LETTER TO M. ANTHONY (for what it's worth)

[VH FOREVER]

I just was doing my usual surfing of the sites today and started to get real depressed about the whole situation at hand with VH, so I opened the email and sent this. Who knows what will come of it, but anything's better than nothing. Enjoy...

Mike,

I am writing this email hoping to get "SOME" kind of a direct answer pertaining to the future of Van Halen. I'm a long time, dye hard fan of the Mighty Van Halen(all era's), it doesn't matter who has been at the mic, it has always sounded great! The problem is that it has been "TOO LONG" for this VH silence! Mike, I was able to see you this summer when you were on tour with Sammy, and I have to tell ya, "YOU HAVEN'T MISSED A BEAT MY FRIEND", YOU'VE STILL GOT IT! I always search the websites, at least 2-3 times a week, hoping to see something positive happening to the world's greatest rock band. I understand that you probably can't just come right out and say that VH will be putting out an album on this month, with this singer, etc..., etc... All I'm asking for is an honest, direct(without bouncing around the question) answer to the 1 question that myself, as well as the rest of the VH fan-based world would like to know. Is VH definitely coming out with a new album in the year 2003, or ever at that fact???

I've seen the answer that Brad has posted on some websites stating, "It is their plan in the future" and "No news is good news". Mike, I know you've most likely heard this before, but....VH "IS" starting to lose it's fans. I'm not speaking for anyone but myself here but, I read the postings all over the websites set up for VH and they are not good at all. What's even more sad is that the people of the younger generation don't even acknowledge the existence of the band Van Halen. When you ask them if they know who they are, they will just say something like, "They're nothing but a bunch of washed up old farts that had their moment" or "Van Who?" And that is "NOT" a joke either. I mean it's real disturbing to hear the younger generation to be saying things like that about the band that set the stage for hard Rock-n-Roll platform that it is today. Look, just try to look at it from a faithful fans' point of view, like myself. First, VH is in the studio recording a f/u to VHIII, then all of a sudden, there is no more updates from the band. Then, there's talk of a reunion with DLR, which then we hear that there was this Lawyer thing that happened, pretty much putting VH on a back burner, for how long, who knows?, not us fans I'll tell ya!

We understand that a lot of personal things have happened to certain members of the band, and our hearts are definitely with them in this time of trials and tribulations. It's just some frustration that you see when people will comment some mean things about the band Van Halen. Please believe that it most likely isn't anything more than fans blowing off some steam and venting some frustration. The last thing that we(the fans) have heard from EVH was a posting he did back in May reporting that he has been given a clean bill of health and that we would be hearing from VH very shortly??? I have to say, "Boy, that's the shortest 7 months I myself have been waiting for something??? Mike, we just need to hear something concrete and direct from the group Van Halen as to what is going on with the future of the band. It is fans like myself that have made Van Halen who they are today. Going out and buying every album that the band has recorded and published, going to every concert that has ever come around to the area that we live, buying VH memorabilia from the concerts that we attend, helping you the band become famous. Now, hear you guys sit, the members of Van Halen, "VERY" wealthy and famous, living like Kings and Queens and when we the fans would like to get just one direct answer about the situation of Van Halen, we get snubbed at and pretty much are getting told to fuck off!

Look, whether it's a gag order that's keeping you guys from speaking, or no gag order. We the "FANS" have a right to at least be informed of what the future of the band Van Halen is going to be? It's not meant to sound ignorant, just that, if it wasn't for us, Van Halen "WOULDN'T" be who they are today and you guys wouldn't have the things that you have today. Fuck, I get shit from my wife if I say I want to buy something that's Van Halen related. I get the guilt trip of how it needs to go to our children first. Mike, look, I've tried to put it the best and plain direct way that I can. You guys have either got to post something at the VH website, or release some kind of statement to the press on the future of the band, or the fans that have stood beside you from the beginning will start to make the decision that they've been treated like shit for the last time and just stop being fans. You can look at that statement one of 2 ways. 1) So what, you lose a few fans(which I hope you don't do) or 2) Fans=$$$. And that is a fact that is not easily ignored. I hope you find the respect to, at the very least; reply to this email.

