Van Halen Audio from Donington, 8/18/84

[toomanycats]

Setlist:
1. Unchained
2. Hot For Teacher
3. Drum Solo
4. On Fire
5. Runnin' With The Devil
6. Little Guitars
7. House Of Pain
8. Bass Solo
9. I'll Wait
10. Pretty Woman
11. 1984
12. Jump
13. Eruption
14. Panama
15. You Really Got Me

[mikesr1963]

Cocaine is a powerful drug.

[toomanycats]

Cocaine is a powerful drug.

Yes indeed, the tempos are noticeably speedy. Eddie begins to do this obsessive-compulsive whammy bar "woo woo woo woo" thing around this time, most noticeably on "Hot for Teacher." That sound to me signifies his running out of fresh musical/melodic ideas and falling back on a monotonous trick.

[Tsukiyomi]

I was there for this (my first Donington visit had been the year before, mostly for Whitesnake but ZZ Top and Dio were on the bill too) but have never even thought to look for the audio for this before. Cheers for the share, bro

[PsychoCid]

Cocaine is a powerful drug.

Yes indeed, the tempos are noticeably speedy. Eddie begins to do this obsessive-compulsive whammy bar "woo woo woo woo" thing around this time, most noticeably on "Hot for Teacher." That sound to me signifies his running out of fresh musical/melodic ideas and falling back on a monotonous trick.

Insightful observation. I see it.

Also, it ain't Dave's fault he doesn't have time to fit the lyrics in.

Cocaine is a powerful drug.

Heh. I was young yet the first time my mom told me "Everybody knew Eddie was on speed"

[PsychoCid]

LOL @ 13:34 to 13:47

You can really feel Eddie's playing from his headspace here. Oh the things Val must have gone through. And what a long journey it's been since

To help with perspective though, look at the context. In a short few years Ed went from a kid in his garage, to playing backyards, to Gazzaris to Stadiums. Everything he touch turned to gold, while he was still basically a kid.

So you rocket to the top and then, where do you go? It is just as unhealthy to be at the top as the bottom. The middle shows your accomplishment but still gives us something to strive for.

[toomanycats]

Colt 45 Malt Liquor and Marlboro Reds, the official beverage and cigarette of Pasadena style rock and rock. (Schlitz wanted the endorsement deal but lost the bidding war)

LOOK CLOSER . . .

[PsychoCid]

Colt 45 Malt Liquor and Marlboro Reds, the official beverage and cigarette of Pasadena style rock and rock. (Schlitz wanted the endorsement deal but lost the bidding war)




ber and sif.jpeg


LOOK CLOSER . . .


der.jpeg

It'd be funny if there was any connection between Colt 45 and the Baretta.

Can't quite tell what's beside the can on the right...

[Rollin Hand]

We all know the real reason Ed was drinking Colt 45....



It was his secret to staying thin. Drink Colt 45 (or Schlitz), get the beer trots, do a bump while you're in there if Mike had the newspaper and you had nothing better to do.

[Brendan]

Damn, a drum solo two songs in.

[toomanycats]

Damn, a drum solo two songs in.

It's well known that Alex had to do the drum solo early in the show because he was alway too wasted to do it later.

[toomanycats]

Colt 45 Malt Liquor and Marlboro Reds, the official beverage and cigarette of Pasadena style rock and rock. (Schlitz wanted the endorsement deal but lost the bidding war)




ber and sif.jpeg


LOOK CLOSER . . .


der.jpeg

Can't quite tell what's beside the can on the right...

????

[toomanycats]

Here's another Van Halen "WTF is that in this photo" trivia question . . . What in the hell is this guy behind Eddie eating? Or is he really just pulling on his badly infected tongue?

[Raindog]

Hey [mention]Tsukiyomi[/mention] I was there too! I remember not being super impressed by VH (I had seen them twice before in better form) but was blown away by AC/DC. The complete lineup for Monsters of Rock 5:

Motley Crue
Accept (great set)
Y&T (good set)
Gary Moore (killed!)
Ozzy Osbourne
VH
AC/DC (best that I have ever seen them)

BTW, this was David Lee Roth's final appearance with VH in the UK.

Shirt:

Front

Back

[Tsukiyomi]

Hey @Tsukiyomi I was there too! I remember not being super impressed by VH (I had seen them twice before in better form) but was blown away by AC/DC. The complete lineup for Monsters of Rock 5:

Motley Crue
Accept (great set)
Y&T (good set)
Gary Moore (killed!)
Ozzy Osbourne
VH
AC/DC (best that I have ever seen them)

BTW, this was David Lee Roth's final appearance with VH in the UK.

Shirt:

aaa.jpgaab.jpg

Damn, what are the chances? I remember Gary Moore being on fire, Ozzy being blond and AC/DC absolutely kicking arse. VH - and to an extent, Crue - were still something of a novelty to me in a "So this is how American bands do it?" kind of way.

