David Lee Roth: ‘I’m throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring’

By John Katsilometes
October 2, 2021

[www.reviewjournal.com]

:-(

Never seen him or VH...and I'm from Pasadena. Worked for his dad though (washing cars/dogs as a kid).

He didn't get the memo, musicians don't retire?

Wasn’t aware he was still working

Rod

Saw him in Hammersmith in 2004. While not the greatest singer it was a great show and he was a full on showman. He ended doing the jump from the Van Halen 2 cover!

Thank God

My second favourite frontman! He was awesome in his prime but unfortunately age takes its toll. You can do leaping splits from the drum riser and high kicks above your head when you're in your 20s and 30s but not so much in your 50s an 60s. I've seen him more with VH and solo than any other performer.

The holy grail for VH fans would be a release of a full Oakland 81 concert if it was actually all filmed over the 3 shows. My first concert was VH in Vancouver just days before the 3 Oakland vids for Unchained, Hear About It Later and So This Is Love were filmed. VH at their peak!

I was looking forward to a full VH reunion including Mike Anthony but we never knew the full extent of Eddie's cancer. I'm hoping that in these last shows in Vegas, He can reunite with Alex and Mike one last time.

He made some hints about health issues in his statement, hopefully nothing is wrong but he is/was a heavy smoker all his life.

While not a big fan, I'm glad he's aware of when it's time to retire.
I hope it isn't health related, why he's decided to stop performing.

Got to see Dave and the VH boys open for the Stones in Orlando, 1981!

Quote
Elmo Lewis
Got to see Dave and the VH boys open for the Stones in Orlando, 1981!

Nice, I've mentioned here previously that the back cover of Diver Down is them doing a curtain call at the Tangerine Bowl from that show! They also opened for them in 78 at the Superdome.

I saw them at US Festival 83 - terrible.
Eddie Van Halen was a great guitar player.
Ain't Talkin' Bout Love is a killer tune.

One of the funniest things I've seen is the video of when Roth smashed his nose with the microphone during the Jimmy Kimmel live taping in 2015.
Was almost about to head down there the day of (I think Dan was there?)... Hollywood Blvd. blocked off, but realized it would probably be terrible...even worse than in '83...it was.

Sorry to see him go off in to the sunset...he was kind of a harmless goofball...

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Quote
Elmo Lewis
Got to see Dave and the VH boys open for the Stones in Orlando, 1981!

And wasn't it a great show? I saw Van Halen open for the Stones in Orlando and in New Orleans in 78. Great times!

All things must pass, all things must pass away, as someone once sang. Diamond Dave's day lost its luster awhile ago.

Quote
Hairball
I saw them at US Festival 83 - terrible.
Eddie Van Halen was a great guitar player.
Ain't Talkin' Bout Love is a killer tune.

One of the funniest things I've seen is the video of when Roth smashed his nose with the microphone during the Jimmy Kimmel live taping in 2015.
Was almost about to head down there the day of (I think Dan was there?)... Hollywood Blvd. blocked off, but realized it would probably be terrible...even worse than in '83...it was.

Sorry to see him go off in to the sunset...he was kind of a harmless goofball...

I'm sure none of the remaining band members can remember the US Festival. A weekend of booze and drugs for them. They did get paid 1.5 million which was a Guinness Book record back then and the hard rock/metal day drew a lot more than either of the other days.

Quote
DGA35

Quote
Hairball
I saw them at US Festival 83 - terrible.
Eddie Van Halen was a great guitar player.
Ain't Talkin' Bout Love is a killer tune.

One of the funniest things I've seen is the video of when Roth smashed his nose with the microphone during the Jimmy Kimmel live taping in 2015.
Was almost about to head down there the day of (I think Dan was there?)... Hollywood Blvd. blocked off, but realized it would probably be terrible...even worse than in '83...it was.

Sorry to see him go off in to the sunset...he was kind of a harmless goofball...

I'm sure none of the remaining band members can remember the US Festival. A weekend of booze and drugs for them. They did get paid 1.5 million which was a Guinness Book record back then and the hard rock/metal day drew a lot more than either of the other days.

It was a weekend of booze and drugs For 99% of the people in attendance, and I'm aware of those trivial factoids you mention, but that doesn't take away from the fact they were terrible - Roth was a sloppin' drunk mess.
Scorpions and Judas Priest were highlights of "heavy metal" day, but for the most part day one w/The Clash, Stray Cats, Oingo Boingo (and others) was better, as was day three w/U2, Pretenders, Bowie (and others).

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Quote
DGA35
My second favourite frontman! He was awesome in his prime but unfortunately age takes its toll. You can do leaping splits from the drum riser and high kicks above your head when you're in your 20s and 30s but not so much in your 50s an 60s. I've seen him more with VH and solo than any other performer.

The holy grail for VH fans would be a release of a full Oakland 81 concert if it was actually all filmed over the 3 shows. My first concert was VH in Vancouver just days before the 3 Oakland vids for Unchained, Hear About It Later and So This Is Love were filmed. VH at their peak!

