45 Years Of 'Eruption'

So this is killer: Wolfgang Van Halen wailing on "Eruption" to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the song. It's hard to believe that Eddie Van Halen recorded the groundbreaking guitar solo-signature track five decades ago.

Wolfgang has major talent, no doubt about that. Also no doubt that Eddie was his father. Amazing.

In honor of Eruption being recorded 45 years ago today, here’s me playing part of it on the guitar it was recorded on in 2015 while tracking some guitars for the first @MammothWVH album.

Love you, Pop ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TpjqUQGW3S

— Wolfgang Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) September 8, 2022

If you want to watch something fun, here's four music-loving guys watching Eddie Van Halen play "Eruption" live for the first time ever. The bulk of "Eruption" starts around the 7:30 mark if you want to skip ahead. Their minds are blown!

HM The Queen Has Passed - NWOBHM Required

Her Majesty, The Queen has passed at age 96 and now we have King Charles III. For such a historic day, it seems fitting to listen to artists from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, yes? Think bands like Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath, Girl, Whitesnake, Rainbow, UFO and Judas Priest.

I will point out that Queen Elizabeth II met with many musicians over her decades on the throne, including Def Leppard.

"She has transcended eras with good grace and service to her country that is unparalleled anywhere or by anyone. Thank you your Majesty for a lifetime of great memories and leadership."

-Joe Elliott [2/2] pic.twitter.com/Y5IYXVHsK6

— Def Leppard (@DefLeppard) September 8, 2022

I mourn with my country the passing of our greatest Queen. With a heavy heart I say it is devastating the thought of England without Queen Elizabeth II pic.twitter.com/JZYXGRz2hb

— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) September 8, 2022

We mourn the passing of our beloved Queen.
RIP Your Majesty.

Saxon pic.twitter.com/9Bhd34PNpE

— Saxon (@SaxonOfficial) September 8, 2022

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/YW48v1H9EZ

— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) September 8, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II's coronation was the first royal event of its kind to be broadcast almost in full on television. But it was a token of the changes — and global fascination — that accompanied her time as queen. Read our full obituary here. https://t.co/US4iTniVDh

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 8, 2022

Here's a 1983 concert bootleg of my beloved Def Leppard performing at Hammersmith Odeon in London. This was really early into the Pyromania tour. Elizabeth II was coronated on June 2, 1953... meaning she had already been monarch for 30 years by the time Def Leppard performed the concert shared below.

Nickelback Officially Release 'San Quentin' - And It Is Heavy

I do love me some heavy Nickelback. The band's new track actually premiered on Octane - which is one of the metal channels on SiriusXM. I fully expect "San Quentin" will be another radio hit for Nickelback. In fact, I am already looking forward to the tour that will surely come after the new album drops in November.

Nickelback is an awesome - and very loud - live show. One of the best bands I've ever seen live - and I've been to a ton of shows! The new album Get Rollin' is due November 18. You can pre-order it now. I'll be adding "San Quentin' to my running playlist ASAP!

ICYMI our new single “San Quentin” is OUT NOW! PLUS, our new album ‘Get Rollin’’ is dropping November 18! Pre-order now: https://t.co/l18Z1lpFdz
Stream "San Quentin" here: https://t.co/RTRliKxobr ⛓🚌 pic.twitter.com/B7c4F3WHXE

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) September 7, 2022

Will You See The Trans-Siberian Orchestra This Winter?

It's still summer, but the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has already announced tour dates for the upcoming holiday season. Fan club pre-sales are happening now and general on-sale is September 16. I have never seen TSO live but everyone that has just seems to rave about them. They are doing two shows in Cincinnati this year (matinee and evening) - so maybe I will see them after all!

Live Aerosmith Is Back!

After two and a half years, Aerosmith finally performed live again. The band played in Bangor, Maine last night. The setlist was decent but it could be better with the addition of "Nobody's Fault," "Rats In The Cellar" and "Toys In The Attic." Seriously, how was "Toys" not in the show? "Deuces Are Wild" should really be in here, but maybe Aerosmith skipped it because I assume they play it at every Las Vegas gig and this one-off show gave them a chance to skip it. "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" should be banned but then the soccer moms and casual fans would be ticked. The most egregious omission from this set? "Last Child" for sure.

Edit this setlist | More Aerosmith setlists

Sunday's Best: Week 36, 2022

Happy Labor Day weekend, fellow Americans! It's the unofficial end of summer - but I'll be worshiping the best season of the year until it ends in about three weeks. I loathe winter and hate the time change. Fall is usually mostly tolerable around my parts until Thanksgiving... then it's all downhill.

For our Sunday's Best this week, let's talk about David Lee Roth and his new version of "Panama." I'm not exactly sure why DLR felt like re-recording such a classic except for no other reason than he just wanted to and so he did. I don't know if this is considered a cover or not, but I'll call it that for lack of better word. So the "cover" is pretty good. It's hard to listen when you know how the original sounds. "Panama" is such an iconic track, but good for Roth for jumping in the studio and releasing something for the fans.

This Is Awesome: Wolfgang Van Halen Shreds 'Hot For Teacher' Live

There are all kinds of amazing clips online from the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert held today in London. The clip below shows Wolfgang Van Halen playing lead guitar, while Justin Hawkins of The Darkness sings lead and Dave Grohl plays bass. Josh Freese is behind the kit - they all just destroy "Hot For Teacher." I love Wolfie's shredding of the solo - just like his dad used to do!

Wolfgang Van Halen shredding “hot for teacher” with Dave Grohl & Justin Hawkins 🎸 @foofighters @MammothWVH @thedarkness #TaylorHawkinsWembley #TaylorHawkins
EVH is 😊 somewhere pic.twitter.com/UUiNUoNPFI

— The 3rd Corey (@undacuvabrutha) September 3, 2022

An enormous amount of love has gone into this, the @foofighters & the Hawkins family have worked tirelessly to create a tribute to Taylor’s life that will be unforgettable. This is going to be a special day for everybody.

Watch it live here: https://t.co/xEKt5ThHtj pic.twitter.com/YWo7uPTENb

— Justin Hawkins (@JustinHawkins) September 3, 2022