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July 24, 2009
Eddie Van Halen Doing Well Following Hand Surgery
What a heck of a way to spend your honeymoon. Well, that’s probably not really the case, but it seems that Eddie Van Halen’s recent hand surgery must have been soon after he and new wife Janie Liszewski wrapped up their continent-hopping journey of love. They were reported to have plans to honeymoon in New York, Germany and The Netherlands.
Van Halen’s doctor, located in Germany, discovered a number of problems in the guitarist’s left hand after he had been complaining of pain, which was initially believed to be arthritis. It was then discovered that Van Halen was suffering 
from a bone spur, a twisted tendon and a cyst in the joint of his left thumb. A sort of triple play of bad luck for the guitar legend.
Van Halen reports that he began to experience some pain in his thumb and pinky finger of his left hand during their last tour – just what a guitarist needs! Although he more-or-less dismissed it at the time, the pain progressed to a point where he was unable to play. Eventually his pinky and thumb were “locked up,” as described by Van Halen. At that point, it must have become quite apparent that he needed to seek medical help.
With surgery being the only option to correct the situation – something that caused an understandable amount of anxiety for him – Van Halen underwent the procedure which was determined to be successful.
Van Halen is taking it easy these days while he gives his hand time to recover. A full recovery is expected, but in the meantime, he will occupy himself by doing some writing. The projected time for a full recovery is in the four to six month range, at which time Van Halen says he’s confident he’ll “be able to play at maximum intensity.”
One has to wonder (or maybe it’s just me) how a "locked up” pinky and thumb may have hindered some honeymoon activities, but perhaps that’s something that merits consideration on a blog that normally covers those kinds of things.
More information is available at Rolling Stone.
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June 19, 2009
Michael Anthony Talks Chickenfoot And Van Halen
Could any interview with any member of the new “supergroup” Chickenfoot be complete without some explanation regarding that crazy name? When the group’s bassist, Michael Anthony, talked with Detroit radio station WRIF recently, that was the first issue that came up, and much to everyone’s surprise, there actually is some logic behind the name choice.
Anthony admits that nobody seems to care for the name, but as he rightly points out, once you hear it you know who it is. It turns out the name was originally chosen when Anthony, Sammy Hagar and Chad Smith were jamming down at Hagar’s club. Since there were three of them, and a chicken’s foot has three prominent toes, the guys –- likely in the midst of a tequila-fueled evening – gave birth to the name that everyone seems to hate.
Anthony admits that they did spend some time researching other names and getting a bit frustrated when they plugged various selections into Google and discovered that another band was already using the name. When Google informed them that there were no results for any bands using the name "Chickenfoot,” Anthony goes ahead and admits that they “were just stupid enough to take it.”
Anthony also explains that the logo that they came up with for the band actually makes sense for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it kind of looks like a chicken foot and secondly, the peace sign, which closely resembles the logo, was referred to as “the footprint of the great American chicken” by some U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam era.
So, it appears that there is a little bit of history behind the choice of the name, although Anthony admits it was recognized only after the name had been chosen.
These days we also expect to hear something about the recent war of words that has been going on between Michael Anthony and Eddie Van Halen, and this interview did not disappoint. Anthony maintains that he never quit the band, despite Van Halen’s recent comments to Rolling Stone that he did. Don’t expect a lot of vitriol and insults directed towards Eddie however. Anthony doesn’t seem like that kind of guy and sounds like he would just like to move on and stop rehashing the past drama of his years with Van Halen.
Although he does not come right out and say it, Anthony does hint that life in Van Halen was a bit like living under a dictatorship. He seems quite happy with the way things work in his new band, and describes his later years in Van Halen as a more “choked,” indicating that he didn’t have the creative input that he may have liked and was more-or-less told what to play.
According to Anthony, the creative process at work inside Chickenfoot is much more democratic and each member is free to run with his own ideas and freely inject as much creative input as he wants.
There’s a lot more to listen to in this interview, including a little chat that the jocks have after they get off the line with Michael Anthony where they basically side with Anthony over the whole Van Halen thing. Going on my own gut feeling regarding that issue, I’d say that I have to agree with them.
Check out the full audio interview at WRIF.
June 16, 2009
Eddie Van Halen Takes on Nike
Don’t mess with Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstein.” That seems to be the message that the veteran guitarist is conveying to sporting goods giant Nike. Van Halen has concluded that a new lines of sneakers recently introduced by Nike look a little too similar to his signature “Frankenstein” design, that was made famous by the guitar of the same name when the group broke onto the scene back in the late 1970’s.
Having recently introduced his own line of sneakers featuring the famous design under his EVH brand, Van Halen apparently sees too much similarity between Nike’s new design and the “Frankenstein” design he copyrighted back in 2001 and has field suit in Los Angeles claiming that Nike is inflicting "irreparable harm and damage" to his signature design.
