I found this over at the Kramer forum, it's an interview with
Eddie Van Halen (taken from Rolling Stone). Interesting stuff
!
Van Halen "Cannon Fodder For The Ages"?
The king of the electric six string discusses his past, his battles
with addiction and cancer, and the status, once and for all, of what
some consider to be the world's greatest rock band, in an exclusive
interview.
By JENNY ELISCU
If it weren't for bad news, or breakup news, fans of Van Halen
wouldn't have any news at all. Unfortunately, there's no bad news or
breakup news, and nothing is all the fans are getting.
Following a wildly successful reunion tour that spanned the United
States (and Puerto Rico, too!) with aging singer
Sammy Hagar in tow,
the band finds themselves on a hiatus.again.a status far too
familiar with the band's fans and far too unsettling for it's
founding member, and namesake, Edward Van Halen.
Van Halen (Edward) sat down with me in his "retreat" in the
northeast and discussed the current state of affairs, both
personally and within the band, and briefly touched on the rumors of
past singers again returning, and the statement that Van Halen (the
band) has become more of a running joke, cannon fodder, than the
powerhouse that it once was.
RS: Good morning, Ed. I see that life is treating you quite well.
How are you doing? Healthy?
VH: Healthy as a guy my age can get. You forget, I've fought off a
bad hip, cancer, and all sorts of stuff in my life. I'm not getting
any younger, you know. (Smiles widely)
RS: I understand that completely. What would you say the fans of
you, or your band, are wanting right now (No pun intended)?
VH: Why is it every time someone says those two words to me they
have to follow it with "No Pun Intended". I didn't invent those
words. My band just made them common and put them in a Pepsi ad
(laughs..) No, um.I think what our fans.collectively.that follow the
music are wanting is a sense of knowing "what's up" with us.
RS: What IS up with you?
VH: At the moment? Nothing. You know, Al's at home relaxing, I'm
just hanging out here working on some stuff I been working on, and
Sam's got his solo thing going and Mike is out there with him on
some of those dates. Everyone's having a good time.
RS: So judging from that, you're saying it's over?
VH: Over? No. Nothing's ever "over" with this organization. We're
like a really open marriage, we take breaks, do other things,
sometimes come back with a new wife here or there, but we always
make it back somehow.
RS: A New wife? You mean new singer.is that what you're saying.
VH: New wife, new singer..same thing. They play the same role. They
both nag ya till ya wanna run away, and they both are capable of
making or breaking a family.
RS: Who is your singer, at this very moment, Ed?
VH: As far as I know, Sam's still very much a part of this band.
Like I said, he goes out and does his thing, and you know, I've got
stuff written for him to put words to.I sure hope he comes back.
He's out doing his own thing, and that's what keeps him happy. He's
got another whole family out there in his bars and his clubs that
he's gotta see on occasion. Nothin too awfully wrong with that, I
guess. It re-fuels him for the stuff we want to do.
RS: So "Van Halen" as it was last year, your saying, for the record,
still "is"?
VH: I've learned not to promise anything Jenny. The minute I promise
anything, it gets turned up in my face. But as far as I know..
RS: What about the recent reports, online for example, that Sam
said "you didn't get along" on the recent tour? How would you
address the issues people are taking with your drinking?
VH: First, let me put an end to that bull**** right now. I drink
because I can. Everyone has good nights and bad nights. I had more
bad nights than good nights on that tour, and I've discussed it with
people, and I know now what I can and can't do on stage, and I know
how to keep things in check. And as far as not getting along goes.
it's a band..who gets along as much as they'd like in a band? If
people in bands got along, we wouldn't have made anything from 1984
forward.or at least not the quality of the stuff we did.
RS: You'd still have Roth, you mean?
VH: Well, I don't know about THAT.but if people got along, you never
know what would have happened after 1984. And yes, before you even
ask, I know what the next question is. No, I'm not playing with Dave
again. What is it with THAT rumor? Every time I sit down, people
think we've broken up again and Dave is coming back. GET OVER IT,
PEOPLE!
RS: It's what the fans want. Some fans consider that the only
true "Van Halen".
VH: Well, they're allowed to think that. Hell, until half way
through the 5150 album and tour, I thought that myself. But things
change. Things changed again in 1998, and again last year. It's all
music, it's all there, it's all Van Halen. Until the day that Al and
me aren't on that stage playing those songs, it's all Van Halen.
