Today's content comes from regular poster and conversation starter HIM.
To the chagrin of some posters on here I am a David Lee Roth fan. Always have been and always will be. Odd Christmas songs? Fine with me. Strange trailers for completely nonsensical Japanese revenge movies that will never exist? If that is what you fancy. Less than stellar vocal delivery? I will take what I can get and get what I can take. Yes, I am a fanboy.
I believe, however, that this video (and there are better versions out there) helps me emphasize a point I made a few months back: in limited doses, in controlled settings, DLR still brings it, crushes it, and makes a fool out of those who say otherwise (remember: I am a fanboy).
I admire David Grohl. I just don’t like much of his music. He strikes me as forthright and talented, dealing with a humongous legacy and carving out his own path. He loves the music of his youth. So do I. He also did something magical when he decided to make himself and the Foos a backing band (and a great backing band) for DLR. In the process, DLR honored the Foos and the Foos reciprocated. I can’t think of a recent event I would have paid plasma to be at and have witnessed live.
Oh, the bald thing? Yes, finally (I buried the lead). Great head to go along with a great persona. Wish more people would do this when the going gets tough and the hair gets going. Sure, the mighty mane is missing. But it has been for years, replaced by plugs or glue or comb-overs (a modified-Mellencamp for the Dirty Little Mouth era). Yes, the floppy hat belongs on a certain lead singer of AC/DC’s head (his pate suits it and it suits him). But the “Ed Hardy slapped my butt” jeans and the matching jacket are a step up from the OshKosh B'gosh overalls he has been sporting. And that tattoo that he is rolling out? Ink on, you crazy 60-year old Diamond. Ink on.
While his head will likely get the headlines, it is DLR’s vigor and Grohl’s largesse that deserve them. When the present feels like the past, it is hard to worry about the future.
Friday, January 16, 2015 at 12:01AM
Reader Comments (26)
I saw this earlier tonight and I'm blown away. My first impression is he sounds much better here, in this one shot, than he did on tour with Van Halen last time around, comparing this with the videos from said tour.
And, he's got all the bravado and self assuredness of his heyday on full display, strutting and primping all over the stage, granted, sans hair and bell-bottomed chaps. Also, take note of his final bow, as the whole crowd roars!
Gotta hand it to Foo Fighters (even though I can barely stand Grohl), particularly that Emo lookin' dude doing all the heavy lifting on the Les Paul, albeit by the numbers.
And, no matter what I think of Growl, it was his 50th birthday, and his idea of an all-star concert to celebrate is pretty cool, because it gave a huge birthday present to the crowd -- Roth.
What's more, the story is Growl called a bunch of people he knew to join in the festivities and when he couldn't get enough, he started calling people he didn't know and Dave accepted. Now, some may view that as partly opportunism, but when you see Roth deliver such an engaged and genuine full-throated (more than usual), all-out performance, you feel like it's something more -- a lot more!
p.s. And talk about living up to the song title, "Tattoo", that's a full body traditional Japanese tattoo done by famed Japanese tattoo artist, Hiriyoshi III that began in earnest last year and, according to Roth, still has a long way to go. Plus, Roth looks way cooler bald than with that sales guy look he was sporting before.
Paul Stanley of KISS was the frontman for the first 2 songs of the night, Dave did his schtick, Slash played, & a couple others...Not a bad way to celebrate your own birthday, eh?
Paul Stanley of KISS was the frontman for the first 2 songs of the night, Dave did his schtick, Slash played, & a couple others...Not a bad way to celebrate your own birthday, eh?
Now I gotta go get a bottle of anything and a glazed donut - to go!
PEACE
Take the Washington D.C. episode, for example... At one point we see Foo Fighters recording an absolute borefest of a song while Ian MacKaye, leader of the Straight Edge scene looks on when he should be playing with them.
Now, THAT would have been worth watching. Instead we gotta listen to Grohl's self important, faux humble, b.s. at the console between takes and then listen to the crap they're recording. The look on MacKaye's face says it all, too.
Still, ya got love him for cold calling Diamond Dave.
David Lee Roth is one of the greatest frontmen ever, enough said.
Back to you Allyson. Honestly, all your stuff is great, whether we agree or not, but must say that this is one of the best opinions that you've written. Thank you!
Nonetheless, I love, love, love DLR. No one is like him, nor will ever be. A little crazy, a lot of fun and a gift to the musical world. Love seeing him do his thing.
And mewisemagic, thanks for the memory from the video. Is that the same one where the crazy lady says she has to take a laxative???? I think so. I love DLR's sense of humor.
