Van Halen Tickets

Van Halen hit Winnipeg last night (5/13/12) with the semi-reunited original line-up (less original bassist Michael Anthony) with David Lee Roth back at frontman duties. Excitement ran high as drummer Alex Van Halen took the stage and began a thunderous percussive fanfare as brother Eddie Van Halen proceeded to blow the doors off the MTS Centre with his “Unchained” guitar solo from VH’s 1981 Fair Warning album, signalling his return to form after surgery and rehab stints. Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen played the trademark opening bass notes, which segued the band into “Running with the Devil, a track from their 1978 self-titled debut album. As the fans roared their approval following the opening numbers, Roth, looking like a cross between Liberace and Steve Tyler, sporting a white silk scarf, sequined matador-style waistcoat, leather pants, and electric blue shirt, smugly enquired, “How we doing so far?” Proving that his wit is still sharp as ever, Roth dressed down a fan for throwing a beer cup onstage, saying, “Don't throw your garbage up onstage; throw your girlfriend, a-**hole.” Though not delivering as many high kicks and leg splits as in the old days, Diamond Dave still brought plenty of energy to the show – though his new style seems to owe more to vaudeville more than to the “School of Rock.” Leaps from the drum riser have been replaced by mike stand twirling, and sliding footwork with the occasional swinging roundhouse kick thrown in for good measure. The few kicks the flamboyant singer did throw were caught and replayed in slow motion on the giant video screen, which covered the length of the stage – one of the band’s surprisingly few nods to high tech production as they chose to forego pyro, risers, ramps, and hydraulic lifts, and put the emphasis on the music instead (justifiably so). Vocally, Roth’s pipes were still relatively strong, but his tendency to scats and adlib melodies ran the gamut from being annoying (scats singing over Eddie’s solos) to downright embarrassingly bad (You Really Got Me). Fortunately (for Dave), inevitable comparisons to former VH frontman Sammy Hagar were sidestepped by completely avoiding the entire Hagar-era song catalogue. The setlist covered the Roth era period from 1978 to 1984, as well as including a handful of cuts from their latest album A Different Kind of Truth. No evidence of past friction between Roth and the Van Halens seemed evident as Roth and Eddie appeared to truly enjoy playing together, and Eddie clearly loved working with his son Wolfgang, who did a surprisingly serviceable job both on bass and backing vocals. With the show clocking in at 2 hours, VH delivered plenty of bang for the buck, though some might quibble about trading off deep album cuts like “Woman in Love” or newer “Truth” tracks for classics such as “Jamie’s Crying, “And the Cradle Will Rock” or “Atomic Punk.” Early highlights included “Everybody Wants Some,” “Somebody Get Me a Doctor,” and the blistering “China Town” – a decent full-tilt rocker from the new album. After losing momentum mid-set with a phoned-in version of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” followed by an odd Latin-flavoured drum solo by Alex, and a vocally awful version of The Kink’s “You Really Got Me,” the band regained their footing with their 1979 hit “Dance the Night Away.” Other second half show highlights included a blistering version of “Hot for Teacher,” “Ice Cream Man,” featuring Roth’s acoustic guitar intro, as well as the VH party rock hit “Panama.” But it was Eddie Van Halen who stole the show in the home stretch with a 10 minute long guitar solo that covered the gamut of sounds and styles, showing why he remains ranked as one of the best in business, crowning the display with “Eruption,” his masterpiece from VH’s 1978 debut album. The big screen display was used to great advantage during the solo, showing close-ups of Eddie’s fingerwork, allowing guitar god wannabees the opportunity to drool and take notes. VH wrapped the night in fine form with the steamy 1978 debut album track “Ain't Talking 'Bout Love,” followed by the instantly recognizable synth lines of their 1984 smash No1 hit – “Jump,” replete with confetti cannons and a mike stand twirling Roth, who played drum major. It was a different kind of Van Halen show than their last visit here with Diamond Dave in 1980, but with Eddie back in form, these ageing veterans proved they can still rock with the best – with or without the stage trappings. Kool and the Gang opened the night with well-played a 50 minute hit filled set, that had the crowd on their feet by the time they wrapped with the classic disco era hit “Celebrate.”