Van Halen is seeking general and punitive damages, all profits resulting from the sales of Nike’s "Dunk Lows" and a permanent injunction stopping the production of the sneakers in question.
There’s little question that the design of the Nike shoe bears a resemblance to Van Halen’s design, but is it similar enough to file a lawsuit over? Opinions, will vary as they always do and likely be influenced by whether or not someone sees Eddie Van Halen has a rock god or a grumpy and arrogant celebrity.
This will be an interesting one to watch, although a verdict is probably not something we should be expecting soon. I suspect that the Van Halen legal team may be hoping for an offer of a settlement from Nike which would allow them to continue using the design while cutting Van Halen in on some of the profits by way of a licensing agreement.
June 12, 2009
Eddie Van Halen Counts His Blessings
The one word that might best summarize Eddie Van Halen’s outlook on life these days is ‘thankful.’ In a recent interview with Spinner, the guitar legend emphasizes just how grateful he is to be in a place where everything seems to have finally come together for him.
That may sound strange when we’re talking about a talented musician who truly made it, and has experienced the highs of living the life of an honest-to-God rock star, but like so many others who find themselves in the celebrity spotlight, the tremendous highs are often accompanied by devastating lows, and Eddie Van Halen has not been spared his share.
After enduring battles with cancer and addiction, Van Halen sounds like a man who has finally managed to gain the upper hand in his long battle with the demons that haunted him through the decades. Numerous references to ‘God’ reveal an Eddie Van Halen that sounds more humble than might be expected of someone who is considered by many to be the best rock guitarist of all time.
Even so, Van Halen does not hesitate to take credit where he believes it is due, mentioning three times during the interview that he writes all of the group’s music. He does acknowledge, however, that the group – at least in its current incarnation – is indeed a democracy, and as a result, he does sometimes get outvoted. “I’m not a tyrant, as a lot of people think,” he says. “I just expect other people, if you’re in this band, to work as hard as I do.”
Asked whether he has a different appreciation for where he is at with his life and music these days, he responds by saying: “Yeah, I thank God on my knees that I’m alive and obviously to be sober and to be working with my son. I’m so damn blessed it’s beyond words.”
To read the entire interview, visit Spinner.
January 7, 2009
Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Wolfgang’ Guitar To Debut This Month
Back in November we first heard about the new custom guitar that Eddie Van Halen has been working on. Van Halen shared some details with Guitar World magazine at the time, and he sure made the new EVH Wolfgang sound like a work of art.
The good news for those who find themselves lusting after their own copy of this creation is that we are about a week away from its official debut. The new axe will be unveiled at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show which will convene in Anaheim, California between January 15th and 18th.
The Wolfgang is said to be the product of two years of work by Van Halen and Fender, and is expected to sell for around $3,000. That may be out of reach for a lot of EVH fans but I suppose the upside is that it is a lot less than the “Frankenstein” replica’s $25,000 asking price.
Van Halen, well-known for his guitar-building abilities in addition to his legendary talent for playing, is said to have been deeply involved in every step of the Wolfgang’s creation and left no detail to chance. Fender guitar designer and builder Chip Ellis reported that working with Van Halen on the new instrument was both “a dream and a nightmare.”
With an ear that tells him the difference in sound between a 5-foot guitar cord and a 10-foot guitar cord as well as what kind of wood a guitar is made of, to say that working with Eddie Van Halen on a project like this is daunting would be an understatement.
Although it may seem like an inopportune time to be introducing a new guitar due to the current economic turmoil, the good news for guitar manufacturers is that they actually do very well during times like these. In fact, Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz reports that the company experienced its best quarter ever at the close of 2008.
“The guitar market has been counter-cyclical for 100 years — we even did well during the Great Depression," Juszkiewicz says. "In times of distress, a guitar can be a relatively inexpensive way to create entertainment at home. Of course, there’s also that rock-star image that comes with the guitar. And people want to play what the rock star plays.”
Although many guitar enthusiasts may have to save up for a while to get one of those $3,000 Wolfgang’s in their collection, there is another way to get your hands on one if you are in a significantly higher tax bracket and have a penchant for classic cars.
An EVH Wolfgang guitar will be awarded to the highest bidders when Van Halen auctions off two classic cars from his personal collection. A 1956 Chevrolet 210 and a 1956 Chevrolet Nomad will be on the auction block at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, which begins on January 11th. Van Halen says he no longer has the time to drive them.
Oh yes, in addition to the complimentary Wolfgang guitars, the two winning bidders will also receive a pair of black EVH striped sneakers. I’m not sure what kind of value they place on those, but they certainly must be a lot less expensive than cars or the EVH Wolfgang guitar.
For more, check out USA Today.
