VH 1979-03-25

[Toquelibre]

Thanks for posting. I wish I had a time machine and could go back and see the show. There is nothing like old Van Halen.

[xxNatasha007xx]

Come see the ENTIRE Fresno 79 show, upgraded, with 1 new song added !..Natasha.. ;)

[nighthawk584]

This is the same year I saw Van Halen 1979...I was 15 and couldn't hear for a week after that concert...but it changed my guitar playing forever.

[eugvh18]

van halen it so strong in the video who rules the street at night ?

[frankenstrat25]

dude eddie is using his "carved mess" guitar he didnt use it much so dude this is RARE footage

[funhistory]

@frankenstrat25 "carved mess" = The Shark

[frankenstrat25]

@funhistory oh no man. eddie has said in an interview i found on here back in 1980 that he had a guitar that he named the shark which was an ibanez destroyer chopped up. then he was talkin about how he liked it so much but he made the mistake of taking a chainsaw to it. so he got another and that turned into the carved up mess. its prrof because he said he got it turned into a snake or serpent biting another snake serpent thing. if i find the link ill send it to you

[funhistory]

@frankenstrat25 Okay, you're right. On closer inspection I can see the huge difference in the angle of the neck's head.

vintagekramer dotcom/Ed/guitar-dragon.jpg

Carved Mess / Snake+Dragon

vs.

vintagekramer dotcom/Ed/guitar-destroyersm.j­pg

Shark

Thanks!

[marcusvan]

Yup!!!! THE BEST!!!!!!!!

[juanstar23]

I was at this show. I can't believe this video has five stars. the quality is horrendous. I know there's a quality video of this show. It was an amazing show. second stop on their second world tour, two weeks before van halen 2 came out.

[Zodibigh]

I wish Van Halen would get the best tapes they can find of this and other old stuff and release it. I mean I am sure there are copies of this that aren't too bad.

[taperdj]

Close, but no cigar. It is actually the 1st night of their second world tour, the night before the official release of the second album and is available on DVD in Pristine 1st generation quality at ...sonic wiz dj @ g mail . com

[stratdem]

from 1978 to 1985 there wasnt a band on the planet past or present that could touch van halen this also includes led zeppelin. van halen would and could even to this day shit all over led zeppelin.

[mesabow]

no doubt, i cant even stand listening to zep these days. they were cool back in the day, but theres no fuckin way they could even touch vh ,i was a little too young to have seen them in their prime but god damn they fuckin rock VH forever!!

[JohnJamesMaloney]

@mesabow Van Halen are awesome, but you NEED to listen Led Zeppelin again, they are truly legendary.

[sniffy45]

fuck man can you just imagine how big and influential these guys were back then, true rock stars

[pab777]

Good comment! well observerd.

[n2motocross]

GOOD GOD this was the greatest years of my life!!!!!!!!

Van Halen changed it all!!!!

[jakeav11]

could the quality have bin any worse?

[dajzilla]

30 years ago!!!!!!!

[vanhalenkid]

FIRST NIGHT OF THE SECOND WORLD TOUR!

[EddySwass]

This absolutely represented everything cool about Rock-n-Roll and living in So.Cal. This was the very best at the time.Thats why there are so many fucking Van Halen tribute bands. But I wish van halen would officially release all this live material in a high quality package.Mother fuckers are just holding out on the fans.Its all about Eddy Swass not sweaty ass!

[waterburyjoe]

i was 13 when they did this show.

[dogtownskater777]

where you there?

[huntersingle]

he had more fireworks in his fingers back then than gates has money now

[brad51501984]

I was born on march 25th, 1979. This video was being recorded as I was entering the world. That is also the day I became a VH fan. Thanks for posting.

[garbeaj]

This is the shark guitar I believe...it has a Fender tremolo on it and it is mangled as hell:)

[dogtownskater777]

no it can't be the shark. it had no tremelo

on it. the only one that ever had a fender was the original blck & whte frankenstrat.

[garbeaj]

Not true...I think you are confusing the shark guitar with the Ibanez Destroyer on the cover of Women and Children First...If you look at Guitar Player magazine where Ed is holding the shark guitar you will see the tremolo...

[dogtownskater777]

actualy, the destroyer is the shark. he built the destroyer into the shark. maybe he added a tremelo to at some point till the end of it's use though........

[garbeaj]

I did read an interview where he said this...but years later (at least 10 years after the Guitar World cover) there was a centerfold picture in another Guitar World that showed the Ibanez Destroyer exactly as it appeared on WACF and in the first album promo video for "Runnin' With The Devil"...I think there may have been two Destroyers-I believe the one that became Snake was the Chris Holmes Destroyer and the WACF destroyer was a different one...Can anyone clear his up?

[vanhalenkid]

The shark IS th guitar on women and children first

[garbeaj]

There I think he calls the Women And Children First the 'Shark' and the Chris Holmes Destroyer was the 'Snake',which had all the carving...the guitar on WACF was definitely NOT carved into the snake-just Ed's chainsawing that you see on the album cover-The Destroyer still exists as it is seen on the album...

[vanhalenkid]

im quite aware of this

[garbeaj]

Nice one! Am I correct that the Snake is the Chris Holmes Destroyer?

[vanhalenkid]

No, I was wrong my bad. The Chis Holmes Destroyer was used in the studio for WACF. The Snake is a guitar a guitar the was built by someone for eddie and he only used it on the VHII tour. The Shark guitar was Eddies destroyer that he used to play in the clubs and on the recording of Van Halen I. Shortly after the recording he hacked it up. He only used it on one tour which was the VH1 tour. So its three different guitars.