Total disappointment. Bought the overly expensive tickets with high hopes thinking we were going to see the show of the year, and it was the worst show I have seen in years. It made me miss Sammy. I think David Lee Roth needs to bow out and the band should move on with a different frontman. It was truly awful. Boring set aside, the music was distorted and the sound guy needs to get axed, we couldnt understand anything for the first 3-4 songs. I know this is not a sound issue from the MTS center, I saw Ozzy and Def Leppard there and it was clear and sounded great.DLR is out of touch with whats going on with the rest of the band.When the classic songs were played, they were sung out of tune and the lyrics were switched around or dropped altogether. His dance moves were cheesy and embarrassing to watch. Bad bad bad

Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen with the always boistrrous, comedic and very charming David Lee Roth returned to Vancouver for great night of Classic Van Halen hits and to introduce their latest compilation, A Different Kind of Truth. This Album is fantastic! They reunited with Dave and Wolfgang back in 2007, Wolf replacing the longtime bassist Micheal Anthony and I saw that show at the then named G.M. Place. Here tonight they returned five years later to put on an entertaining and sometimes mind blowing show. There were a few parts that showed that even after many shows and years of professionalism, mishaps do occasionally happen. Opening with Unchained then the crowd favorite Running With The Devil The audience just went ballistic. What vocal range David has. He forgot the lyrics of one of their new songs, China Town, He boasted about his sexual prowess, which back in the early eighties I would have admired but now he was just really admitting that he missed the past. Dave did manage to do several splits, once pretending to use a walker afterwards, that made me laugh. His ability to high kick was truly impressive. Despite all these years his voice was great. Dave, you still got it man! Alex was spectacular. He had a drum solo early on in the show, during Pretty Woman. It was the eve of Alex's 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday Alex. You Rock! Hot For Teacher is still one of the most revered Alex drum songs. You were another pioneer in the 70's rock era. A lot of Van Halen's catalogue of hits praise the fairer sex. That's OK with me, It's there style. David does it better than Sammy Hagar ever did.I like Sammy, but for his own style. Wolfgang has come far in the last five years. He is now a veteran. I got one of his Picks. An un named fan got two and gave me one. Thats what a happy show does to people. He just gave it to me. Thank-you. Wolf's voice harmonizes perfect with his Dad's. Great talent. The show stealer was Eddie. He played Eruption early in the show. it must have been a special request, it wan't on the setlist. Later in the show Eddie did one of the most intricate guitar solo's and with the use of the huge and perfect video screen in the background no one was denied the mastery of Eddie and his original guitar playing. His style set the standard for most of today's guitar playing. You are one of the True Rock God's! We are humbled before you. Thank-you Eddie. May you have a long and healthy tour and return again. Disappointments were two fold. First Cool and The Gang were entertaining. Their music spans five decades. I had favorites, Celebrate, Jungle Boogie and Ladies Night but it wasn't Disco night. Wrong opener. Second, I wanted, as many others did also, to hear Frosty from their latest release. The show was very loud, maybe one of the loudest yet. ACDC may have been louder. All in all, a great night out. Be well, enjoy the rest of the tour guys. See you next time around.

The sound was awful throughout. The vocals by David were horrible. The only bright spot for Van Halen was the solo be Eddie. The new songs were uninspired. Nuff said I guess. Kool And The Gang were fine, not the band I would have expected to back up Van Halen.

First of all, Kool and the Gang opened. They played well but they are nowhere near the same genre as Van Halen. David Lee Roth can't sing anymore. At all. He sucks, so bad. He tells the same jokes at every show, and is painful to listen to. Eddie and Wolfgang Van Halen were lip synching to pre-recorded vocal samples, and sometimes they were very far away from the microphones yet "their" voices were still "singing". The sound or mix is absolutely horrendous, and not just at the show I saw, but at every Van Halen show on the tour. Don't waste your money. If you like them, listen to their albums because that's as good as its gonna get. The tickets are outrageously expensive and not worth it at all! The average tickets sales at their shows rake in a minimum of $800,000.00 Sorry but that's ridiculous. They have enough money.

