Why the hell are Dave and the boys getting so much hate this time around?

[Terry]

I agree, but usually they aren't, based on reviews I've read. From what I've seen, most, if not all, of the "hate" has been directed at Dave (at least live anyway). There were numerous times on the tour where people bitched about Dave's vocals at a particular show or specific songs within a show. I'd then check out what they were talking about via youtube and would often completely disagree. I'm a Dave fan (this is the Roth Army after all!), but if he had an off performance, I'm willing to acknowledge that. So yes he had patchy vocal moments in general and seemed to struggle with China Town and HAIL all tour (and like everybody else, I didn't care for the new and unimproved vocal melody on DTNA), but I thought taken as a whole, his vocals were ok.

So circling back to Terry's quote, I would've had a lot more respect for some of these reviewers if they'd just said "great show, but I would've preferred if Dave hadn't (insert whatever their Dave complaint is)" instead of hyperbole like Dave "ruined" a show. Opinions can reflect a greater reality, but in the case of a lot these reviewers, their opinions were just that- opinions (opinions that weren't shared by the thousands of people that had a great time seeing the band this tour).

The perceptions might depend on what one wants/expects to get out of seeing Van Halen in concert.
All I want these days is a good night out and a decent show.
Back when I was in my teens and bought into the myths, hype and image or rock music, seeing Van Halen in 1984 was something of a cross between a religious experience and an orgasm...or maybe it was the anticipation of seeing them live back then a bit more than the concert itself.
These days, even if Roth came out doing the splits off the drum riser as good as he ever had, kicked as high as he ever did and all the screams were intact live sounding just like they did on the records, it'd still just be a great night out and a good time at a concert.
I mean, the music CVH created is timeless for me, but I'm not expecting these guys (or any other pop icon, for that matter) to reinvent the wheel, bring about world peace, end world suffering or cure cancer.
It's only rock and roll.

[chuckjitsu]

The perceptions might depend on what one wants/expects to get out of seeing Van Halen in concert.
All I want these days is a good night out and a decent show.
Back when I was in my teens and bought into the myths, hype and image or rock music, seeing Van Halen in 1984 was something of a cross between a religious experience and an orgasm...or maybe it was the anticipation of seeing them live back then a bit more than the concert itself.
These days, even if Roth came out doing the splits off the drum riser as good as he ever had, kicked as high as he ever did and all the screams were intact live sounding just like they did on the records, it'd still just be a great night out and a good time at a concert.
I mean, the music CVH created is timeless for me, but I'm not expecting these guys (or any other pop icon, for that matter) to reinvent the wheel, bring about world peace, end world suffering or cure cancer.
It's only rock and roll.

I can't tell you how awesome it is that you saw them the 1st time around with Dave! Where'd you see them? What do you remember about the show? Many years ago I worked with a guy who saw Led Zeppelin in L.A. in like '71. I was just in awe of that. I asked him what he remembered about it and he said he couldn't remember a lot except that "it was really fuckin' loud!!". Said he had good seats too. The bastard!

[Angel]

I can't tell you how awesome it is that you saw them the 1st time around with Dave! Where'd you see them? What do you remember about the show? Many years ago I worked with a guy who saw Led Zeppelin in L.A. in like '71. I was just in awe of that. I asked him what he remembered about it and he said he couldn't remember a lot except that "it was really fuckin' loud!!". Said he had good seats too. The bastard!

Hmmm...saw them 79, 80 & 81. Tix were around $8. No such thing as "good seats" then. Those were the days of general admission. I was front row, centre stage every time...although I had to move out of front row for the Fair Warning tour due to a cardiac issue.

[BITEYOASS]

Why the hell is Dave and the boys getting so much hate this time around?

Fuck if I know! I prefer to point the blame on the sheep.

[Terry]

I can't tell you how awesome it is that you saw them the 1st time around with Dave! Where'd you see them? What do you remember about the show? Many years ago I worked with a guy who saw Led Zeppelin in L.A. in like '71. I was just in awe of that. I asked him what he remembered about it and he said he couldn't remember a lot except that "it was really fuckin' loud!!". Said he had good seats too. The bastard!

