The DLR Cast

[paltrowitz]

Hi Kristy:

"So here's my question to you: why the obsession with this guy? He surely stopped being relevant back in what what I can guess is mid-1988. Can't be that is a poor man's nostalgia traveling act or that even his reunion with Eddie resurrected his sad career. Whatever Roth's alleged health issues I'll give him credit for choosing to hang for good although it stands as a decision he made to be entirely about himself and not for his most devoted followers. Roth's last hurrah to milk his fans for every red cent hew can get and then fuck off into the sunset of regret is shameful. Fans such as yourself deserve better."

I hear you. A lot of people are saying the same things you are. And the little people wearing blackface in the "A Little Ain't Enough" music video is just tip of the iceberg when it comes to "oh boy, this didn't age well" in the DLR world, haha.

Every classic artist has their ups and downs, creatively and commercially. And most of those artists towards the end, it is nowhere near as great as it was. But if given the choice between "some DLR" and "no DLR," I think it's an easy decision/answer there. See the legends while you still can. Cherish the opportunities if/while you still can. Experiences over belongings.

At the very least, these shows are a celebration of sorts, and I enjoy hanging with other DLR fans. "No Big 'Ting" (see what I did there?) if you disagree, but I had saved some money, banked some vacation days, my wife also wanted to go, and it sure beats sitting around watching TV. For me, at least, haha.

If our common ground is that Dave was awesome in the 1970s and most of the 1980s, that's not such a bad common ground after all.

[paltrowitz]

I hear ya. I was already going to Vegas -- cheaper hotel and flight combos that time of year, and my wife and I got married in Vegas so it's a city we have good memories about -- so that influenced our decision to extend our trip (we both work remotely) and go to some DLR shows.

Then he announced more shows, and my company announced an on-site week near Vegas around those new shows... so, uh, yeah, I bought in.

As opposed to "These shows are going to be amazing, I'm going to route my life around this and specifically fly out for this" haha.

But I wouldn't mind being wrong.

[Kristy]

Glad the show is on your radar at the very least.

Totally open to guest ideas. Pitch away.

And I'll be at 7 of the Vegas shows -- hope to see some of you there.

-Darren

Hardly. There are already too many podcast out there that stand as being nothing more than fronts for corporate advertisements with most being more depressing than an family funeral. As for Roth himself...I have zero respect for the guy but am fascinated how he has maintained strange currency of popularity when he has pissed away career more than once. Maybe in the classic Van Halen heyday he modernized the whole rock star personification of sex, drugs and alcohol living the wanton dream of self-indulgence until it became a parody for him. Roth to me is nothing more than a Midwestern kid who moved to California and found himself at the right place at the right time. Eddie made Roth's success for it was Eddie's wizkid phenomenal guitar playing that attracted so many to be VH fans, not Roth. The whole "Diamond Dave" shtick was clever marketing on Roth's part simply because he possessed little talent to his own. He was never a strong vocalist often noted for going off key due to having a lack of register, a mediocre songwriter who yelped and screamed between lyrical breaks in the songs.

Roth sold himself on being Diamond Dave. He was an attractive guy in the early 80's and women fawned over him and every repressed male (like Von) had homoerotic fantasies about being him. Roth saturated Van Halen with so much self-gloss to the point the rest of band grew tired off his ridiculous antics. I can see why Eddie fired him out of disgust then creative difference and direction. Roth didn't even know he had it so good until he well ran dry. Yes, you can make for arguments there there are plenty of frontman who soiled their career for the sake of egotism but nobody fucked it up like Roth. Now look out the guy. He's a pitiable wreckage of a human being. He can no longer hit any high notes without his bronchial pipe cracking like Rosanne on thin ice his stage athletics are like a nursing home arthritic yoga shuffle and wardrobe is an obvious cry for help.

So here's my question to you: why the obsession with this guy? He surely stopped being relevant back in what what I can guess is mid-1988. Can't be that is a poor man's nostalgia traveling act or that even his reunion with Eddie resurrected his sad career. Whatever Roth's alleged health issues I'll give him credit for choosing to hang for good although it stands as a decision he made to be entirely about himself and not for his most devoted followers. Roth's last hurrah to milk his fans for every red cent hew can get and then fuck off into the sunset of regret is shameful. Fans such as yourself deserve better.

[Von Halen]

Good to see you here Darren, I'll be working my way back through some more of the podcasts.

The reference to me and Von appearing was just a little in joke as a back in 2017 we were asked the VH Unchained podcast, partly because we had reported/started a rumor which picked up a lot of traction but ended up being false.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000498306258

In defense of the "false" rumor, I'm sure Ed's health issues contributed to that ultimately not coming to fruition.

I have a couple of buddies going to the last Dave shows. I was invited, and politely declined. Yes, I can be polite at times. My first Van Halen show was in 1978. My last show was 2015. Even though Mike wasn't with VH in 2015, it was Ed and Dave. I prefer my last live memory of my favorite band, to be as Van Halen. I have zero interest in a VH cover band, even if it is being fronted by Dave, and even if the guitarists are phenomenal. I am very comfortable with this decision.

[paltrowitz]

Cool! Well, not telling you no or anything. Email me (Darren.Paltrowitz@gmail.com), tell me what you've got going and maybe we can tape something. If no album or book or proper thing to plug, maybe you'd be suitable for a topic-based episode. Thx.

[Seshmeister]

Good to see you here Darren, I'll be working my way back through some more of the podcasts.

The reference to me and Von appearing was just a little in joke as a back in 2017 we were asked the VH Unchained podcast, partly because we had reported/started a rumor which picked up a lot of traction but ended up being false.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-roth-army-opens-up/id1102231619?i=1000498306258

[paltrowitz]

Those dudes sound old and decrypted. I can see slave SESH on the podcast but leave Von at home. Save the embarrassment.

Glad the show is on your radar at the very least.

Totally open to guest ideas. Pitch away.

And I'll be at 7 of the Vegas shows -- hope to see some of you there.

-Darren

[Kristy]

Those dudes sound old and decrypted. I can see slave SESH on the podcast but leave Von at home. Save the embarrassment.

[Seshmeister]

I wonder if Von and I will be asked on?

[ZahZoo]

Didn't even know that pod cast existed... thanks!!

[Seshmeister]

We really should be paying more attention to these guys who are doing a great job with a DLR podcast.

Latest episode includes an interview with John 5 discussing his work on the unreleased stuff with Roth and the DLR Band album.