jmason

I got this from a friend of friend of mine who lives in LA. Big time
Van Halen fan and so am I. He was able to get an interview with Eddie
Van Halen on some odd terms (it was done on spec and paid for out of
pocket, the magazine decided they didn't want to shell out the $10,000
they had agreed to and when the terms of the contract it couldn't be
resold.

That's the spill I got, it could be complete BS. Anyway that's my
disclaimer, enjoy.


--------
Where is Eddie Van Halen?

Interview conducted July 21, 2002
By Chad Wilson on spec for Metal Edge
[contact information omitted]

-------

Chad: I just want to say thanks for taking the time to do this
interview and how are you feeling these days?

Eddie: Thank you for asking. I've never felt better, I'm thankful
every day that I've been given a second chance in life. Not too many
people win the fight (with cancer).

Chad: Let's get something out of the way from the start, you're phone
must ringing off he hook, it seems everyone wants to know what's going
on with Van Halen. You've been silent since you came out an announced
your clean bill of health a few years ago, why so quiet?

Eddie: Honestly my phone has been pretty quite the past twelve months,
if an interview opportunity had come along I would have done it on a
few conditions.

Chad: Conditions?

Eddie: Well, the press loves to twist what you say or add to it. They
always put a clause in that grants power to edit what you say and
publish it as they see fit, whatever they think will help sell
magazines. With our agreement I know you're not going to do that.

Chad: So tell me what the life of Eddie Van Halen has been like the
last few years.

Eddie: (Laughing) You want to cover it all with one question huh? I'd
say the last two years have been kind of prolonged rebirth. I've had
to face a lot of changes in my personal life and that kind of puts
your world in spin, I'd say I'm still adjusting.

Chad: Your relationship?

Eddie: I would say relationships. You know people change, things
happen. It's hard to keep anything low profile when you have fans. But
there's a human side to everyone.

Chad: Do you think you've been judged?

Eddie: Ha, You should see some of my fan mail. A lot of fans are
supportive, but a lot of people hate me. That's something I've had to
come to deal with the past few years.

Chad: Well there have been rumors that you've fallen off the wagon
again and that may have been the cause for your split, do you want to
address any of those things?

Eddie: The reasons Val and I split up are very personal, she would be
the first tell you they have nothing to do with substance abuse or any
kind of abuse for that mater. We've been able to keep the details out
of the media, and that forces people to make shit up, I've gotten to
where I don't pay much attention anymore. People have their own
realities where the celebrities they love either can do no wrong or
must do horrible things. I will say this, the truth of it is no ones
business, but if all the details were out the story wouldn't be news
worthy, it would be way too boring.

Chad: So have been working on any new material lately?

Eddie: Honestly, I haven't picked up a guitar in a few months. At this
point we have a few albums worth of material, it's mostly rough
tracks, but it's ready for the next incarnation of Van Halen or
whatever comes next for us, when the time is right it's waiting. When
I get inspired I'll pick up the guitar and l ay down some new tracks.

Chad: Any ideas how long that will be?

Eddie: Fans aren't going to want to hear this, but it's going to be a
while longer. I know I've made false promises before, but situations
change. There's quite a bit to all of it. Aside from the legal
hassles, I'm still waiting for the magic to happen again. You know a
lot of fans are going to hate anything that doesn't have Dave or Sammy
on vocals and I may think that's ashamed, but what I feel isn't going
to have much impact on a record label's decision to promote us or not.

Chad: No one wants a repeat of Van Halen III

Eddie: Exactly and that's still my favorite album we've done. I think
the production quality had a lot to blame for its failure, but a lot
of my close friends agree that it was our best work.

Chad: Speaking of Dave and Sammy, what did you think of their tour?

Eddie: Those guys are more a like than anyone knows. It's funny to me
that the fans are split so down the middle, both of them have giant
egos, they lie. It's all about me-me-me.

Chad: Did it upset you that they were playing mostly Van Halen covers?

Eddie: No, I thought it was kind of pathetic. Dave's fans buy into his
bullshit of being a classy mother****er, in reality he has no class.
Think about it, when the reunion didn't happen he assembled a Van
Halen covers band and went on tour.

Chad: and Sammy?

Eddie: He isn't any better, just less secure.

Chad: So I don't suppose there's any chance of a reunion at this
point?
Eddie: I don't want to give false hopes, so I'll just say no. All the
cards are on the table, we aren't secretly meeting or exchanging phone
calls, none of that bullshit. I believe people can change so I won't
say never, but to say that gives false hopes.

Chad: What about Mike Anthony?

Eddie: I haven't talked to Mike in a long while, last I heard he was a
part time member of Sammy Hagar's band, I think he's made his own
decision there.

Chad: Would you fire him for that?