What can I say, I've waited 28 years to see Van Halen with David Lee Roth and they lived up to all my expectations and more. I was like a kid in a candy store. Grinning ear to ear from start to finish. Not as big a stage as I'm use to seeing them on but they still packed a punch. The music was high intensity and Roth was able to keep up. Althought his voice isn't what it use to be he was still able to get the job done. He danced, chatted up the crowed, and put on a show as any front man should. Best off all he didn't have the head mic. Wolfgang laid down some impressive beats on the bass and you could tell he has settled into his role on and even added his own style to the songs. The harmonizing that comes from two family members is something that can't be mateched and that's exactly what you get from Eddie and Wolfgang. I'm not knocking Mike Anthony's singing capabilities or his bass playing he is an amazing singer and bass player. Mike's bass solo was truly missed in this show. Maybe next time around Wolfie can add a bass solo to the show. Alex was Alex on the drums. Doing what he does best. Playing lights out behind a plethora of drums and symbols. He adds so much to the show and his drum solos are always amazing. Eddie Van Halen is still the king. He doesn't move around as much anymore but his playing is flawless as a result. He can still twist a guitar and make sounds that bands can only imitate with a synthesizer now a days. He still has that mischeivous grin and you can tell he's in a happy place and looking and feeling great. As usualy it wouldn't be Van Halen concert with out Eddies guitar solo and I don't care how many times you've seen it you are still blown away when you see it again. Well done Kind Edward! Even thought the stage was plain with little to offer for a show, the back screen was massive and gave everyone in the arena a front of the stage view. The camera lense gave a different "fish eye" look and was able to zoom in on one person and yet have the rest of the band still in the picture. It was truly amazing and really brought the show up front and personal. I for one would buy tickets to see them again and I hope that they can keep rocking for many years to come.

The Vancouver venue rocked!! Even my non Van Halen loving fiancée thought the show was the best shed ever seen! Dave was on point and very entertaining, everyone sounded great, and I'm seeing them again as soon as possible! The vibe is still there and the party is awesome!

I always review a gig by asking if I would go again. I've waited a long time to see Van Halen, I'm originally from the UK and they NEVER tour there. From the opening chords of Unchained through to the end the sound was muddy, it became blindingly obvious as the gig went on they were deliberately masking Roth's poor vocals. For $163 a ticket I expected a lot lot more in terms of stage show, 1 giant Screen showing black and white footage from the show plus slide shows of promo shots we've seen a million times already just doesn't cut it, there are loads of other bands putting on far better shows for a fraction of the money. The band themselves were tight, even if they no longer look the part, Eddie's playing was superb. I love Roth, loved his solo stuff, saw him a few times too but tonight was a pale reflection of that. I know he's getting older but that shouldn't stop the banter and the overall stage presence and I got sick of seeing him doing the same shoe shuffle over and over again, when did Diamond Dave turn into Sheep Dog Dave? Sheep Dogs!, Really? Unfortunately the gig was kind of what I was dreading but not what I was hoping for, So on the whole I left feeling disappointed and ripped off, so to answer my initial question, would I go again? No I wouldn’t

