Reunited Van Halen Eyeing Fall Arena Run

[gldstwmn]

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/..._id=1003606613

A proposed summer amphitheater tour by a reunited Van Halen that was derailed when guitarist Eddie Van Halen checked into rehab now looks like it may be resurrected as a fall arena run. Several arena holds are in place in major markets for potential Van Halen dates, Billboard.com has learned.

The tour, negotiations for which were first tipped here on Jan. 24, would feature David Lee Roth, Eddie and Alex Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen's teenage son Wolfgang on bass.

Wheels had been in motion for a 40-date, Live Nation-produced amphitheater tour, with original frontman Roth back in the fold for the first time in more than 20 years. Van Halen last toured in 2004 with vocalist Sammy Hagar, grossing nearly $40 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.

But the reunion never got off the ground, and Eddie Van Halen entered a rehabilitation facility for undisclosed reasons in March. In the months since, the artist has been seen publicly looking healthy and fit.


The buzz surrounding the prospect of a Van Halen tour with Roth seems to point toward a successful trek. "I see it absolutely as an inevitability," Roth told Billboard.com more than a year ago regarding a tour with his ex-bandmates. "To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie 'Chicago' -- 'So what? It's showbiz!'"

[Rickypt]

I'll believe it when I see it.

[[email protected]]

That would be cool.
I preferred the original VH (with DLR) to any incarnations after that,....I wonder how his voice is holding up??? I haven't heard him sing in a long time...

[BlackWidow]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

I'll believe it when I see it.

...exactly.

[Lee]

I'm looking forward to it though I am going to miss Mike Anthony. I guess Eddie's son, Wolfie, will have to take a tutor with him on tour. And I guess Valerie is OK with this.

Lee

[gldstwmn]

I think Michael Anthony should be included as well. It wouldn't surprise me if that's how it end up.
I think Wolfie has probably had some kind of guitar in his hand since he could sit up.

[Rickypt]

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/..._id=1003622049

August 06, 2007, 2:10 PM ET
Ray Waddell, Nashville
Sources say a Hollywood press conference in one week will announce a 50-date American arena tour by Van Halen to begin in early October. The tour will feature founding Van Halen members David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen, with Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass.

A proposed summer amphitheater tour by the group, first tipped here in late January, never got off the ground, with Eddie Van Halen entering a rehabilitation facility for undisclosed reasons in March.

In the months since, the artist has been seen publicly looking healthy and fit, and Billboard.com reported a month ago that several arena holds were in place in major markets for potential Van Halen dates.

Van Halen last toured in 2004 with vocalist Sammy Hagar, grossing nearly $40 million, according to Billboard Boxscore. Roth has not fronted the band on tour in more than 20 years.

[skcin]

Rocket surgery. Heehee.

[SuzeQuze]

Don't count on this happening but it really would be something if it does!

[David]

I didn't read the story linked, but is Eddie in remission with his cancer?

[BlackWidow]

Originally Posted by David

I didn't read the story linked, but is Eddie in remission with his cancer?

I believe so...part of his tongue was removed.

[KristinG]

This would be amazing if it really did happen. I always liked Van Halen best with David Lee on vocals...

[Livia]

Another article (Reuters), basically saying the same thing. I think it'll happen, at least as long as they don't kill each other before the first show:

Updated: 7:16 a.m. PT Aug 7, 2007

NASHVILLE - Van Halen will announce a 50-date American reunion tour with original singer David Lee Roth during a news conference in Hollywood next week, sources said.

The arena trek will begin in early October.

Roth, who split from the rock group in the mid-1980s in hopes of solo stardom, will reunite with co-founders Eddie Van Halen on guitar and brother Alex Van Halen on drums. Eddie’s teenage son Wolfgang will sub for Michael Anthony on bass.


A proposed summer amphitheater tour by the group never got off the ground, with Eddie Van Halen entering a rehabilitation facility for undisclosed reasons in March.

In the months since, the guitarist has been seen publicly looking healthy and fit.

Van Halen last toured in 2004, with Roth’s replacement, vocalist Sammy Hagar, grossing nearly $40 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.

[Livia]

Van Halen Tour Kicking Off In Late September
Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth
August 13, 2007, 2:15 PM ET
Mitchell Peters, L.A.
The first leg of Van Halen's long-awaited reunion tour with frontman David Lee Roth will kick off Sept. 27 in Charlotte, N.C., and run through Dec. 11 in Calgary, Alberta. Tickets for the trek, announced today at a Los Angeles media gathering, go on sale beginning Saturday (Aug. 18) via LiveNation.com.

A proposed summer amphitheater tour by the group, first tipped here in late January, never got off the ground, with guitarist Eddie Van Halen entering a rehabilitation facility for undisclosed reasons in March.

Roth has not toured with the act in more than two decades; the bass spot formerly occupied by Michael Anthony will be filled by Eddie Van Halen's teenage son, Wolfgang.

"It's a new band," Roth said. "I've done more rehearsal in the last four months than I've done in the past 20 summers. The whole sound is better than it has ever been."

Roth added, "It was Wolf who picked the song list, and we've got close to 25 of your greatest hits -- all the favorites that you've been hearing tearing out of the back of a pickup truck at the Burger King drive-through for how many summertimes. It's all very well intact -- the same sh*tty attitude but with a whole new look."

Various allusions were made to a potential new Van Halen studio album, which would be the band's first with Roth since the seminal "1984."

"There's a high standard here," Roth said. "We could waddle out there and halfway do it. A band like this could totally come in after an absence of this amount of time and get away with a lot, if we only do one tour. That's not our ambition. This is not like the Police. The idea is that it will continue on and on, and you have to get a good start."

"None of us want to give you less than our best, and we are at our best," Eddie Van Halen added.

For more on today's Van Halen announcement, visit the Billboard blog at JadedInsider.com.

Here are Van Halen's tour dates:

Sept. 27: Charlotte, N.C. (Bobcats Arena)
Sept. 29: Greensboro, N.C. (Coliseum)
Oct. 1: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Oct. 7: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Oct. 10: Cleveland (Quicken Loans Arena)
Oct. 14: Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)
Oct. 16: Chicago (Allstate Arena)
Oct. 18: Chicago (United Center)
Oct. 22: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Oct. 24: Minneapolis (Target Center)
Oct. 26: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Oct. 28: St. Louis (Scottrade Center)
Oct. 30: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
Nov. 3: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)
Nov. 13: New York (Madison Square Garden)
Nov. 20: Los Angeles (Staples Center)
Nov. 23: Glendale, Ariz. (Jobing.com Arena)
Nov. 25: San Diego (Cox Arena)
Nov. 27: Sacramento, Calif. (Arco Arena)
Nov. 29: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Dec. 1: Portland, Ore. (Rose Garden)
Dec. 3: Seattle (Key Arena)
Dec. 5: Vancouver (GM Place)
Dec. 9: Edmonton, Alberta (Rexall Palace)
Dec. 11: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome)

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/..._id=1003625045

[Rickypt]

Why won't bands play the Oakland Coliseum or arena, whatever it's called anymore? San Jose isn't served by public transportation and Sacramento is too far.