Eddie: It's hard to fire someone who makes a statement like that. The
jury is still out. But at this point it's questionable if we're going
to even keep the (Van Halen) name. If the name changes then Mike
probably won't be back, not because we don't want him, but because the
time has come to move on to something new. We talked about this a
while back, and if it's not Van Halen he's not interested.

Chad: Any chance of a Santana type album?

Eddie: (Sigh) It's funny you should ask that. I had that concept a
long time ago, if you go back and read Guitar World interviews you'll
find a quote where I'm talking about doing an album with a different
singer on every track. I still think it would be a great idea, guess
we'll have to wait and see.

Chad: If that were to happen, who would you pick to be on it?

Eddie: Well, I like a lot of new music, I mean if you want to survive
you have to listen to new material to stay on top of things. Seal has
a great set of pipes, Pink, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), Dexter Holland
(Offspring), too many to mention.

Chad: I've heard you're friends with Dexter Holland and Fred Durst

Eddie: I've only met Dexter once.. Fred is a friend we've jammed a few
times.

Chad: Any chance of Fred taken up lead vocals for you guys?

Eddie: (Laughing) I'm sure the fans would love that. Actually I don't
give a shit at this point, so maybe. Now everyone is scared. No
seriously, why would he do that? I think I'd be more likely to join
his band at this point, but that's not going to happen either. You can
be friends with someone and know that you wouldn't work out in a band
together.

Chad: Are there any new guitarist around right now that blow you're
mind?

Eddie: Blow my mind? I'd have to think about that one.

Chad: Well thanks for the interview, I have one last question: Where
do you see yourself and your music ten years from now?


Eddie: Impossible to say. People change. Not to draw a references, but
I never really understood Clapton's unplugged until recently. I think
a lot of people love that album and don't really get it. It all came
back full circle for him and for me it was Clapton's earlier work that
I cut my teeth on and early punk stuff. I think you'll definitely see
a vast departure in style at some point, but I can't predict when that
happens, I'm just going to keep letting the music take me where it
leads.

gkrobinson_2000

If it's legit, great interview.

Couple of interesting things: first of all saying that VHIII was his
best work is somewhat disturbing. That album had more than just
production problems.

Second, I think he is right on with Sammy and Dave being more alike
than either would care to acknowledge. Both are egomaniacs with
different talents. Ed's also got to realize that his ego has led to
many of the problems in the last 6 years.

It all seems to ring true. If this was made up, the author knows
Eddie well. I could see Eddie saying these things. Sounds like he's
just fried and tired.

dan abrigg

He ****s

steve vai

it's amazing how many asskissers surround a celebrity, i'm sure eddie
murphy had 50 people around him telling him how much pluto nash rocked
and how it was his best movie ever. the truth is VH3 was a failure,
not for it's production or lack thereof but it's material and singer..
**** that album.


and ed has NO ego whatsoever, and nothing is about him at all... whats
the ****ing stalemate ed? it wouldnt happen to be about you now would
it? geek ass mother****er.


the fans wanted van halen! you werent getting off your fake hip cancer
ridden ass to give it to them so dave did the best he could you
****ing asscrumpet.


insecurities rule your life ed.

at this point ed you could say the original line-up is playing madison
square garden for free and no one would show up. **** you.

his decision was to get out and play, get it? no? didnt think so.

who is interested? wake the **** up moron.

yeah ed, you invented everything... and who did you say was the
egomaniac?

awesome, we have pink, linkin park and seal on the next van halen
album... did you not learn anything from VHIII ****wit?


so we've heard.


fred has LGD (lead guitarist disease), you and him deserve eachother
faggot.


jack white...ed loves his jack white.

satriani listened extensively and exclusively to that album when
making his 1995 blues album, your clearly behind your peers ed...way
behind.

that says a lot.

r hurley

Sorry, but Eddie has never spoken this coherently his entire life.
You're also missing Eddie's bitterness and arrogance. Better luck next
time.

But you fooled Geof Wad, that's worth a couple of points!

zubin682

Except that Val gave an interview in Redbook and said she split with him for
THAT very reason.

gkrobinson_2000

What part of 'IF' didn't you get, dumbass. Rothian stupidity is a
disease... get help.

justin patrick

I wouldn't call it a "disease" per se, more of a "condition".
:P


--
Truth be told; I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal
lobotomy.
Justin

mistersmiley69

Actually she didn't you dumb ass, read it again. McKenzie Phillips said
that and she is a coke whore, so she isn't a reliable source.

Re: Rare Eddie Van Halen interview

Group: alt.music.van-halen Date: Tue, Oct 7, 2003, 11:22pm (EDT+4) From:
Unknown@unknown.net (zubin682)
Eddie: The reasons Val and I split up are very personal, she would be
the first tell you they have nothing to do with substance abuse or any
kind of abuse for that mater.
Except that Val gave an interview in Redbook and said she split with him
for THAT very reason.