Your worst nighmare?

[fwacf]

Met Lou in Atlantic City....Stand up guy & knows his VH!

[Terry]

Well Mike was an IDIOT for renouncing his rights to the royalties IMO. That was part of the 2004 Van Hagar tour deal--he had to give up the royalties to be a part of that tour. I believe that's common knowledge. Maybe he doesn't care about money, I don't know. Also I misspoke slightly, he wasn't a contract employee of the band but rather an "independent contractor" which means you have to pay double FICA on income in the US which means you're also screwed on that end.

BTW I know you guys get alot of these he said, she said rumors. Maybe you don't know who I am but I've been posting on VH message boards since I was a 19 year old college kid in 2000 back on the old Pleasure Dome. Then I came here in 2001, found a home at DDLR in 2004 and now I'm back here. I've met a lot of people on here including three weeks ago at Greensboro so despite the new username, I'm not one of these "first time poster, fly by night" people with some bullshit story.

Anyway that's what the guy told me in 2008 while we went to Hershey, PA together. Last time I saw him was happenstance, this past March in Reading, PA as he was standing in the front row, with his tour pass. We made eye contact, he came over and talked to me, and he broke the news of the setlist changes as well as the whole "Light Up the Sky" thing where it was played three times in soundcheck (which he said he was the only one around for that), and it was on the official setlist but pulled at the last minute.

Well, in some ways I can't blame Anthony for signing away whatever rights he had to the name Van Halen in 2004 going forward (although I don't think he signed away any royalty rights on the stuff he played on), because looking at Eddie in 2004 who would've even thought Van Halen would have been around touring in 2007 or 2012?

Seriously, Eddie looked fucking DONE on the 2004 tour. By 2006, he looked even worse.

Perhaps the biggest miracle isn't so much that Roth rejoined the band, but that Ed was able to pull himself back from the abyss.

[DONNIEP]

Doesn't surprise me that the '04 tour was a bailout for Al. And it doesn't surprise me that they contacted Dave but it didn't work out. Dave probably had a couple of meetings with Crypt Keeper Ed and said fuck this. Obviously Dave wasn't as washed up and desperate as some people like to make out. And it makes sense that they'd say, "well, call Sammy then." Hell, Sammy'd tattoo his balls red with white and black stripes to get back in the band. And Mike says he did it 'cause he truly felt that if this was going to be the last tour then he wanted to be a part of it. Sounds like all of that matches up exactly with what Lou said - as if there was any doubt anyway.

[Jetstream]

Mick Jagger and David Lee Roth BOTH have a great voice, it is a unique tone full of character that is all their own. Let's not get American Idol here with rock and start judging it by the generic pop/R&B standard of an American Idol critique and look at it according to "gee, he could smoothly hit all those notes in the Church Choir"

[DONNIEP]

[fwacf]

This is a period in time I wish would dissaper! Kinda like when you wake up with the FAT CHICK and do the cayote arm chew!

[sadaist]

Kinda like when you wake up with the FAT CHICK and do the cayote arm chew!

[sadaist]

nice story...but we had too many of these "I know a friend, who knows somebody who heard from somebody" - storys...

BTW...5 K per show isn't that bad..even for MA...it's 400.000 for 80 shows. A tour costs a shitload of money, don't expect the guys in VH to make a million every night...it's closer to the 5k's than you'd think...

I'd really love to know how much each guy actually gets a check for on each arena show after all the lawyers, accountants, managers, etc get their cut.

I always wonder with bands like Y&T that play these tiny clubs all around the US. How is it even enough money to cover their travel & hotels? Even is staying at the local Super 8. I swear theres like 150 people at these shows.

[fourthcoming]

Met Lou in Atlantic City....Stand up guy & knows his VH!

I second that.

[SparkieD]

Lou doesn't come across as some know-it-all. Shit, the guys been chasing VH up and down the east coast and has probably met more Army peeps than any of us. I'm a cynical bitch and tend to take a lot of what people say with a grain of salt, but he's the real deal.

Have any of you had a chance to read the interview I spoke of earlier in the thread yet? I recall a couple of other things Mike said in it. For one, he gave himself far more credit for the vocals than he deserved. He also said Dave had to buy all of his friends. HA! That stupid motherfucker hasn't been to the Army, has he? Is there a forum devoted to him anywhere in Internetland?

[loucap81]

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised (and this is just my conjecture) if Dave took a look at Eddie's condition in 2004 and correctly ascertained it wasn't going to work. Out of curiosity I looked at some 2004 videos, which I hadn't done since 2004, to see if Ed was really THAT bad and yes, he was. That was total rock bottom, it goes beyond anger that they reunited with Hagar and it's so sad to watch. Ed really looked like someone who didn't have much longer to live, and he played so badly it kills you that someone with that much talent was playing like that. It's miraculous that he turned his life around and regained top form playing.

I would love to read that MA interview but I can't find it. It'd be great if someone could track it down.

[fourthcoming]

I wonder if Dave had the foresight in 2004 to know enough that it would end bad and step aside and let Sammy deal with the trainwreck....knowing it would go bad....leaving Sam out of the picture once and for all...and then waiting for the absolute perfect moment to come back. No more Cherone, no chance of Sammy again.....all of a sudden....Dave has the ball in his court....tables turned, no one else to sing for VH....record company breathing down VH's neck......Told Ya I was coming back....say you missed me, say it like you mean it.

[sadaist]

I recall a couple of other things Mike said in it. For one, he gave himself far more credit for the vocals than he deserved. He also said Dave had to buy all of his friends. HA! That stupid motherfucker hasn't been to the Army, has he? Is there a forum devoted to him anywhere in Internetland?

A couple things. Remember the RRHOF video at the beginning of the induction? Sammy was talking about Mike because no one else would. Sam said Mike is the background vocal sound...LIKE IT OR NOT...IT'S MIKE. HAHAHA! Like it or not? Even then Sammy knew.

Second - there is a VH early years thing on youtube that is like 7 parts. In part 5 or so they are talking about the 1984 tour & Mike talks shit about Dave. Saying how they were all fighting backstage & then would go out for the show & Dave would be all chummy with him. Mike said "wtf? you are gonna put on a show for me?"...umm no. Dave knows enough to leave backstage problems where they belong...backstage.

The 2004 tour they all dragged that shit right onto the stage with them & everyone saw how bad it was. And Sam says he brought the professionalism to VH? What a fucking joke.

[VimFuego]

Wolfgang grew up with Sammy and Mike around.
Wolfgang starts his musical career with Dave.

Speaks volumes on Sam and Mike.

[clarathecarrot]

Call me one of the few, but having a couple beers and sitting in the back yard chilling and playing that Blue Grass cd of Daves, is a good time.

There are some fine musicians on there and it all comes thru.

I dig bluegrass though, so....?