Observations of 2015 tour, etc…

This topic has 11 voices, contains 24 replies, and was last updated by thismusicsux 2531 days ago.



July 25, 2015 at 12:14 am Quote #47494
rvp4806 (38)	I am loving the fact that we have nearly instant videos and pics of the current tour! I just wanted to bring up a few points that I am noticing. And, please… these are just observations, I am in no way complaining. * We are so lucky to have access to every frame of video and still that people post from this tour, I don’t think there has been a VH tour with this much media exposure, at least since the 80′s. * I can’t help but think the availability of media from the tour hurts the concert-going experience a little, setlist anticipation, etc. ( but, of course you don’t have to look at any of the posts), * While there is a ton of great video from the shows, there is a serious lack of quality audio. In all the vids I have seen so far the audio has been sub-par (don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have anything and most are certainly tolerable) Just dial back the gain a bit, the great thing about digital audio is that there is no hiss at low record levels, it sounds great even if you lower the mic input and, there is no distortion. * While we are lucky to be hearing all of these deep cuts, there are still a few on my wish list… -Imagine “Sunday afternoon in the park” with all three VH’s playing, then of course into OFOTD -Would love to see Ed pull out the old Oberheim and play some live keys again, 1984, see above, etc. - An acoustic set with “Could This Be Magic” (Dave and Ed on dual guitars), “Spanish Fly”, “Ice Cream Man”, “Big Bad Bill”, etc. -Secrets! … Come on Ed, break out the old double neck. -House Of Pain! -Top Jimmy! -And I have to add a plug for my all-time favorite, “On Fire”… The Greensboro jam has to be my favorite version and I can’t help but plug my bootleg remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_WxXu63l5o * Ed clearly has a new favorite guitar. The cream colored Wolfgang (prototype?) seems to be his go-to guitar for most of this tour. * Dave seems to be getting better and better as the tour goes on. I would bet the VH’s gave him a serious talking to at some point between the TV appearances and the tour. * I still can’t help but miss Mike… but, Wolf is seriously kicking ass! I know Mike could play and sing everything Wolf is playing but, to be honest, I’d bet Ed always held him back. * Whatever happened to radio simulcasts? Dozens of my old boots are of Westwood One, local radio broadcasts, etc. Again, I can’t help but wonder why they permit low quality video recording of these shows, but wouldn’t let someone with a compact audio rig and 2 microphones get a high quality audio recording, with no distortion. (I’m still gonna try, in Mansfield Aug. 1) I guess that’s it for now. Again, these are only observations and as I said before, we are really lucky to have all this media coverage from all the fans, Wolf’s posts, local reviews, etc. rvp4806Quote
July 25, 2015 at 12:20 am Quote #47495
thismusicsux (581)	^^ all sounds good. Acoustic section w those tunes would be cool idea. Also them 3 wailing SAITP would be killer…..”EDDDWWWWAAAAARRRRRDDD……….” 1981 style other observation… 99% great reviews and happy fans… 1 bad review of Red Rocks and 1 bad review of KC get lots of social media buzz…. but no biggie. thismusicsuxQuote
July 25, 2015 at 1:20 am Quote #47497
guitard (7354)	Dave seems to be getting better and better as the tour goes on. I would bet the VH’s gave him a serious talking to at some point between the TV appearances and the tour. Reading betweeen the lines of what I’ve heard in a lot of interviews and other comments from the band, I get the feeling the Van Halens and Dave operate two completely separate camps and don’t say much to each other – positive, negative, or otherwise. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and I also don’t think it’s all that uncommon for bands that have been around for 40+ years. guitardQuote
July 25, 2015 at 1:03 pm Quote #47516
