I still believe....

[PlexiBrown]

Ed needs a good enema.

[Terry]

Originally posted by Ellyllions
I overheard an interesting conversation on this last night. I could've joined in, but it got a little ridiculous so I just kept my trap shut.

3 fans talking about what's going on and no matter what the real issue is, I realized by listening to them that keeping so quiet about what's going on is the real nail in the coffin for the CVH reputation.

I won't try to transcribe what was said, just wrap it up with...
NO ONE believes that there's not personal conflict that's causing the hiatus. All three of those fans had turned their floor tickets back to TicketBastard and aren't regretting it. They even discussed how the band was probably better off with Hagar because this obviously has to be conflict between Roth and Ed. Their words, "Otherwise, why wouldn't we know what the issue is with Ed's health." They went on to say that word got out about Patrick Swayze, even though it was wrong, and he's not even the big news now-a-days.

Bottom line is that the silence is damaging to anything that the band is trying to do by bringing Roth back. And even more damaging to Roth because of the past appearing to repeat itself.

It seems like the Van Halens got kinda press-shy after VH3 bombed; they perhaps saw what came out of their attempts to manage the perceptions of what happened in 1996 (which is, basically, that people are gonna think what they want to think regardless of who says what), and decided to hunker in the bunker afterwards.

In a way, I can understand where Ed's health and life is really nobody's concern but his own; if he wants people to know about it, he can, but if he wants that to remain private it's certainly his right to do so.

But I also agree that what with the history of Roth and the Van Halens, as well as Ed's own issues with alcoholism, that this virtual blackout of the press and lack of official statements by the PRINCIPAL actors concerned (hint: Valerie Bertinelli and Ed's current girlfriend aren't in that category) are just enabling a climate where everyone is gonna let their imaginations run wild in the absence of something tangible. Something other than a vague announcement that "Ed's in treatment". Well, treatment for what? Being a little more precise wouldn't hurt in terms of generating goodwill towards the fanbase, and particularly those who held tickets for those canceled concert dates.

It's funny, but when I bought the tickets to the 2/18 Tampa show when they went on sale a couple of months before, I told my old lady I put the odds that the show would actually take place at 50/50. Turns out they barely sqeaked that show in before the whole thing came to a halt.

What's gonna happen next time around when tickets go on sale? How many are gonna be willing to pay upfront for a show that they think has a reasonable chance of not even happening? Plus, not providing more of an explanation kinda portrays the Van Halens in an unflattering light; goes a certain way towards confirming that they really don't care nearly as much about those who appreciate their music as the fans do them, and Roth (for whatever reason) is starting to drift towards that same category.

Someone should tell Dave silence and integrity don't always equal the same thing (not always good business sense looking down the line, either).