Check Out This Unreleased Take of “Running With The Devil” by Van Halen


The popular fan site Van Halen News Desk has uncovered a doozy of a lost take. The site shared a clip from YouTuber Groovefunkel Second Helping has uploaded an alternate take of the classic first song heard on Van Halen’s 1978 debut, featuring a different vocal track by David Lee Roth and an extended Eddie Van Halen guitar solo. Check it out right now! Continue reading


Epicenter Books Disturbed, Godsmack, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deftones, Papa Roach, Staind, David Lee Roth, Chevelle, Gojira and for 2020 Fest


Finally! After the announcement of Metallica performing at all the Danny Wimmer Presents Fests in 2020, now the full lineup of Epicenter is here, and it’s stacked! Among the bands booked are Disturbed, Godsmack, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deftones, Papa Roach, Papa Roach, Staind, David Lee Roth, Chevelle, Gojira, Royal Blood, Cypress Hill, Rancid, I Prevail, Anthrax, Dropkick Murphys, Alter Bridge and more. Check out the early bird discount tickets and the full poster below!Continue reading


Bart Walsh, Former Guitarist for David Lee Roth, Dead as Age 56


Sad news to report as former David Lee Roth guitarist Bart Walsh has reportedly died. He was just 56. No cause of death has as yet been revealed. Ex-Mötley Crüe frontman John Corabi paid tribute to Bart on social media, writing: “R.I.P. Bart Walsh ….A great guy, talented guitar player, and always beyond helpful when I worked at Gibson Guitars…I hope you’re happy playing guitar up there buddy!!!! You’ll be missed…” Walsh’s death was also reported by a DLR fan account. Walsh was the original guitarist for the Van Halen tribute band The Atomic Punks, which also once featured singer Ralph Saenz, now better known as Michael Starr from Steel Panther. His years spent performing with them caught the eye of VH frontman David Lee Roth, and he was soon recruited to join Dave on his 1999 world tour as his lead guitarist. Although Bart is best known for his time playing hard rock, he grew up under the tutelage of his great uncle Cecil Campbell, a Country Music Hall Of Famer. After the DLR band, Bart toured with Brett Michaels, worked for years for Gibson Guitars and other projects. Continue reading


Van Halen to Release “The Japanese Singles 1978-1984” Collection


Van Halen famously released 13 singles in Japan between 1978 and 1984. Like many bands of that era, their fame in Japan was huge and helped catapult the band to one of the biggest in the world. Those singles will now be collected in a new 7″ vinyl set from Rhino. Each replica single features the original sleeve artwork and comes housed in a cigarette-style box. Two versions of The Japanese Singles 1978-1984 will be available on November 1: a black vinyl version and a limited-edition version of 750 copies on red vinyl, which is available now to pre-order at Rhino.com. Both versions have a suggested retail price of $129.98. Watch the teaser trailer for the collection below. Continue reading


Eddie Han Halen Cancer Rumors Persist


Normally we don’t do the rumor mill here at Ghost Cult HQ, as some of our brethren at other metal sites do. When it is a monumentally important artist, we listen to new information and try to be respectful. One story we have been tracking is the end of the Van Halen reunion with David Lee Roth, which we broke the news last week of Roth saying definitively the band is done with him. In that same interview Roth gave, he alluded to health issues from Eddie Van Halen being the culprit and even said that Eddie needs to address the public. Now TMZ has reported that Eddie has had a relapse of his throat and tongue cancer that he has battled for the last 20 years. According to a published report, Eddie has been traveling to Germany for routine treatments. In a recent article, Eddie alluded to the fact that he believes he got his initial tongue cancer from holding metal guitar picks in his mouth during his solos like ‘Eruption’, and not from Smoking. One wide-spread report last winter had the band booking a summer tour of baseball stadiums with Foo Fighters, Metallica and others, but that it fell apart over the involvement of bringing founding VH bassist Michael Anthony back in on a part-time basis. We wish Eddie the best and we will keep following this news. Continue reading


David Lee Roth Says Van Halen is “Finished” In a New Interview


In a new interview with Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF, David Lee Roth says Van Halen, as we know it, is finished. He also said Eddie Van Halen has his own story to tell about the current state of the band and discussed his upcoming Las Vegas residency, which is due to begin in January. Earlier this year, rumors were rampant that the classic-era lineup of Van Halen would reunite for the first time since 1984 and possibly embark on a co-headline tour of baseball stadiums with Foo Fighters. There were even tour posters leaked to press. It’s unclear why the tour didn’t happen, though there has been online chatter that a health setback involving Eddie Van Halen might have been responsible. Roth also spoke earlier this summer with podcaster and comedian Marc Maron on his WTF show and claimed he and the Van Halen Brothers have “no relationship.. and never have”.

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Watch David Lee Roth Perform With His New Band


Van Halen legend David Lee Roth performed with his new band pubicly for the first time on Thursday (September 26) as he prepares for his upcoming Las Vegas residency. Recorded at Los Angeles’ SIR rehearsal studios from an invite-only show, watch the show featuring Roth and his backing musicians running through snippets of ‘Atomic Punk’, ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love’, ‘Dance The Night Away’, ‘Runnin’ With The Devil’ and ‘Panama’ recorded by a fan. Roth’s residency at the House Of Blues at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay kicks off on January 8th.Continue reading


David Lee Roth Guests on the Marc Maron Podcast, Chats About Current State of Van Halen


Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth appeared as a guest this week on Marc Maron’s “WTF Podcast”. In a great and wide-ranging interview, Roth weighed in on many topics including the current state of affairs between himself and Eddie and Alex Van Halen. Notably, Roth commented that the band has “always hated each other” and rarely gotten along, even in the best of times. He expanded this by discussing the dynamic of the three leaders of the band, both historically before they worked together, right up to their very last tour together. He also mentioned recently performing a remix of ‘Jump’ at Pinkpop Festival with Armin Van Buren, and many stories from his life. Listen to the podcast below and read some quotes we transcribed. There has been much speculation that Van Halen would announce full reunion with bassist Michael Anthony to perform at festivals or tour dates this summer, but a published report revealed it was called off.Continue reading


Van Halen Releases “Van Halen II” Forty Years Ago


Forty years ago today Van Halen dropped their second album less than a year after their debut Van Halen set the music world on fire. In just a year, the band had become a household name, and headliner nationally, and Eddie Van Halen, in particular, had graced the cover of many magazines for his sweet shred skills. Wanting to strike while the iron was hot, the band came right back with Van Halen II (Warner Bros.), made up of their infamous pre-record deal demos made with Gene Simmons and Ted Templeman, and a few new songs. Van Halen II had the unenviable task of following one of the greatest debut albums ever.Continue reading


Van Halen’s Masterpiece “1984” Was Released 35 Years Ago


 

The 1980s was a truly golden age for rock music. As a lot of the successful bands from 1970 transitioned to new era of music competing with heavier styles of rock, New Wave, Punk, Post-Punk and Pop music, many acts had to step up their game to stay alive. While some adapted to new sounds to stay a float and reach for ears and hits, others fell by the wayside. One band that managed to changed while keeping true to what made them great was Van Halen. As proved by their definitive work on 1984 (Warner Bros.), released thirty-five years ago on January 9th, 1984, the album would not only mark the final chapter (at the time) for the David Lee Roth led period of the group, but set a new bench mark for them at the same time.

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