If you’ve ever wondered how a band like Van Halen got so motherfucking TIGHT, you just have to look back on videos like the ones below. In the late 70s before the dawn of the DJ as the primary source for nightclub entertainment, cover bands ruled the land. Bands would go from gig to gig or play multiple hours at one venue just banging out cover after cover after cover. At one point before the release of their now legendary debut, Van Halen was gigging almost everyday of the week in Los Angeles, playing multiple clubs for multiple hours. Understanding that many songs played by that many musicians with that many styles can only make you versatile, if not a flat out virtuoso.
The recently-released audio clips come from Van Halen’s early club days as a cover band, where they added their signature touches to classics by the Kinks, Black Sabbath and more. Check them out, and look for a book by Noisey contributor Greg Renoff on the dawn of Van Halen, due in October. Order Van Halen Rising now.
Videos by VICE
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