It was the only time I ever saw Dave with VH and my last Donington until '88 (the one with the deaths, where me and my then GF were right at the very front by the time KISS came on). As another quick aside, I remember everyone and his dog with a copy of Kerrang! in their back pockets or standing around reading it in between acts & trips to the beer tents.

And that's a great t-shirt!

[Raindog]

It was the only time I ever saw Dave with VH and my last Donington until '88 (the one with the deaths, where me and my then GF were right at the very front by the time KISS came on). As another quick aside, I remember everyone and his dog with a copy of Kerrang! in their back pockets or standing around reading it in between acts & trips to the beer tents.

True about the Kerrang! But I remember the flying bottles of piss even more.

[Tsukiyomi]

It was the only time I ever saw Dave with VH and my last Donington until '88 (the one with the deaths, where me and my then GF were right at the very front by the time KISS came on). As another quick aside, I remember everyone and his dog with a copy of Kerrang! in their back pockets or standing around reading it in between acts & trips to the beer tents.

True about the Kerrang! But I remember the flying bottles of piss even more.

I was this close to mentioning the plastic Olde English bottles flying overhead... I'll forever associate that cider with the smell of pee, rain and biker sweat

[PsychoCid]

Good lord'n'butter

[toomanycats]

Damn, this stuff is coming out daily. Here's the The Mighty VH in Hollywood Florida on 1/21/84. It was posted just yesterday. The band is on fire in this recording! God, I need a time machine!!!!

On a lot of live recording of "House of Pain" Ed just plays the rhythm guitar part during the double time middle section, but he rips some insane licks here at 27:46.

[PsychoCid]

Damn, this stuff is coming out daily. Here's the The Mighty VH in Hollywood Florida on 1/21/84. It was posted just yesterday. The band is on fire in this recording! God, I need a time machine!!!!

On a lot of live recording of "House of Pain" Ed just plays the rhythm guitar part during the double time middle section, but he rips some insane licks here at 27:46.

vh.jpeg

As much as I love those jeans, I have a hard time conceptualizing where they could be worn today

Great to hear Ed sounding more like Ed here

[toomanycats]

Damn, this stuff is coming out daily. Here's the The Mighty VH in Hollywood Florida on 1/21/84. It was posted just yesterday. The band is on fire in this recording! God, I need a time machine!!!!

On a lot of live recording of "House of Pain" Ed just plays the rhythm guitar part during the double time middle section, but he rips some insane licks here at 27:46.

vh.jpeg

As much as I love those jeans, I have a hard time conceptualizing where they could be worn today

Ed's or Dave's jeans?

I'd rock those jeans of Eddie's at my next gig, without shame or irony. Hell yeah.

But Dave's . . . IDK, maybe on Richard Simmon's next "Sweatin' to the Oldies" cruise, after the COVID-19 thing blows over and such events resume.

[PsychoCid]

Damn, this stuff is coming out daily. Here's the The Mighty VH in Hollywood Florida on 1/21/84. It was posted just yesterday. The band is on fire in this recording! God, I need a time machine!!!!

On a lot of live recording of "House of Pain" Ed just plays the rhythm guitar part during the double time middle section, but he rips some insane licks here at 27:46.

vh.jpeg

As much as I love those jeans, I have a hard time conceptualizing where they could be worn today

Great to hear Ed sounding more like Ed here

Lol Ed's. Absolutely no problem wearing those to a gig, but harder as street wear these days. I mean you can pull anything off if you own it, but that'd be on the tougher side.

Whereas Dave's jeans I think were in fashion again like 2010-2015. They'll be back in another decade or three.

[Tsukiyomi]

But wait - there's more...

[toomanycats]

But wait - there's more...

WOW!

Some thoughts and questions.

Imagine being in the audience and having no conception of who Van Halen was, and then they explode into "I'm On Fire". Mind-blown.

That guitar tone! [mention]PsychoCid[/mention], what pickup would that likely have been?

Just think, he's using a standard Fender tremolo here. I've read about all the tricks Ed used to stay in tune . . . but still, its hard to believe.

[PsychoCid]

But wait - there's more...

WOW!

Some thoughts and questions.

Imagine being in the audience and having no conception of who Van Halen was, and then they explode into "I'm On Fire". Mind-blown.

That guitar tone! @PsychoCid, what pickup would that likely have been?

Just think, he's using a standard Fender tremolo here. I've read about all the tricks Ed used to stay in tune . . . but still, its hard to believe.

Dear lord. It's 2020 and I'm trying to identify a pickup from 1978 into an arena with who knows what mic via a YouTube video playing through my phone. What has the world come to?

I dunno, man. How peaky do you think it sounds?

Eruption peaky, try a Williams Attackbucker
(Ed's homemade monstrosity with one dead coil)

If you think it it's more mid-range with some fat honk, try a Duncan 78

Who knows how many pickups came and went in there...