The one thing that still stands out about the 1984 show I saw was that it was the single biggest indoor arena show I'd seen up to that point in terms of stage production. The amount of lights, the multiple backdrops, the size of the stage. It was pretty loud, although the loudest band I've ever seen would still have to be Deep Purple in 1985. I do remember during the 1984 show when Eddie took his solo spot that his amps were cranking.
The thing of it was that back then, the only live stuff of Van Halen that I'd seen up to that point were the MTV Fair Warning promos and the edited footage of the US Festival broadcast on cable from the year before. I had no idea what the setlist was going to be, or what the stage looked like...it was a good ten years before all of this high-tech hyper mass communication technology was available...so, in other words, there were no spoilers (unlike, say, this last tour, where one had ample opportunities to see the band in rehearsals on youtube well before the first dates even went on sale).
Even when the opening band (Autograph) was playing, there was this huge backdrop that covered the entire stage set. Then Autograph finishes, there is a short interval, the lights go out, then the band is announced and Eddie starts churning out the Unchained riff. When the entire band kicks in, BAM! The stage lights come up, Roth does a split off a drum riser that seems ridiculously high and the crowd erupts.
Nothing short of stunning, and what is even more remarkable is that years later when I started collecting boots I came to realize that [the 1984 tour] this wasn't even CVH's best tour far as the amount of songs, level of energy and enthusiasm.

[chuckjitsu]

Hmmm...saw them 79, 80 & 81. Tix were around $8. No such thing as "good seats" then. Those were the days of general admission. I was front row, centre stage every time...although I had to move out of front row for the Fair Warning tour due to a cardiac issue.

Awesome! Any standout memories from the shows?

[Angel]

Awesome! Any standout memories from the shows?

TONS of interaction with the band! Eddie kissed my hand, Dave announcing what I had just yelled to the audience, Dave singing Ice Cream Man to "me". Don't know how he does it, but somehow Dave makes everyone in front row feel like he's singing directly to you. I could've sworn he was looking directly into my eyes. Passing a joint to Dave which got passed to Ed and Mike before being handed back to me. (I kept that roach for a long time, lol).

Damn Good Times....

[fraroc]

The one thing that still stands out about the 1984 show I saw was that it was the single biggest indoor arena show I'd seen up to that point in terms of stage production. The amount of lights, the multiple backdrops, the size of the stage. It was pretty loud, although the loudest band I've ever seen would still have to be Deep Purple in 1985. I do remember during the 1984 show when Eddie took his solo spot that his amps were cranking.
The thing of it was that back then, the only live stuff of Van Halen that I'd seen up to that point were the MTV Fair Warning promos and the edited footage of the US Festival broadcast on cable from the year before. I had no idea what the setlist was going to be, or what the stage looked like...it was a good ten years before all of this high-tech hyper mass communication technology was available...so, in other words, there were no spoilers (unlike, say, this last tour, where one had ample opportunities to see the band in rehearsals on youtube well before the first dates even went on sale).
Even when the opening band (Autograph) was playing, there was this huge backdrop that covered the entire stage set. Then Autograph finishes, there is a short interval, the lights go out, then the band is announced and Eddie starts churning out the Unchained riff. When the entire band kicks in, BAM! The stage lights come up, Roth does a split off a drum riser that seems ridiculously high and the crowd erupts.
Nothing short of stunning, and what is even more remarkable is that years later when I started collecting boots I came to realize that [the 1984 tour] this wasn't even CVH's best tour far as the amount of songs, level of energy and enthusiasm.

I concur. With the setlists I've seen, it seems like on the 1984 tour, VH did way too much from the 84 album for the concerts. they did absolutley zero from the second album. Not even Dance the Night Away. No So this is Love, No Sombody get me a doctor....Judging from the 84 Montreal bootleg concert, it was a monstrous tour but still.....

[loucap81]

They truly were just going through the motions on the 1984 tour other than the Quebec City show where they really made sure those people got a good show, and actually sounded like a band. I really hate the 1984 shows though, when you compare them to the previous five tours. Setlist sucked, I despise Eddie's painful, harsh guitar tone on that tour, awful electronic drums, inclusion of the keyboards, Roth spent half the show doing stand up comedy, and the execution was often sloppy. Lots of blatant screwups on the recordings as they were probably more drugged than ever on that tour.

[ALMOSTsaved]

Roth spent half the show doing stand up comedy, and the execution was often sloppy.

Agree. I was thirteen when I caught this show in Biloxi, MS. I'd seen the "Fair Warning" (GREAT) and "Diver Down" (BEST SHOW EVER) tours and "1984" paled in comparison to both. Sure the stage was amazing and it was the closest seats I'd ever had BUT, the comedy routine...the stopping of the songs to tell stories got to be so intense, that even "I" at my age was relieved when the songs would start again. I was also baffled by the exclusion of "Dance The Night Away" and "Bottom's Up!"

[minkahed]

Maybe I must not be a real fan or something , but I've heard and seen Van Halen from the incredible '84 tour and they were simply phenomenol, their absolute professional and commercial peak.

I can honestly say that when I had heard Dave was gone and Sammy was his replacement, tears filled my eyes. I was just a kid, but classic Van Halen were to me what the Beatles were to my uncles.

[ELVIS]

No fuckin' way!!!!

[minkahed]

No way what EP?

[Sensible Shoes]

Just ignore him.

[Angel]

Just ignore him.

Works for me!