When in grad school (1999-2001), I first discovered the Internet, and thee first thing I searched for on Lycos (remember that) was Van Halen and then David Lee Roth. At the time, for about a year, maybe less, roth had a website that was almost identical to the old Cinderella.net, which included a message board- probably used the same Internet designers. On occasion, roth, or one of his handlers, used to come onto the board and answer fan questions. It "was roth", because the color of the postings were a different color than anyone else logging on and posting, plus it was a secured post.
Anyway, It was really cool posting questions and later seeing a post from "David Lee Roth" answering it. One day, after reading on the internet that roth fired his longtime friend and manager, Big Ed Anderson, I went on this website and starting ranting to roth about firing his longtime friend and biggest supporter. Within minutes, "David Lee Roth" replied to my rant with an explanation that it was simply a business decision which Ed is completely fine with and that they remain friends. And, this, my friends, led me to understand the power of Internet communication. I was blown away!
Fast forward a couple of years later and roth was doing a handful of shows on the east coast. I caught a couple of those shows in the Philadelphia tri-state area and also met, in the parking lot, his then-drummer, Ray Luzier. At the shows, Dave was sporting some crazy, bleached comb-over look and when I met luzier, I joked with him about his bosses hair (i.e. what the f*ck is up with that hair?). luzier was very professional and simply stated something such as "that's just dave". Seeing reviews of these shows on the Internet, I posting rave reviews about the shows, but I also continued to "joke" about dave's hair. I really thought it time to "let it go"- that thought was the social worker in me.
Anyway, a few night later (I shit you not), in Miami (I believe), the DLR band took the stage and roth was sporting short hair. Now, I am not delusional enough to believe that I made this happen, but it reinforced to me the power of Internet communication. In reality perhaps, luzier (a very trusted confidant of roths) probably suggested to dave to try a different look. Whatever dave's reasoning, to me, the new look worked.
As a friend said to me at a Van Wolfgang concert a couple of years ago, "David Lee Roth just made direct eye contact with you (we were close enough to the stage), I think he recognized you". To which I quipped, "He should recognize me, I've professionally stalked that mother-f*cker for years now".
Love you Dave. Thank you Grohl. rock on! \m/
DLR is the man
Got to see Van Halen open for Ted Nugent at the now detonated Capital Centre in Largo, MD (D.C.), where Roth & Co. proceeded to blow Nugent off the stage. It was just weeks after Van Halen's first album debuted.
I saw them again off "Fair Warning" at the same venue. I'll never forget them opening with "Unchained".
You can still see and hear Roth's swagger alive and well today in this video. And, as I mentioned before, his voice sounds better here than in recent memory with those final moments when he tips his cap to the crowd as he saunters off stage, very telling about the significance of the moment.
Also appreciate Metalboy!'s and Fletch's observations. Classic stuff that you don't get at other sites, these little bits of personal observation without the harshness that you see in other places. On this site, you actually feel like people want to express a personal opinion . . . and not just bash other people (even when people disagree).
And I love the fact that Rita noticed that it was me posting. No need to peg my tortured prose on Allyson! Rita, I think we are kindred spirits. I may occasionally tilt towards the more pessimistic side of things. Still, you and I seem to agree on a lot.
I wish all of us BBG posters actually had a chance to spend some time on Metalboy!'s magical bus/plane. It would be a great party, attending great festivals/concerts. I have to assume that DLR would be on the itinerary.
And Metalboy's party bus sounds like a lot of fun, so sign me up when it finally happens!
Keep writing!
Transfer my kudos to Him! Your rock!
After watching gavel to gavel coverage of the annual Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction live on Discovery and Velocity (today's the last day!), with a little Metalmania sprinkled in last night, no doubt, I've got lots of ideas for the overall look of the G5 and Prevost Coach... I'm taking all the design cues from Allyson's masthead...
Black METAL flake polyurethane, Fuscia trim, smoked glass in and out with a lot of black leather trimmed with fuscia piping and plenty of chrome! Also, gotta have twin '77 Trans Ams painted to match that in the "Metalmania" intro and outro sequences for everyone to take turns in as we roll. Wait, we're gonna need a cargo plane!
"Bixby!!!"
I suppose, Rita, when people write about things they care about--and music matters to me more than some I know in my everyday life--there is far less artifice and affectation. I tend to believe that most of the people that keep returning here, even those I disagree with (and, yes, occasionally jab at), are speaking/writing with their hearts as well as their minds. So, in those limited senses (the filters/barriers exist just as they do in person, some anonymity is a good thing, some might only be "peacocking" to provoke), I think regulars at BBG do know each other. Like I said, one of the greatest tributes I can give to Allyson is that she set up a place where people can talk without the sort of troll-ish nonsense that goes on at other sites. Sure, I read those sites. But I would never get involved posting there. Point in fact, this is the only place I post anything.
And thanks for the nod, ColsCPA.