Hot on the heels of a #2 debut on the Billboard charts with A Different Kind of Truth, Van Halen is hitting the road…and they are hitting it hard. The third stop on their 2012 tour was Wednesday night in Indianapolis, and the house was packed to hear the boys jam like it’s 1979.

The last time these four were on the road together, it was a “greatest hits” tour. Roth had only released two songs with Van Halen since 1984, and even those songs were ten years old at that point. Now, with ADKOT in stores, they have some new material to play. Four Different songs have been played at each concert so far: “She’s The Woman,” “Tattoo,” “China Town,” and “The Trouble With Never.” But the band isn’t buffering them with only the hits from the first six albums; several “deep cuts” from Van Halen’s history are being featured on the current roadtrip.

In Louisville, fans were surprised to hear “Women In Love” and “Outta Love Again,” which had not been performed live since 1980 and 1979, respectively. In Auburn Hills, “Outta Love Again” was replaced by “Girl Gone Bad.” In Indianapolis, Van Halen added “Hear About It Later” to the mix, dropping “Mean Street.” It is a real treat to hear unexpected songs in concert, especially when the band has such an impressive catalog to choose from. Hopefully, other groups will take note of the positive response Van Halen is getting to these songs and follow their example (yes, I’m talking to you Poison).

The musicianship, as expected, was top-notch. Alex and Wolfgang provided a solid rhythm section while Eddie wailed on his axe, never missing a note. I was especially impressed with both the guitar solo and the drum solo; both sounded fantastic, and neither went too long. Eddie was especially on target, not only during his solo spot, but during the entire concert. Everyone could tell he was genuinely having a good time on stage.

David Lee Roth…well, he’s David Lee Roth, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to see him sharing the spotlight with the Van Halens. The showmanship is always over-the-top, even if the vocals are lacking a bit. He started off strong, but seemed to be struggling during the latter part of the concert. I do not believe he was having trouble remembering lyrics, as some have suggested. Rather, I believe he may have been out of breath. I mean, how can anyone forget the lyrics to “Panama?” Back to the showmanship, Roth appears to have taken up interpretive dance (watch him during the musical interludes of “China Town” and “Girl Gone Bad” in particular).

Overall, a great concert. You couldn’t ask for anything more from guys who have been doing this (off and on) since the 1970s.

To see more photos from the Indianapolis show, click (more…)

The “Red Rocker” Sammy Hagar has gone on record about the new Van Halen record, A Different Kind of Truth: “I don’t know, I don’t think the fans are going to be happy with it.”

I can’t say how much he had heard when he made that remark, or if he had listened to full songs or just the crappy 90-second snippets posted a few weeks ago on the web. Perhaps he had only heard “Tattoo,” the ill-advised first single released in January. Or maybe he’s just deaf, because A Different Kind of Truth is the best Van Halen record at least since 1984, maybe since 1981′s Fair Warning.

Of course, there is the chance he is just going senile. Hagar said, “They haven’t released an album since my last album in something like 1991 or ’92.” Fact-check time: Van Halen III with Gary Cherone was released in 1998 (though many fans may want to forget about that one), and even Balance, with Sammy on the mic, came out in 1995, going 3x Platinum in both the US and Canada.

Hagar is so obsessed with comparing Chickenfoot to Van Halen, claiming that man-to-man his current band beats one of the greatest rock bands in American history. However, if you have listened to A Different Kind of Truth–the entire record–there is no doubt Eddie Van Halen has absolutely reclaimed his throne as the king of all rock guitarists. That’s not a knock against Joe Satriani; Satch is a great guitarist. But Eddie transcends “great.”

I hope Hagar’s jealousy and bitterness is simply ignored by David Lee Roth and the Van Halen family.

A few weeks ago, it was announced that guitarist Tony Iommi had been diagnosed with lymphoma and would be undergoing treatments for the disease. Instead of derailing a new Black Sabbath album, however, the band decided to move recording sessions to London so Iommi could be treated while working on new music.

Now, drummer Bill Ward is issuing some sort of ultimatum. Evidently, he feels he is getting “the cold shoulder” and that the band is not treating him with the “dignity and respect” an original member deserves. He claims that the contracts he has been presented are “unsignable.” He states that this has not been done out of greed; the gist of his complaint is this: “If I sign as-is, I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician.”

