When David Lee Roth first shocked fans by disappearing from Van Halen in a puff of cocaine dust at the zenith of the band’s debauched mid-eighties success, who’d have guessed that 30 years and a handful of Eddie Van Halen rehab stints later, he’d be back with his old bandmates, getting ready to delight magic bullet-using, shake weight-purchasing audiences everywhere with a live performance on the crown jewel of US daytime TV.
That’s right, Van Halen have just announced plans to perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, following in the footsteps of our very own Courney Barnett. Ellen’s music booker is certainly keeping us on our toes.
The pioneers of hard rock music, electric guitar wizardry and strategically timed high-kicks will make their Ellen debut in support of their brand new concert album, Live: Tokyo Dome In Concert, on an episode that’s set to air on April 2nd, US time.
“They are ‘what dreams are made of’…” a statement on Ellen‘s website reads – guess nobody told her Dreams was a Van Hagar era tune. “A legendary, ‘unchained’ world-renowned rock band that continues to tear up the stage four decades since their beginning, VAN HALEN is here! In a daytime exclusive, the California rockers will take over Ellen’s stage to perform one of their favorite songs…”
“…Ellen and her audience will be dancing through the aisles when Van Halen brings the heat to the room!”
Rather than see this as a sign of Van Halen going totally soft in their old age, we prefer to interpret it as further proof that Ellen DeGeneres’ powers are increasing at such a rapid rate that she will one day surely reign supreme over the entire human race, and institute a new world order of co-ordinated pants suits, awkward dance moves and endearing self-depreciating wisecracks. Not even Van Halen is safe.
As a sidebar, the veteran band’s new concert album is actually kind of a big deal, because it marks the band’s first ever official live release to feature their original singer, Diamond Dave.
The 23-song double CD will be released as a four-LP set on 180-gram vinyl, as well as digitally, beginning on March 31st, but is available now to pre-order.
The great Van Halen last visited Australia for Sydney’s Stone Music Festival in 2013.
Listen: Panama Live [Official Audio]
Tokyo Dome Live In Concert Track Listing:
01. Unchained
02. Runnin’ With The Devil
03. She’s The Woman
04. I’m The One
05. Tattoo
06. Everybody Wants Some!!
07. Somebody Get Me A Doctor
08. China Town
09. Hear About It Later
10. (Oh) Pretty Woman
11. Me & You (Drum Solo)
12. You Really Got Me
13. Dance The Night Away
14. I’ll Wait
15. Cradle Will Rock
16. Hot For Teacher
17. Women In Love
18. Romeo Delight
19. Mean Street
20. Beautiful Girls
21. Ice Cream Man
22. Panama
23. Eruption (Guitar Solo)
24. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
25. Jump
Watch: Ellen DeGeneres Dancing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3bp6qunYeg