[stratdem]

the van halen 1 world tour was back in 1978 i saw that tour in philadelphia Pa.

i dont remember eddie playing the shark guitar.but then again that was 31 years ago and i was pretty stoned back then.

eddie van halen is the alltime great and so is his band. thank you van halen for the greatness you have brought us over 31 years now may there be many more!

[vanhalenkid]

he did play the shark and there is video of it on youtube if you care to dig it up. He used it on "You Really Got Me"

[TheOCDan]

Where do you guys find this stuff?

[happytobeproud]

HAHAHA, damn i was only 4 years old then this shit was recorded... lol,, and these fuckers are living a life of decadence, while i was having my bottles of milk..... ROCK ON VAN HALEN!!!!!

[mark89coupe]

Ha I was going to turn 4 five days later. I was probably still pissing in the bed when this was happening. Definately yhe good old days. Look at how much they loved doing what they did. 2008 was for the money!! Dont let them fool you!!

[griffin6002]

Just saw Van Halen in 2008... it ain't the same. Everything is so choreographed and staged these days... this video from '78 is real rock and roll. Lot's of improv... coked to the gills... not perfect but lot's of fun. sigh. I miss the good old days.

[saulocpp]

Yeah, but it's not the old days anymore. It's 30 years ahead. Playing today the same way they did 30 years ago is stagnation. They are not 21 years-old anymore, they don't need to dress like girls and perform like a new band in the block to get fame. It's PAST, deal with it.

[sergiovh]

la mejor banda de rock,

the best band

[stp625]

I love the beginning of this video. They should play it that way every time.

[flinto2002]

Holy fuck...what is he like tuned down to D? Now way is that guitar tuned to E or E flat

[mada362005]

it is prolly tuned down, notice its not he usual evh its his destroyer that he chainsawed lol :D

[houseparty80]

Wow...saw them 2 months after this show in Philly... my first real concert at 16... got the bootleg audio cd of this concert couple of years ago. Need to pick up the DVD boot now.. thanks dirqvan.

[myhideaway08]

@houseparty80 Hay I was at that concert as well, they stole the show from Black Sabbath...August 29th, 1978

[YesYou123333]

@houseparty80 Damn. I have the same story. I saw them 2 weeks later in Los Angeles on 4/8/79. I also recently bought the boot of the L.A. show.

[ATOMICPUNK2]

saw them on this tour i was 17

[joshlamarrockar1]

gravano34, go die in a corner and eat a fuckin box of donuts

[fmiller747]

How could he eat donuts if he's dead?

[rootzboy]

Wow i was 12 DAYS old when this show happened.. just seen em in Toronto on Oct 12 :) amazing show and i got vids up as well!

[soundofpwnage]

ed that vibrato was exquisite!

[KineticOne]

Reminds me a lot of last night in Charlotte! Thanks for posting this amazing piece of ROCK history.

[tullynewyork]

At first I thought it was the black and white Charvel star with Danelectro neck (has the mini skull n crossbones near the top of body). That is the VH2 Wayne Charvel neck that was actually black on the back with gold logo. Does anyone know if he had an early Floyd on the dragon on this tour cause he has some seriou whammy.

[PhatOnion5150]

If he did, it was probably one without fine tuners

[garbeaj]

There is no locking nut and the bridge doesn't look like a Fender,but perhaps a cheap copy of a Fender bridge...

[sjilliang]

wowowowoww my dad was at this concert

[Rochirocketqueen]

muy buen documento!!!

como para no perderlo jamas!!

una reliquia sin duda!!!!

[tommyrock69]

Hagar is a better front man.

(um, yeah.)

[halenfanatic]

The Dave Era ROCKED!! The Spammy Era SUCKED!!!!

[SpikeMichaels]

jcm8002204

I'm pretty sure it's the dragon/snake guitar from the Guitar World cover story, 79/80.

I have this whole concert on DVD and have never been able to tell for sure, but I'm like 99% sure. Eddie also played, on the WCF tour, a mini-Destroyer shaped

axe (I think he built it)with a black and white pirate/treasure map design on it. Do you know the one I'm talking about? Later.

[yert2006]

Where can i get a copy of that dvd?? 79 was one of their best years o the road

[SpikeMichaels]

It's fairly well circulated. It's from Fresno, CA, 1979. The whole show is like the post on You Tube, grainy and somewhat out of focus. One camera, zooming in and out, total bootleg quality. It still kicks ass, though.

Call STARWORLD in Hollywood, they can get it.

[jcm8002204]

Which guitar is Eddie playing ? Doesn't look like WCF's 'Shark' Ibanez Destroyer (no tremolo on that one), but this definitely looks like some sort of Explorer Body. I think it is the Dragon / Snake Explorer using the Charvel headstock, originally on the VHII Cover guitar. Grainy video, but classic VH in their hey-day of early gigs.

[GuitarChaoscom]

Great vid. I wish you would of uploaded the drum intro to this as well. Also it has the part where EVH plays the intro the Kinks way and then his way. It's the best part of the song.

[michael0993]

Very interesting; gives you something to look forward to when they actually start their tour.

[Skibble5150]

I love how all of this shit is finally surfacing so that the fans can check out them good ole days!

[rockstar92450]

thanks for posting all this rare stuff man!

[vanhalenkid]

I have this concert on an audio tape casstette

[Mosquito66]

That's me!!!

[Mosquito66]

At last!!!

[5150EVH5150]

Mostquito66...you built the snake guitar right? On eddievanhalen,com if i remember right.

[cdwillis]

Damn that is the snake guitar.

[Humbucker91]

SNAKE! :)

[5150EVH5150]

Wow, he's playing the snake guitar...