When the band first got started....

LudwigVonDrumCrazy · 02.02.10, 07:28 PM

as I looked over the Van Halen photo book by Neil(is a homo)Zloz for the millionth time a few days ago, a thought popped into my head. As I looked at all of the equipment the band had from a very early live shots and the photos during rehearsal, I wondered just where did they get all of the money to buy it?

I mean, even back in 76, marshall heads and cabs were not cheap and ED seemed to have 8 to 10 at any given show..ALL with the tolex ripped off, so you know he didn't rent them. Those 100 watt heads are damn expensive too

So, I started thinking, maybe Dave was the one fronting the cash since his parents were obviously filthy rich...

Ed and Al always said how poor they were.... and Mike was probably middle class more or less...

So, do you think that was the case? I mean Als drum set was frikkin huge back then..he had 2 bass drums strapped together as one, so that was 4 bass drums, plus 4 or 5 toms a snare loads of cymbals and stands, and Mike y had to compete with Eds wall of sound with all of those Apmegs.. plus a PA wich I know is common knowledge that Roth had...

That shit is NOT cheap.. Yes, they played probably 5 nights a week, but I doubt they made enough cash for all that gear in the beginning...

I can only imagine what kind of truck or vans they needed to haul it all as well...

I can't even imagine a local band bringing in that much stuff for a show in todays club scene... I would honestly laugh.. you really can get by with a half stack...

anyway...what do you guys/gals think?

If this has been discussed, I'm sorry...

Bad to the Bone · 02.03.10, 02:30 AM

I think I remember ed saying that he only used on marshall, the rest were hollowed out and jsut there for the look of it. I don't know how true that is but I remember him saying that.

ziggysmalls · 02.03.10, 06:58 AM

Actually I think the reason why they had the gear is they most likely worked their asses off doing odd jobs. From the sound of it, their parents were pretty old school and I am pretty sure they taught their kids the importance of saving money. I am also sure the parents made sure they were earing their keep if they were staying over.

I am thinking this schooling lasted awhile since Eddie was still living at his parents house until he married Valerie.

Kimmie5150 · 02.03.10, 07:13 AM

Didn't Ed have a van he drove before he bought that Jeep? Wasn't it their dad's van or something???

LudwigVonDrumCrazy · 02.03.10, 08:29 AM

Ed may have had a van, but one van wouldn't come close to holding all of that stuff...

and as far as them doing odd jobs around town, Ed said the only real job he ever had was a paper route...and I remember them saying that they used to con people out of money by asking the if they could stencil the address on the curb like the city does until they got busted.

I'm just saying that all the gear they had could NOT have come from little odd jobs. I don't know how much they made per gig, but I doubt it was a lot in the beginning...

I just thought the Roth angle was a possibility...

ziggysmalls · 02.03.10, 08:45 AM

I mean its possible but you have to think by the time Roth joined, they were already playing out. They had at least enough of their own gear to play on their own outside of the PA system which they would rent from Roth. So I gather at that time, they had enough money to pay for their musical equipment and PA rental.

Some how they were making due.

Now I assume that as they started to play with Roth, they started to get bigger and bigger. This was before "pay to play" so they most likely were making some decent money. Plus if Alex and Eddie were staying with their parents, they most likely were not paying much for room and board. I am sure fans kept them supplied with liquor and drugs.

The Randy Rhoads era of Quiet Riot was happening at the same time and Randy was buying a lot of gear. Granted he was teaching at his mothers music school but I am sure he wasn't charging an arm or a leg.

Its an interesting theory but I think they probably just used Roth's PA system and that was about it.

TOM_5150 · 02.03.10, 09:40 AM

This is an interesting post. I know the boys didn't make much but they played the clubs for years while living at home. I think VH put all of their money earned from gigs right back in to equipment.

KC5150 · 02.03.10, 10:43 AM

I do believe the van was Al's, because Ed had a Peugot... there's a pic of Dave doing one of his flying splits off of it back when they were recording VHII. Strange that this car had New York plates though.. I believe Mike had a van also, because they used to rent Mike's P.A. when theirs would blow up.

onefootoutthedoor · 02.03.10, 11:17 AM

Alright! A worthwhile thread in main! This works.

Bad to the Bone · 02.03.10, 11:28 AM

not to beat a dead horse but I'm still almost sure that Ed said he only used one marshall onstage and the rest were empty cabinets....has anyone else heard this or am I making it up? it's starting to bug me cause I can't remember where I heard it from and i doubt I would make something like that up...I don't play guitar so I wouldn't know that kind of stuff on my own.

johnnybeane · 02.03.10, 11:33 AM

Ive only looked at the book once at best buy so i don't remember the photos but if Zloz was taking their photos that means they were already signed so thats WB front $$$.

AS far as cars, i met a guy once who used to go to their backyard party shows in the 70's and he told me that eddie used to drive a vw bus & would keep the doors shut with old guitar strings.

Filthy 150 · 02.03.10, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad to the Bone

not to beat a dead horse but I'm still almost sure that Ed said he only used one marshall onstage and the rest were empty cabinets....has anyone else heard this or am I making it up? it's starting to bug me cause I can't remember where I heard it from and i doubt I would make something like that up...I don't play guitar so I wouldn't know that kind of stuff on my own.

I'm pretty sure I have read the same thing about the hollow cabs.
I seem to remember that he had to put cardboard(maybe plywood?) on the back of them so the stage lights wouldn't shine through them, revealing their emptyness.

LudwigVonDrumCrazy · 02.03.10, 12:54 PM

I don't think he used dummy cabs back then. maybe on the diver down or fairwarning tour when they had 300 cabs up there, but if you look at the pics from the rehearsals, you can see speakers in all the cabinets.

fuddman5150 · 02.03.10, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LudwigVonDrumCrazy

I don't think he used dummy cabs back then. maybe on the diver down or fairwarning tour when they had 300 cabs up there, but if you look at the pics from the rehearsals, you can see speakers in all the cabinets.

There's no way you need that many cabs in a studio. On tour yes maybe but thats too many in a studio.

Polo Muncher · 02.03.10, 03:02 PM

Another point being that the tiresome work that Ed went through to build his Frankie must've cost big time. The 'experimenting' he always goes on about can't have been straight sailing, he must've damaged a lot of stuff that needed replacing time after time so he could finally find his 'tone'.