I'm not a huge VH fan but went along with a friend. I figured I knew enough of their hits to enjoy the show. There was no grand entrance, just all of a sudden VH was playing on stage to a deafening cheer from the crowd. I recognized Running with the Devil but not much else for the next 7 or 8 songs. I don't know if that's because they were obscure or because David Lee Roth wasn't singing them in tune! Most of the time when I did recognize a song, it was because of the music and the background vocals - the Van Halen boys were spot on with those (but I read in one review that some of it might have been prerecorded?). Diehard fans might have been happy with listening to Eddie, Alex and Wolfie and ignoring David Lee Roth and his antics. But with a stripped down stage, no other back-up musicians, Eddie and Wolfie fading into the background in their matching black T-shirts and jeans, and even the single huge screen behind them showing footage in black and white all night, there was nothing to distract your attention from Dave. He amused himself (but not the crowd) most of the night by slip sliding around like a drunken fool on his piece of hardwood floor, and twirling his mike stand around. This was backed up by videos on the big screen of DLR doing more slip sliding on different sets in other ugly outfits - all in black and white again! He kept putting on and taking off this ugly cap that made him look even older - we kept wishing he'd get rid of it. He missed words to songs that we knew and sang out of tune - I felt sorry for the other guys because they were so much better. By the time they played Panama, when you would like to see some energy from their lead singer, he had run out of gas and barely moved. At no point did the crowd really get into it and the energy just faded all night. DLR talked AT the audience, not to us, and Eddie and Wolfie didn't do anything to get the crowd into it. By the time they finished, they couldn't even be sure of getting an encore. They said goodnight and took a bow, then DLR said WTF why waste time going backstage - do you want an encore? OK we'll play one more. So they played Jump and that was the end of that. Not even the diehard fans tried to get another song from them. The mood leaving the arena was "is that it"? Kool and the Gang were surprisingly the best part of this concert! I wasn't sure what songs they played, but ended up recognizing most of their tunes. They were dressed sharp in white suits and all nine of them were full of energy and GOOD dance moves. They had the crowd up up on their feet singing when the arena was only half full. VH should be opening for them!!!

This was my first time to a Van Halen concert and now my last! It was literally a 'House of Pain'. It should have been called the David Lee Roth show! I paid $172.00 to see a lead singer forget lyrics to songs, forget songs and then had to watch a home video of his cattle dogs on a ranch. I was very excited and looking forward to this concert but after the show I was so disappointed and angry that I had been ripped off!! I love Van Halen music but this had to be the worst concert I have ever seen!!!! Most everyone in the stand seats were sitting down after about 4 songs into the concert. Once again however, Roger's Arena is not a good venue for any rock concert as the sound gets echoed too much, so perhaps some of the blame must go to the venue. The only good part of the show was Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo!! Probably worth the ticket price. That was it however!! It really was the David Lee Roth show and a bad one at that!!! Will not go to another show again!!!

If you haven't seen them play live before, you may go, oh Dave doesn't sing the songs properly like on the record, etc etc, like he used to... Lol, well, in that case maybe you should look up some bootlegs from 1981.. It's about having a party and being entertained, and they accomplished that with room to spare! They were very on point all night, Dave sounds great, and the vibe was there. It was a party in Vancouver all nite, complete with drinking, drugs and narcs galore! There were ad lib moments all over the place, great chemistry between Dave and Eddie, and they will remind you just how very talented they are; they put on one hell of a show for us on the most north western stop of their tour. I for one will see them again as soon as I am able to.

I was so excited to see Roth front Halen again. I am sooooo disappointed! The band held-up their end beautifully. Alex's drum solo was stellar & Eddie's guitar solo was in itself worth the ticket price. The harmonies by the band were bang-on. But Roth's lounge-style interpretations and his numerous screw-ups during the classics was insulting to both the audience & Van Halen. His miming, slipper-dancing, and "martial-arts" were an embarrassment and wrecked the entire concert. Also Note: Rogers Arena needs to cough-up for some air conditioning - crazy hot in there.

David Lee Roth has nothing left. Band really misses Michael Anthony's stage presence. Eddie can play but no longer looks the part. I think my opinion is in the minority because the crowd was on its feet the whole night. There were some good moments but overall the show was only fair. One hour fifty minutes, no break.

Okay... didn't make the opening act, because I wasn't into Kool and the Gang back in the day, and that hasn't changed. VH hits the stage, and it's all loud and proud... the Van Halen family are tight and know how to play together. Dave's showmanship is still on mark, but he's lost a bit of the "bounce" that used to be in his stage presence... which isn't a big deal, because time isn't fair to any of us. However... missing lyrics and forgetting an entire song isn't "Kool." The music was bang on, but when the singer doesn't know the songs, you wonder why you paid $160 per ticket. After about 20 minutes into the set, it seemed as if everyone on stage "mailed in" their performance. This was my 7th time seeing VH and it will be my last. I wish I had stopped after the last reunion tour, because they were spot on that time. Thanks for the memories guys... but you won't be getting any of my $$$ anymore.

