singers is a cool idea. Im almost positive that was the plan for the Vegas thing in 2020 but they were fired right before the tour, for some reason. Adds some spice to the rice and having them take on more of the vocals lets Dave relax a bit.

He still doesn’t have much of a mid-range anymore, and he won’t again. It’s high squawking or the really low mumble-singing, and he has no timbre left to really hold a note anymore. But in this busted up shape, this is probably the best that he can do. And honestly, it’s fine.

[Seshmeister]

Most social media comments online are super positive.

It's kind of weird and reflects where we are now that I've seen almost nothing about Al Estrada amazing playing. I guess it's the world of YouTube and Chinese children playing impossibly well but playing live like that is entirely different to doing it in your bedroom. Especially as I suspect the band would have been rehearsing on their own.

Roth should big these guys up more and make it feel more like a band so we can pretend it is..

Also worth mentioning without NepoWolfie he wouldn't be doing "Drop Dead Legs", "I'm the One" or "Romeo Delight".

[ZahZoo]

He still doesn’t have much of a mid-range anymore, and he won’t again. It’s high squawking or the really low mumble-singing, and he has no timbre left to really hold a note anymore. But in this busted up shape, this is probably the best that he can do. And honestly, it’s fine.

Actually his mid-range is there... you can hear when he's relaxed and not trying to drive his output volume. When he pushes it he's extending his neck and tightening his shoulders and chest... that's restricting his vocal chords and killing his natural tone. He needs to control his adrenaline and work on breathing and keeping his upper body relaxed. A little less prancing like Tinker Bell and jazz hands and he'll sound fine...

Also he needs to be reminded... he's got 10000 watts of amps driving that voice so he needs to let the gear do the work. I tell singers this all the time... trust the gear and your engineer.

[ZahZoo]

Most social media comments online are super positive.

It's kind of weird and reflects where we are now that I've seen almost nothing about Al Estrada amazing plating. I guess it's the world of YouTube and Chinese children playing impossibly well but playing live like that is entirely different to doing it in your bedroom. Especially as I suspect the band would have been rehearsing on their own.

Roth should big these guys up more and make it feel more like a band so we can pretend it is..

Also worth mentioning without NepoWolfie he wouldn't be doing "Drop Dead Legs", "I'm the One" or "Romeo Delight".

Estrada's playing is excellent... although it is 40+ year old material being played by an Oldies cover band. Amazing guitar work when Ed brought it to us... thankful I saw it when it was real/fresh!

[FORD]

Looks surprisingly healthy for a guy who was rumored to be at death's door when he "retired" a few years back. And sounds better than he has since back in 2007 or so. Whatever changes he's made for health reasons in recent years, hopefully he sticks with it.

[FORD]

Even F A T Ass Hagar loving Eddie Trunk loved Dave's M3 gig. A far better review than I would have expected from him....

[Seshmeister]

Concentrating on the only negative, who from a list of Accept, Winger, Slaughter, Adler or Red Voodoo thinks they have the right to bitch about Roth?

[Terry]

I watched the first couple minutes of Panama on whatever youtube clip it was the day after or a couple days after the gig. It didn't sound bad, lead vocal-wise. The four (or however many it was) black male backup singers on the riser on the side inevitably looked silly, although significantly less silly than those clips of Roth disco shimmying alongside that statue of a Doberman Pincher. And the backup singers sounded good.

Roth is actually scheduled to play at the Tampa Hard Rock Casino about 5 miles away from where I'm at later this summer, I guess. Mrs. Terry told me about it. I kinda rolled my eyes and asked if she wanted to go. She said tickets were starting at $180. I laughed and asked if that was for two tickets. She said no, that was the cheapest ticket price for a single ticket. I laughed even harder, and that was the end of that. While I do have SOME mildly lingering regrets over not having seen Van Halen on the last tour in 2015 at the Ampitheater which was across the highway from the Tampa Hard Rock, when we could have gotten those tickets for $50 a pop, I won't have ANY such regrets over passing on this upcoming Roth solo gig. That free youtube clip of the M3 Festival will more than suffice.

Having said that, I AM going to see Andrew Dice Clay at a comedy club this November. Hickory-dickory-dock ...