We do not have all the facts in the matter, obviously. We are not privy to the contract negotiations between Black Sabbath and Ward. Certainly, he should not be underpaid or muzzled (he also makes reference to “freedom and freedom of speech” in his statement to fans). But at the same time, with all due respect, Bill Ward is not Ozzy Osbourne or Tony Iommi. He’s not even Geezer Butler. Very few people will stay away from a Black Sabbath “reunion” concert just because the guy behind the kit is not the original drummer. If the key pieces (Ozzy and Iommi) are in place, it will be seen as a reunion, regardless of the drummer.

I do hope this issue is resolved. I’d love to see the original band–all four members–on stage together in concert again. But at the same time, I won’t stay home just because Bill Ward does.

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Pollstar has posted the following tour dates for the 2012 Van Halen tour:

Sat 02/18/12 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center

Mon 02/20/12 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills

Wed 02/22/12 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Fri 02/24/12 Chicago, IL United Center

Tue 02/28/12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Thu 03/01/12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Sat 03/03/12 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

Mon 03/05/12 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center

Fri 03/09/12 Buffalo, NY First Niagara Center

Sun 03/11/12 Boston, MA TD Garden

Thu 03/15/12 Montreal, QC Bell Centre

Sat 03/17/12 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

Wed 03/21/12 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place

Sat 03/24/12 Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall

Wed 03/28/12 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Fri 03/30/12 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center

Sun 04/01/12 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena

Tue 04/10/12 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Thu 04/12/12 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Times Forum

Sat 04/14/12 Orlando, FL Amway Center

Mon 04/16/12 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Mem. Arena

Thu 04/19/12 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

Sat 04/21/12 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Wed 04/25/12 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena

Fri 04/27/12 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

Tue 05/01/12 Tulsa, OK BOK Center

Sat 05/05/12 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome

Mon 05/07/12 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena

Wed 05/09/12 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome

Fri 05/11/12 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place

Thu 05/17/12 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre

Sat 05/19/12 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Tue 05/22/12 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Thu 05/24/12 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Sun 05/27/12 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena

Fri 06/01/12 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

Sun 06/03/12 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena

Tue 06/05/12 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Tue 06/12/12 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

Thu 06/14/12 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena

Sat 06/16/12 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center

Wed 06/20/12 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

Fri 06/22/12 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center

Sun 06/24/12 Houston, TX Toyota Center

Tue 06/26/12 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena

The band performed a set at Cafe Wha? in New York last night, and photos have started popping up around the internet. Van Halen News Desk has posted the setlist from last night and is planning a series of posts of photos and videos for this weekend.

A new song from the band titled “Tattoo” is scheduled for release on Tuesday, January 10.

The 2011 Guitar World Readers Poll is live, and voters can voice their opinions on the best shredders, rockers, and blues axe-slingers online.

Most of the nominees are well-known, from Dave Mustaine to Slash to Joe Satriani, but you can also submit write-in candidates. One such shredder that is stumping for some write-in support (and in my opinion, deserves that support) is Dave Reffett of Shredding The Envelope. The independently released Call of the Flames has been in my personal playlist since I received it last year, and features such heavy hitters as George Lynch and Joe Stump. Reffett’s chops are amazing, and he has a very Mustaine-esque quality to his vocal approach.

Reffett is a perfect write-in candidate for best metal guitarist, best shredder, and artist to watch in 2012. If you are unhappy with GW’s “same old” nominees, rock the vote for Dave Reffett.

Click here to vote in the 2011 Guitar World Readers Poll.

Learn more about Dave Reffett at his official website.

Follow HRN on Twitter: @hardrocknights
Follow JT on Twitter: @REALjtCarter

I don’t even know where to start with this. Let me say this up front: I am a huge fan of Tracii Guns’ guitar work. He is a phenomenal player, and there can be no denying that fact. But why is there constantly a revolving door in the lead singer spot of his version of LA Guns?

Think about all the singers he has worked with through the years: Michael Jagosz, Axl Rose, Paul Black, Phil Lewis, Chris Van Dahl, Ralph Saenz (better known as Michael Starr to Steel Panther fans), Joe Leste, Jizzy Pearl, back to Phil Lewis, back to Paul Black, Marty Casey, back to Jizzy Pearl, Dilana, and now Tony West? It makes my head spin…and that’s just the LA Guns singers. That does not include Tracii’s solo projects, or Brides of Destruction, Quiet Riot, or any of the other projects in which he has been involved.

I saw the Marty Casey version of LA Guns in 2008, and I thought they did a great job. No, Casey doesn’t have the range of Phil Lewis, but he handles himself just fine on the classics. Evidently he couldn’t handle Tracii.