Hide Your Sheep (14)	rvp4806: * Whatever happened to radio simulcasts? Dozens of my old boots are of Westwood One, local radio broadcasts, etc. Again, I can’t help but wonder why they permit low quality video recording of these shows, but wouldn’t let someone with a compact audio rig and 2 microphones get a high quality audio recording, with no distortion. (I’m still gonna try, in Mansfield Aug. 1) I guess that’s it for now. Again, these are only observations and as I said before, we are really lucky to have all this media coverage from all the fans, Wolf’s posts, local reviews, etc. well as for radio simulcasts let’s keep in mind technically this tour is to promote the live album they just released. I doubt it’s affecting sales but i’m sure they’d like it to be causing people to go out and buy the live album. having a radio simulcast i think would totally kill any chances of that. I’d love to hear Top Jimmy too but when i mentioned it over at VHlinks some guitar playing people over there told me the reason it’d be very difficult to do that live is cause Ed’s guitar is tuned differently for the song and the solo. I’m not a guitar player i’m just delivering the message. I’m surprised they don’t add So This Is Love to the set. Dave could handle that pretty easy considering the song is more “talked” than sung. http://www.jointfilms.com Hide Your SheepQuote
July 25, 2015 at 1:48 pm Quote #47521
mrmojohalen (6468)	My only beef is that there are too many songs from VH2 in the set. I could live without Women In Love & Beautiful Girls on this tour. Light Up The Sky does kick major ass. When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor? mrmojohalenQuote
July 25, 2015 at 9:22 pm Quote #47532
ron (11790)	Hide Your Sheep: well as for radio simulcasts let’s keep in mind technically this tour is to promote the live album they just released. I doubt it’s affecting sales but i’m sure they’d like it to be causing people to go out and buy the live album. having a radio simulcast i think would totally kill any chances of that. At the concert venue, you’d never know they are promoting the Tokyo Dome CD. It’s not for sale in the Merch booths (Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s CD is), and the artwork appears sparingly on the shirts. It’s not promoted during the show at all, at least on the 2012 (ADKOT) tour, you saw the artwork on the big screen, etc… The tour is the “Greatest Hits Tour” as far as I know, not the “Tokyo Dome Live Tour”. However I’d like to hear that they are going to promote the disc in some way going forward. Right now it seems like it was dropped into the marketplace like a hot steaming turd. ronQuote
July 25, 2015 at 9:26 pm Quote #47535
jroundy (1418)	ron: At the concert venue, you’d never know they are promoting the Tokyo Dome CD.It’s not for sale in the Merch booths (Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s CD is), and the artwork appears sparingly on the shirts.It’s not promoted during the show at all, at least on the 2012 (ADKOT) tour, you saw the artwork on the big screen, etc… The tour is the “Greatest Hits Tour” as far as I know, not the “Tokyo Dome Live Tour”.However I’d like to hear that they are going to promote the disc in some way going forward.Right now it seems like it was dropped into the marketplace like a hot steaming turd. This band does some weird shit. Makes you scratch your head. The poor folks play for keeps down here…They’re the living dead. Nobody rules these streets at night like Van Halen!! jroundyQuote
July 25, 2015 at 11:23 pm Quote #47544
rvp4806 (38)	The point is, whatever they are doing to keep their shit together, it’s working. VH’s / Roth in separate camps Great “substitute” bassist / vocalist Ed’s sobriety, Easy tour schedule *Continued radio / media support As a decades-long VH fan I couldn’t be happier with the current state of the band. This band still has plenty of life in it! And, as always, there’s plenty more on the wish list for the future… Please break open those archives!!! rvp4806Quote
September 11, 2015 at 7:28 pm Quote #49327
mrmojohalen (6468)	bump When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor? mrmojohalenQuote
September 11, 2015 at 8:07 pm Quote #49332
Cornered Hero (7)	As well as Ed, Al & Wolf have been bashing it out these past couple of tours, they sure are lacking in the showmanship department. Lucky for them, most fans don’t seem to care that Ed and Wolf are basically a pair of planted trees. From what I’ve seen on video, there were some fantastic choreographed visuals back in the day. Sometimes, it would be something that only lasted two seconds, but that’s long enough to leave a lasting impression. I think it may have been during the end of Romeo Delight on the Diver Down tour of where Dave, Mike and Ed would meet at center stage and act as if they were knocking a door down with guitars and mic stand to the beat of the song’s finale. Who could forget the hop forward the three did in the beginning of the Hear About It Later video? Even Dave holding his acoustic and shimming along the length of the stage in unison with Mike during Ed ripping it up on Ice Cream Man was fun to watch. How much energy does that take? There were a lot of effective maneuvers they once did, that were most likely dreamt up by Dave, that are sorely missing from their stage show. None of these little things required jumping up and down like a lunatic, so there should be no claiming that Ed’s repaired hip wouldn’t be able to sustain the abuse. If Wolf can wear a path between his spot and the front step of his uncle’s drum riser, I’d say he’s capable of doing a bit more. I dunno. I just wish it didn’t seem like the “show” part of the show was all on Dave these Days. Ironic, that Dave putting on a show leads critics to ridicule his shtick. When did putting on a show stop being part of the concept of putting on a show?! Cornered HeroQuote
