Van Halen Postpones Summer Tour Dates

Oh no, not again! Those may be the words of some Van Halen fans after learning that the group has abruptly postponed a boatload of summer tour dates. Just weeks after announcing that they had extended their tour by adding 18 new dates, Van Halen fans are left wondering if the new shows and a number of the originally-scheduled shows will ever become a reality or whether the group is done for good.

As we all come to expect under these circumstances, there are rumors circulating that suggest possible reasons for the postponements. The lack of any official word from Van Halen or their spokespeople makes for very fertile ground in the land where rumors are cultivated. There is some speculation that in-fighting has gotten the better of them and that “they hate each other” and are constantly arguing. Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth have some history that makes this kind of speculation inevitable.

If the above rumor turns out to be factual, perhaps the group should be nominated for an Emmy Award considering the recent reports from concert venues that describe a group that appears to be getting along wonderfully, displaying more than enough smiling and good will for everyone in attendance. I suppose I should not be jumping to conclusions, but let’s face it, this is the kind of stuff people want to hear about.

Other, less sensational rumors suggest that ticket sales have been a bit disappointing for the group and perhaps even more so for the fans, with the cost of some tickets running as high as $160. Then there are the reports of fans who are disappointed by the lack of energy present in the live show. Like anything else, I’m sure VH has their good nights and bad nights, but either way, these guys aren’t spring chickens any more (with the obvious exception of Eddie’s son Wolfgang) and perhaps they just can’t rock the house like the did in the old days.

With the group’s history, it’s a given that speculation about in-fighting and other things will emerge quickly under these circumstances. When fans find out that a show they were holding tickets for has been postponed, I would expect the that the first question on their mind is “why?”

The band’s web site shows live dates that extend only to June 26th, leaving the fate of 31 dates up in the air. The sooner the band comes out with an official announcement about their change of plans, the better chance they have of shutting down the rumor mill, which has a tendency to churn up nastier and nastier speculation as time passes.

Currently there is no indication on either the band’s official website or their Facebook page that any shows have been postponed. There’s plenty of info to be had regarding the group’s new album, A Different Kind of Truth, which may leave fans wondering just how the truth that’s evident on-stage compares to the truth of what goes on behind the scenes. After all, this isn’t the first time a Van Halen tour has applied the brakes abruptly.