Funny VH Tidbits from interview with Autograph member

[Mr Walker]

FIB Music: What was it like touring with Van Halen? Any cool stories from the road?
Steve: The experience was really good but there were a lot of restrictions. I was told I couldn't use my hammering technique because it was "Eddie's thing", which I was completely turned off by, especially when I had developed the technique years before I had ever heard of him. The other things that we were restricted were we couldn't say the name of the city we were in because that was "David's thing", we were very limited in our volume to a point of being ridiculous, they wouldn't allow us to put our name on the marquee, we had to be out of the backstage hallways before and after their show....and the list went on and on. I thought it all was a big joke, but realized it wasn't when they said if any of the "rules" were broken we would be fired from the tour immediately.

[lesfunk]

Geez, Van Halen sounds like a bunch of Assholes...

[chefcraig]

Yep. I recall reading in some magazine in the early eighties that the group had a "No Blond Lead Singers" policy for their opening bands. Dee Snyder even volunteered to die his in order to get Twisted Sister a shot, yet VH turned him down flat.

[WARF]

Also anyone caught wearing a mullet, will be fired.... that is Mikeys' thing!

[Mr Walker]

Also anyone caught wearing a mullet, will be fired.... that is Mikeys' thing!

LOL!

If the bass player in the opening band rides the open e string for longer than two measures they will be fired... that's Mikey's thing as well!

[GAR]

Geez, Van Halen sounds like a bunch of Assholes...

That's a not-nice thing you said right there Lesfunk.

You take that back about those assholes!

[WARF]

If I was in change of the tour, I would have been a dickhead... and let the bulletboys open for these assholes!

[GAR]

Anyone caught possesing cocaine, money for cocaine, or a phone number of someone having cocaine must forfeit that, too.

That's Eds thing.

[Mr Walker]

Any drummer who lets the lead singer fuck his gal will be fired... that's Al's thing!

[WARF]

Anyone caught playing air guitar during, "When it's Love" will be fired!

That's Mr. Walkers thing!

[Nickdfresh]

Ha! I recall hearing back in the 80s that Van Halen really liked to find opening bands that they considered to be sort of suck-ass after Talas in 1980 in order to make themselves look great on nights that maybe they weren't so great...

[FORD]

Ha! I recall hearing back in the 80s that Van Halen really liked to find opening bands that they considered to be sort of suck-ass after Talas in 1980 in order to make themselves look great on nights that maybe they weren't so great...

Well they DID have "After The Fire" opening on the 82 tour, and all those guys were known for was a half-assed Falco cover.

[Antman]

Anyone caught possesing cocaine, money for cocaine, or a phone number of someone having cocaine must forfeit that, too.

That's Eds thing.

That was the one thing they were actually allowed...

[WARF]

That was the one thing they were actually allowed...

I think there was a clause in the contract, "No Washington's"...

Meaning they could only roll bills 5 dollars and higher...

[Terry]

FIB Music: What was it like touring with Van Halen? Any cool stories from the road?
Steve: The experience was really good but there were a lot of restrictions. I was told I couldn't use my hammering technique because it was "Eddie's thing", which I was completely turned off by, especially when I had developed the technique years before I had ever heard of him. The other things that we were restricted were we couldn't say the name of the city we were in because that was "David's thing", we were very limited in our volume to a point of being ridiculous, they wouldn't allow us to put our name on the marquee, we had to be out of the backstage hallways before and after their show....and the list went on and on. I thought it all was a big joke, but realized it wasn't when they said if any of the "rules" were broken we would be fired from the tour immediately.

Oh brother. Steve "I was doing the two-handed technique way before Eddie" Lynch pissing and moaning. I saw one of those shows Autograph opened for Van Halen, and Autograph could have had full use of Van Halens stage, played what they wanted and said what they wanted. Van Halen still would have blown them off the stage because the truth of the matter is Autograph just weren't as good Van Halen.