September 11, 2015 at 9:06 pm Quote #49334
King Edward (1950)	Cornered Hero: As well as Ed, Al & Wolf have been bashing it out these past couple of tours, they sure are lacking in the showmanship department.Lucky for them, most fans don’t seem to care that Ed and Wolf are basically a pair of planted trees. From what I’ve seen on video, there were some fantastic choreographed visuals back in the day.Sometimes, it would be something that only lasted two seconds, but that’s long enough to leave a lasting impression.I think it may have been during the end of Romeo Delight on the Diver Down tour of where Dave, Mike and Ed would meet at center stage and act as if they were knocking a door down with guitars and mic stand to the beat of the song’s finale.Who could forget the hop forward the three did in the beginning of the Hear About It Later video?Even Dave holding his acoustic and shimming along the length of the stage in unison with Mike during Ed ripping it up on Ice Cream Man was fun to watch.How much energy does that take? There were a lot of effective maneuvers they once did, that were most likely dreamt up by Dave, that are sorely missing from their stage show.None of these little things required jumping up and down like a lunatic, so there should be no claiming that Ed’s repaired hip wouldn’t be able to sustain the abuse.If Wolf can wear a path between his spot and the front step of his uncle’s drum riser, I’d say he’s capable of doing a bit more.I dunno.I just wish it didn’t seem like the “show” part of the show was all on Dave these Days.Ironic, that Dave putting on a show leads critics to ridicule his shtick.When did putting on a show stop being part of the concept of putting on a show?! Solid observations. I miss some of that old showmanship as well. King EdwardQuote
September 11, 2015 at 9:34 pm Quote #49335
steecoe (1986)	As much as I miss the old, I choose to appreciate the pleasure I derive from the current. I think if they tried the shit from 40 years ago it’d come off as desperately grasping at their youth. For me it’s all about the music & musically I enjoy VH now immensely & I think VH is a better band with Wolf & although Dave is disappointing at times I give him a pass because he’s Dave & he’s there & VH is alive AND ALLOWING US TO OPENLY RECORD HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO!!!!! I think Dave is trying really hard, and my only real complaint is the jabbering over the intro music all the time. Sadly, I am 26 shows & 30 or so states shy of my life time goal of seeing them 100 times and at least once in all 50 states & will most likely never achieve said goal… steecoeQuote
September 11, 2015 at 10:35 pm Quote #49338
guitard (7354)	As a veteran of many concerts in the ’70s, I can say that none of the bands that I saw from that era that are still performing are anywhere near what they used to be in terms of their ability to physically get wild and crazy on stage. There’s a huge difference between what you can do in your 20s compared to what you can do in your 60s. Look at footage from a Kiss show from back in the ’70s – those guys were all over the stage. But not anymore. Just not possible. guitardQuote
September 11, 2015 at 10:37 pm Quote #49339
guitard (7354)	steecoe: VH is alive AND ALLOWING US TO OPENLY RECORD HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO!!!!! Not tonight. CBG went to security in Charlotte and asked them to contact VH’s stage manager. Security contacted him via walkie-talkie and VH’s stage manager flat out said NO to video. He had managed to snag a 3rd row center ticket and prepared to film the show. guitardQuote
September 11, 2015 at 10:59 pm Quote #49343
steecoe (1986)	guitard: Not tonight.CBG went to security in Charlotte and asked them to contact VH’s stage manager.Security contacted him via walkie-talkie and VH’s stage manager flat out said NO to video.He had managed to snag a 3rd row center ticket and prepared to film the show. steecoeQuote

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