![]() Debut album breaks the Billboard top twenty, sells over 2 million in the first year and sets a high bar for successful first albums not to mention untouchable guitar shredding and foot to ass front man swagger. From there they go to England to open for Black Sabbath on their last tour with Ozzy. – 1978 “First World Tour” 1978 – 167 dates, 2 cancellations – Their first world tour had them opening for Journey and Montrose only to be kicked off the tour by Journey for being too good. Warner Brothers records thinks otherwise and signs them. Kiss’ disco-oriented record label Casablanca tells Simmons they’ll never make it. They are soon courted by Gene Simmons of Kiss who produces their demo and tries to change the name of the band to Daddy Longlegs. club circuit regulars, playing regular dates at Gazzari’s, the Whiskey A Go-Go, and the Starwood. – 1977 – Pre-record contract: Van Halen become L.A. Also included are details from each campaign showing that Van Halen were as serious about touring as they were about bringing their party ethos to the masses. Here is a time line in tee shirt form of Van Halen’s six world tours from ’78 – ’84. You might not be popular, you might not be wearing the right shoes, but if you were wearing the tee shirt from the Van Halen concert the night before, something must be o.k. Certain bands’ tees bestowed that modicum of coolness that reached beyond the cliques and posing and delivered, like some armored suit of ultimate bad assedness, a confidant and swaggering fashion manifesto to which all viewers gave credence to. Growing up in late 70’s and 80’s, you’d see friends going to school wearing the concert tee shirt they bought the night before. record biz tycoons without any worry that the cops will show to break up the fun. Seeing them live during Roth’s tenure was much like a house party throw-down bankrolled by L.A. Van Halen were a group that was born from the backyard Hollywood party scene of the mid-70’s and ended up developing a live show based on this bacchanalian aesthetic. Almost like a rock and roll sitcom/variety show, California style. It also established a rock iconography all their own. party lothario/game show host frontmanship as well. The first six albums of VH during the years 1977 – 1984 gave to the world anthems like “Running with the Devil”, “Unchained”, and “Panama” and proved not only Eddie Van Halen’s unassailable guitar virtuosity but David Lee Roth’s L.A. Inarguably, the David Lee Roth years of the band Van Halen were the best. Ain't Talkin' Bout Hagar - Van Halen circa Diamond Dave
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