Dilana says she has notes about her troublesome time with the band and has hinted that she will make those public in some form in the future. Tracii has a different take on the situation, calling it (on Facebook at least) “the best L.A. Guns I ever heard on stage hands down” and said it was “an amazing time.”

Here is a YouTube clip of Dilana performing “Over The Edge” with Tracii and the guys:

[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BwbwjWe8rk[/pro-player]

Will Tracii be able to recapture the glory of the old LA Guns? Until he and Phil Lewis decide to work together again, no, LA Guns will never be what they once were. It may be time for Tracii to move on and form a new project…perhaps with Jack Russell?

Just a few days ago, Russell announced that he would be touring in 2012, but not with his Great White bandmates. Rather, he will be forming a new lineup and performing as “Great White featuring Jack Russell.” This lineup will consist of Matthew Johnson and Derrick Pontier (both of whom have played for Great White in the past), Dario Seixas, and Robby Lochner.

How did the Great White camp (who is currently working with Terry Ilous of XYZ fame) respond to Russell’s announcement?

Jack Russell does not have the right to start his own Great White or use the name without our names in the lineup. We will litigate any promoter that books ‘Jack Russell’s Great White’ or uses any logo featuring the name Great White.

You may recall a few years ago, when both Taime Downe and Brent Muscat fought over the rights to the Faster Pussycat brand. Muscat finally decided that it wasn’t worth the fight, and went on to form Sin City Sinners, while Downe continues to tour and put out music under the Faster Pussycat moniker.

Only time will tell if Russell works things out with the other Great White, or if one of them calls uncle and goes another direction, or if they will continue to battle it out LA Guns-style.

Follow HRN on Twitter: @hardrocknights
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Cynicism is thick anytime Guns N’ Roses is mentioned in the present tense. Many, including myself, have been less than accepting of this current incarnation of the band. There is something to be said for original lineups, but the realist must recognize that when something just doesn’t work anymore, it is time to move on.

Axl Rose has moved on.

Friday night’s concert in Cincinnati, simply put, blew me away. In addition to Rose, Guns N’ Roses features a trio of fantastic guitarists, DJ Ashba, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer, and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman. This group of individuals plays together as a unit splendidly, and more importantly, has fun doing it.

The show opened with the television theme song for “Dexter” blaring through the speakers. Then the large video board lit up with a GNR logo, revealing a silhouetted Ashba standing on a riser with his metal horns hoisted into the air. He began to bang out the opening chords to “Chinese Democracy,” and the audience went crazy. Rose’s vocals were spot-on, which was a concern going in to the show. The guitarists each had a solo spot, and every single one of them did a phenomenal job. Stinson took over vocals to sing a cover of the Dead Boys tune “Sonic Reducer,” and Dizzy Reed even got into the spotlight for a solo spot, playing the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

For two hours and forty-five minutes, Guns N’ Roses rocked the house, and they never slowed down. The whole band was scampering across the stage, generating more energy the longer they played, working the crowd up into a frenzy with each song. Sure, one could pick apart the setlist, saying there were too many cover songs, or too many songs from a particular album, or not enough songs from another. Overall, though, this show was what it was supposed to be: a great rock concert.

There are only a handful of dates left through the end of the year. If Guns N’ Roses is coming to your area, do yourself a favor and go see them perform live. They will quickly silence your cynicism.

Wed 12/07/11 – Youngstown, OH / Covelli Centre
Thu 12/08/11 – Indianapolis, IN / Conseco Fieldhouse
Sun 12/11/11 – Broomfield, CO / 1stBank Center
Tue 12/13/11 – Salt Lake City, UT / Maverik Center
Fri 12/16/11 – Seattle, WA / KeyArena At Seattle Center
Sat 12/17/11 – Vancouver, BC / P.N.E. Pacific Coliseum
Wed 12/21/11 – Inglewood, CA / The Forum
Tue 12/27/11 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
Fri 12/30/11 – Las Vegas, NV / The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel / Casino
Sat 12/31/11 – Las Vegas, NV / The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel / Casino

To see more photos from the Cincinnati show, click (more…)

D Generation was the opening band for Guns N’ Roses in Cincinnati Friday night. They kicked off their set with the song “Degenerated,” which was featured in the Brendan Fraser/Adam Sandler movie Airheads in 1994.

Click “more” to see additional photos from the D Generation’s set… (more…)