They played VINTAGE Van Halen songs, tunes that haven't been heard in decades and unknown mainstream hits that only have been on albums and never before played in stadiums, at least not in over 25 years. The moment they started Everybody Want Some there were guys wetting themselves and literally becoming unglued in the stands and on the floor. The crowd stood on their feet the moment Alex came on stage and they NEVER EVER sat back down. Eddie's guitar solo was just like watching him in 1978 when he was in 21 years old. We've seen VH 4 times and they have NEVER sounded, played nor put on a show like last night. And kudso to Diamond Dave who is a freaking machine on stage and an incredible showman. The man never stops smiling. Alex's drum solo was Neal Pert worthy and I mean that in sincerity. Wolfgang's vocals are every bit as chopped excellence as Michael Anthony's but his bass playing is just freaking stellar. The kid can play and he's magnificent at it along with his singing. But the night belonged to the MAN himself and his low-key stature and a smile that never wavered and fingers that just are truly a gift from another galaxy. Eddie was plaing songs note for note from decades ago and better than he's ever sounded, if that was possible. He truly lived up to his legacy last night. There's guitarists and then there's Van Halen. My wee boy, who is now a grown young man, was in sheer ecstasy and fighting back tears. Seeing the reaction from BJ and the overwhelming adoration he had for Eddie just be blown to a new hemisphere was worth EVERY dollar paid!!! Van Halen Is BACK!!! Long Live The KING!!!

Menacing guitar licks and songs about screeching good times are back. David and Eddie can still rip the top off an arena. Soon a third generation will join in and the legend will continue.

Saw them a week ago in Buffalo - DLR was all over the place, timing and note-wise - kept screwing up Eddie and Wolfganag`s harmonies, which were otherwise great. Toronto was a much better show, both for the energy of the crowd, but also Dave was much more on his game and his voice was better. We were sitting right behind the sound board, and as an added treat, Valerie Bertinelli showed up and sat right at the board for the show. She`s not only hot in Cleveland, but she was hot in Toronto as well. There to watch her ex and her son rock the house. I`ve probably seen VH a dozen times over the years, and this is about the best I`ve seen EVH play - sober and nailing just about everything, including some gems from the first few albums that you don`t hear much anymore. Wolfgang has really come into his own - he is actually a killer bass player and singer - and that`s coming from a big Mike Anthony fan (too bad he got screwed over by the VH brothers, though...oh well, that`s not Wolfgang`s fault. Gotta give the kid props) And Kool and the Gang were a fun opening act - cool that their guitar player was playing a couple of the new Wolfgangs. Man, those guys have a lot of hits, and knew how to win over a crowd. Jungle Boogie is still a killer song that`s as rockin as a funk band can get!

It was a great show but Kool and Gang was something.But they played all the hits and older stuff that they haven't done in years.About 6 songs were from the new album.But they should put in their version of Dancing in the Street and more songs from the new album .Wolfie keep doing what you're doing and Diamond Dave don't ever keep you job forgranted and guys do another album with all new material also come back and do another show please it rocks.It was my Birthday and wolf happy Birthday to you and born a day after him, same age but born in a different country and time zone,He was born the state of California and I was born in a the province of Ontario.But the jumbotron should be shown from all angles.I had my first drink as an offical adult a beer.And that's my review and have a different opening act next time!

An awesome performance! David Lee Roth still has some amazing pipes, and Eddie Van Halen was amazing! We also really enjoyed Kool & the Gang. It's not very often that you want the opening act to keep on playing, but they were great! Overall a super show!

David Lee Roth is not the same as he was 25-30 years ago that's for sure. Wolfie doesn't replace Michael Anthony at all. Mikey was awesome! Eddie and Alex are still great but I sure did miss some of the Van Hagar era songs. Diamond Dave forgot some words and skipped the high notes. I paid too much money for admission to this show.