I was looking forward to a full VH reunion including Mike Anthony but we never knew the full extent of Eddie's cancer. I'm hoping that in these last shows in Vegas, He can reunite with Alex and Mike one last time.

He made some hints about health issues in his statement, hopefully nothing is wrong but he is/was a heavy smoker all his life.

Diamond Dave was second only to Mick in being THE frontman...

My first show was VH in Dayton in '81... they blew my 15 year old mind, I couldn't believe Eddie was better than on the records.

That's how live music gets in your veins!!

DLR's message seemed kinda cryptic to me, and I'm hopin' he can enjoy more life, seems he always does anyway. He has earned his stripes...

I got shutout due to the Rona last March with tix to DLR in Vegas, and then when he was opening for Kiss here in Dayton with the show gettin' rescheduled a couple times. Then I realized it is fitting my last time seeing Van Halen in Charlotte in 2015 will be my last of both Eddie and Dave. I'm good with that.

I like this.................

[www.youtube.com]

...and this is a comment:

Austin Shaw
6 years ago
Somewhere there's a carwash missing its mop strips...

Couldn't care less. Useless singer and overrated frontman.

Well he's always polarized many watchers/listeners, I for one have been a massive fan since I first heard their Debut, I love what DLR represents to many fans, he is Fun, the Party, the Minister of Good Times.

Everytime I hear Dave i think of summer, he was the soundtrack to my teens and introduced me too Steve Vai.

I'm fully aware that Guitar wizardry is often sneered at but I love the era, it was flash, OTT and unapologetic.

I saw VH Mark 3 in 97 so was lucky enough to see Eddie, Alex and Mikey.

Dave it'll just have to be TV and Record

Quote
Shawn20

Quote
Elmo Lewis
Got to see Dave and the VH boys open for the Stones in Orlando, 1981!

And wasn't it a great show? I saw Van Halen open for the Stones in Orlando and in New Orleans in 78. Great times!

Sure was! Especially for $15!

"No Anchovies, Please"

Sounds as though he might be ill, based on his comments there

Quote
Send It To me
Sounds as though he might be ill, based on his comments there

Ya, I got that impression, too. Glad he's got the common sense to stop & take care of himself.

Quote
SKILLS
Well he's always polarized many watchers/listeners, I for one have been a massive fan since I first heard their Debut, I love what DLR represents to many fans, he is Fun, the Party, the Minister of Good Times.

Everytime I hear Dave i think of summer, he was the soundtrack to my teens and introduced me too Steve Vai.

I'm fully aware that Guitar wizardry is often sneered at but I love the era, it was flash, OTT and unapologetic.

I saw VH Mark 3 in 97 so was lucky enough to see Eddie, Alex and Mikey.


Dave it'll just have to be TV and Record

Why were you lucky?

Dave should have retired forever ago. Its also hilarious that a month ago he said "someone needs to keep the Van Halen tradition alive and it'll be me!" to now saying "oh no, I'm done." Especially after all the stuff with Gene Simmons saying he was over the hill and Dave telling him to @#$%& off. I guess Dave also watched some of his recent vids lol. A total non news story that I'm surprised he even had to announce it.

For some, Van Halen saved us from the plethora of New Wave and Punk stuff coming out the summer of '78. That, and the likes of Foreigner and Boston. Thank God for VH's first album...and of course, Some Girls...

I saw VH at the Palladium in 1979 and it was epic. I saw them a few years later at the Boston Garden and it wasn't. Never bothered after that.

Quote
bitusa2012
Wasn’t aware he was still working

Me neither. He was the man in the 1980s but had faded away by 1990.

Quote
ThePaleRider
For some, Van Halen saved us from the plethora of New Wave and Punk stuff coming out the summer of '78. That, and the likes of Foreigner and Boston. Thank God for VH's first album...and of course, Some Girls...

Not to mention disco - which now sounds great next to rap.

Yes, in summer 78 it was Some Girls, 1st Van Halen, and Jackson Browne's Running On Empty. Late summer, 1st Cars album.

Quote
misterfrias

Quote
bitusa2012
Wasn’t aware he was still working

Me neither. He was the man in the 1980s but had faded away by 1990.

No one really knew he did anything till the Van Halen reunion in 2007. He coasted on that for a decade and now does a lot of weird hobby stuff. He's essentially been "current for a total of a 10 year period and he thinks we owe him everything.

Quote
RollingFreak

Quote
misterfrias

Quote
bitusa2012
Wasn’t aware he was still working

Me neither. He was the man in the 1980s but had faded away by 1990.

No one really knew he did anything till the Van Halen reunion in 2007. He coasted on that for a decade and now does a lot of weird hobby stuff. He's essentially been "current for a total of a 10 year period and he thinks we owe him everything.

He didn't "coast". The VH tour of 07-08 was their highest grossing tour ever. In 2012 they released A Different Kind of Truth, an excellent album with some of the songs on the album that were from the original club days that were redone with new lyrics. Toured behind that album and then in 2015 they toured in support of the live Tokyo Dome album, which would end up being their final tour. 2019 was supposed to be the big stadium reunion tour with the full original lineup but unfortunately never happened. No one knew the full extent of Eddie's cancer.