Signed,

A Fan in Limbo???

P.S.
Brad,

If you read this is instead of Mike, which I'm sure you will. Please find it in your heart to let him read this letter from a fan just trying to address a very troubling situation and an opinion.

So there you have it. Now if we could only get a reply

[John Ashcroft]

Hell, while were asking for favors... Could ya ask Eddie and Alex to fire that loser Brad $ tarks? He really sucks! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[ December 13, 2002, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: John Ashcroft ]

[Zahzoo]

Nice letter... pretty much sums it all up!! Look forward to the reply. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[muffdiver]

ya...and spot me a few bucks will ya....cmon it's christmas...

[Zahzoo]

Come on muff... don't bring yourself down to pan-handlin on a VH board... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[el_jalepeno]

Excellent up to the last paragraph. Then it became pretty brutal. Hope you get a reply though [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[alex6261]

Originally posted by John Ashcroft:
Hell, while were asking for favors... Could ya ask Eddie and Alex to fire that loser Brad $ tarks? He really sucks! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

Dude, FORD, if you are going to try to conceal your identity, don't use the $tarks thing...it's a dead give away.

[Davesdead]

To hell with VH,lets organize a boycot.

[twonabomber]

Originally posted by Davesdead:
To hell with VH,lets organize a boycot.

again? the first 10 boycotts have worked so well, too...

no amount of pleas, letters, or threats will work. that's been proven over the last five years...

[HolyFuckingShit]

Boycott what???

[twonabomber]

that's what i mean. there's no new product, and most of us already have everything VH put out anyways. joke's on us, they got our money already...

i'm not buying the remasters, but not because of any inactivity by VH. i just don't want to give the Evil WB any more money than i already have...

[Glenn]

Originally posted by twonabomber:
the first 10 boycotts have worked so well, too...

I've been collecting the stamps. 10 boycotts, and the next one's free!!

[FAN4EVER]

Originally posted by el_jalepeno:
Excellent up to the last paragraph. Then it became pretty brutal. Hope you get a reply though [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

got to agree with el_. I also think that you spoke with some honest words that sume up the feeling of many of us long time fans... but the last paragraph may have been harsh.

[ACK]

The fact of the matter is is that VH is going to do whatever they want, regardless of how much anyone pisses and moans. That's reality.

A VH revival will happen when it happens, period. Personally, I think Dave ever coming back is a dead issue. Not gonna happen, dudes. And this was my sentiment before I read about Roth's lawsuit. If it was meant to happen, we would have heard something by now.

IMO, the only real hope for VH to get back is with Sammy. Sammy has hinted he may be amenable to a reunion if he and Eddie could get together and talk out their differences. If they could reignite that creative fire, it would be great. "Humans Being" was the last great VH song and ironically, the end of Van Hagar.

If Sammy and Eddie reconcile, everything else will fall into place. I think even Eddie knows that a fourth singer would be the surest way to kill off VH once and for all.

Obviously, Eddie is recovering from his bout with cancer and the end of his marriage. At some point, he will have to decide what the next step is. Once he makes that decision, then maybe we'll hear something.

Keep in mind that Rush's Neal Peart lost his wife and daughter within a year of each other a few years back. During Rush's four-year hiatus, Neal relocated to Californaia and built a new life with a new wife and Rush came back this year with a strong, aggressive and modern-sounding effort, "Vapor Trails." If Neal can rebound after the loss of his family, I think Eddie can survive a divorce.

In the meantime, we have Sammy and Mike's "Project US" to look forward to and Sammy is still out there, having fun and spreading the gospel of hedonism. Hey, at least he's having fun!

So, let's go into 2003 hopeful, but not putting our lives on hold wondering about the future of VH.

Chris (ACK!)

[img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[Raldo]

Good post VH FOREVER. Most of us are in agreement with you. Although, that last paragraph was a little tough. Oh well, thanks for the thoughts.