RS: Do you talk to Dave?
VH: We're not close.umm..I've talked to him once or twice, you know,
a couple times over the years..but we're not close, you know,
brothers any more. I just believe that you can't live your life
holding regret or grudge against someone. He feels the same way, so,
you know, we put that **** behind us and we move on.
RS: Any chance you'd ever work with him again?
VH: Is there a chance? Well.I don't ever say "never" in this band,
but honestly, he's doing his own thing, and he's happy. He still
goes out for the one-off show here and there, and you know, he sings
my songs, but it's still good to see him doing it. I wonder
sometimes where his head is, but it's still good to see it. As far
as working together, you know, I tried that once, twice even if you
follow some rumors, and I don't forsee it, but I won't ever rule it
out either.
RS: Tell me about Wolf.
VH: Who? Wolfie? Yeah.that's my boy.well.young man now. It's a great
thing having kids. They can carry on your legacy. I took him out
with us once or twice last year.
RS: You still see him?
VH: Oh hell yeah. He's my son. My day's not complete until I talk to
him. I mean, I talk to all my nieces and nephews too, but I have to
talk to the old namesake every day..
RS: Valerie has him, then? You still are on good terms with her?
VH: Well, I mean, it was a divorce, it's as good terms as it could
be. We DO have a child together, so I mean, yeah, we have to speak
now and again. We're still friends, I mean, we still care for one
another, we're just not married. It's best that way for everyone.
RS: What about last year? The tour nobody thought would happen. Tell
me a little about that. What went through your mind at the first
show.
VH: That very first show, when we stood there, the four of us and
looked at each other behind that curtain.. I kinda looked at Mike,
and he gave me his toothy "thumbs up", and I looked at Al and he was
twirling his sticks, and I looked at Sam and he grinned and pulled
down his glasses and did his "scream" and that was that. It was a
roller coaster from day one, and I loved it, and I wouldn't have
traded it for anything. The new songs got well received, the band as
a whole got well received, and it's like the eight years never
happened. It was magic for a long long time. We got bored at the
end, but it was still "there" you know what I mean?
RS: What's your opinion on the Hall of Fame?
VH: Heh, you know, I don't know. It'd be great to get the honor, but
it's not worth living and dying for. The fans want it..and that
organization should listen to their fans. That's all I'm gonna say
about that.
RS: Would you play with Dave for one night if you got inducted?
VH: Um..I don't know. I don't see why not, for one night. We could
probably stand each other for that long. I mean, we're cordial but I
don't know about a full time thing. One night, probably, yeah, I
could handle that. You know, let him do "Jump" or something, let Sam
do one of our songs we did with him, you know "Dreams" or
something.. Hell, we could bring back Gary if we wanted too for one
night! Let's see them actually get our name on a ballot first.
RS: How Many Say I?
VH: Too many when I tried to sing that song (Laughs).let's leave
that one alone.
RS: What do you think of the internet? Fan pages, message boards,
stuff like that? In recent days, this band has become the "running"
joke in the media. "Time for another breakup", they say.
VH: Yeah, well, my band will always be cannon fodder for the ages. I
think it's absolutely great what some people can dream up. There are
some places out there that are tried and true tributes to the band
or me, or whatever, and you have your people who just go out and
make it up as they go along, and you know, if I paid any attention
to any of that, I'd have died in a bottle last year sometime. Some
people out there claim they're even family.well.okay. Close
maybe..family.no.and MY family knows when to clam up. Nephews,
cousins, whatever. Don't believe everything you read. Did you know
that Al quit the music business forever, then came back, formed a
jazz band, then quit again? (Laughs) Now your website, Jenny. That's
class act (laughs).
RS: Uh huh. Nice save, Ed (both laugh). So things are good. We can
look forward to hearing from you in the future?
VH: Oh yeah. They haven't put the nail in my coffin yet. I'll always
be around, doing something here or there.
RS: And "Van Halen"?
VH: Just sit tight folks. Nothing's over until I say it's over. When
you hear it from me, take it at word. Otherwise, you know, I'll be
here.
RS: Any closing thoughts?
VH: I thought that WAS my closing thought (Laughs).
RS: Sounds like a good point to end to me.
VH. Yep.
Regards
André
