Club Days

Van Halen began their assault on the world in the very early 1970s, playing high school gigs, backyard parties, weddings, wet t-shirt contests and everywhere in between. As the band's popularity spread, they became the party band. The police were a regular fixture at many an outdoor gig, often resorting to bringing in helicopters to breakup gigs as kids from every corner came to catch a show much to the dismay of the hosting neighborhood. Known then as Mammoth, the band was reputed to have a repertoire in excess of 200 songs. They often rehearsed in the basement of David's parents' home.

In 1974 they changed their name to Van Halen (due in part to the fact that the name Mammoth was already in use by another band) and hit the club circuit. Bill Gazzari, owner of Gazzari's on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA, was the first club owner to give Van Halen a shot after turning them down the first three or four times they auditioned. Known back then as the Godfather, the oft-fedora-endowed Gazzari was a staunch advocate of hosting unsigned talent.

Opening in 1963 Gazzari's was a spawning ground for several unsigned acts including the Byrds, the Walker Brothers and Buffalo Springfield. Many popular 1980s bands including Metallica, Guns 'n' Roses, Warrant and Motley Crue all cut their teeth here as well. Unfortunately, the venue was closed shortly after Gazzari's death in the early 1990s.

According to Gazzari in a 1979 letter to the Los Angeles Times, David Lee Roth had informed him upon being hired that the band had auditioned at 19 area clubs and were turned down every time. The band earned $75 per gig at Gazzari's and sometimes after a good night Gazzari would slip Roth an additional $20.

By 1976, Van Halen had begun their move towards superstardom, playing the Starwood, the Whisky A GoGo, the Pasadena Hilton and Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium. Their sets consisted mostly of cover tunes at first and they would sneak in originals as often as they could. 

At Walter Mitty's in Pomona, CA, which had a capacity of 300 (Van Halen was said have squeezed 1000 people into the place on some nights), the band witnessed a man die from stab wounds during an argument between two bikers about whose bike was faster while the band played You Really Got Me. After this incident, the band decided to move their amplifiers roughly one-and-a-half feet away from the wall so they could hide behind them when fights broke out. The club was reportedly closed a short time later due to an increase in violence. 

In addition to Van Halen, the Whisky A GoGo featured a bevy of now-well-known acts in the mid-to-late 1970s, including the Ramones, Tom Petty, AC DC, Devo, Blondie, the Runaways and Pat Travers. Buffalo Springfield and The Doors were two of the club's house bands in the mid-1960s. Owned by former Chicago policeman Elmer Valentine, the Whisky opened on 01/11/64 in an old bank. It featured a female DJ who played records and danced in a suspended cage near the stage.

The Starwood, which was managed by Eddie Choran and Ray Stayer, also frequently featured several pre-big-name bands including Quiet Riot (then with Randy Rhoads on guitar), Yesterday and Today (now knows as Y&T) and The Quick. Randy Rhodes was often in attendance during Van Halen shows and would later admit to copping many of Eddie's moves.

Rodney Bingenheimer, a disc jockey on Los Angeles' KROQ who was known at one time as the Mayor of Sunset Strip, played a large part in the band's club success. Reportedly, it was Bingenheimer (who MC'd at the Whisky from time to time) that got them their first gig at the Starwood. The disc jockey ran his own club on Sunset Boulevard, called Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. Opening in 1972, the now defunct club was the home of glam rock and featured acts ranging from Slade and T Rex to David Bowie and Sweet. The Starwood was closed sometime in 1980 or 1981 after owner Eddie Nash was involved in a murder that reportedly involved drugs and the late porn star John Holmes.

To advertise themselves, the band would often make flyers for upcoming gigs and paper them everywhere. They would even scour the parking lots at big-time concert events, jamming flyers under the windshield wipers of every car they could.  

In between club gigs, Eddie and Alex earned extra money by dressing up in blue coveralls, going door-to-door in their neighborhood, posing as city employees. They told residents that they were there to repaint the address numbers on the curb, charging anywhere from $4 to $8 per house.

It was at the Starwood that the band caught the attention of Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, who produced a demo tape for them, known as the Gene Simmons Demo. Though the demo was turned down by every major label, it eventually wound up in the hands of Marshall Berle who later went on to become the band's first manager. On a rainy Monday night in May 1977, Berle brought Warner Brothers Chairman Mo Ostin and producer Ted Templeman to see Van Halen perform. Unbeknownst to the band, Templeman had also been there the previous night as well, probably scoping them out in preparation for the following night's visit. Van Halen was offered a contract on the spot. They accepted it 24 hours later.

Prior to being signed, Van Halen opened for several national acts including Sparks, UFO, Santana, and Nils Lofgrin at venues such as the Santa Monica Civic Center, Long Beach Arena and the Golden West Ballroom.

04/04/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/05/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/06/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/07/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/11/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/12/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/13/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/14/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/16/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/17/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/18/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/19/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/29/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/30/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/31/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/01/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/02/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/06/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/07/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/08/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/09/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/20/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/21/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/22/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/23/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/27/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/28/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/29/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/30/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/01/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/02/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/03/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/04/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/08/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/09/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/10/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/11/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/15/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/16/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/17/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/18/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/12/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/13/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/14/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/15/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/19/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/20/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/21/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/22/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/26/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/27/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/28/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/29/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/14/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/15/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/16/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/17/74: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/10/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/11/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/17/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/18/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

02/75: Pasadena High School, Pasadena, CA. Partial set list: I Wanna Be Your Lover • In For The Kill • Take Your Whiskey Home • Wild Fire. Audio recording exists.

02/07/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

02/08/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

02/09/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

02/14/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

02/15/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

02/16/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

03/28/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

03/29/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

03/30/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/75: Pasadena High School, Pasadena, CA. The set list: Chevrolet • Maybe I'm A Leo • Brown Sugar • We All Had A Real Good Time • Walk Away • Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo • Don't Call Us, We'll Call You • I Live with Fools. Audio recording exists.

04/04/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/05/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/06/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/16/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/17/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/18/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/23/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/24/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/25/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/13/75: Pasadena Hilton Hotel, Pasadena, CA. Opening act: Sundance.

07/04/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

07/05/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

07/06/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

07/11/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

07/12/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

07/13/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/05/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/06/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/09/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/12/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/13/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/14/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/31/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/01/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/02/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/07/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/08/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/09/75: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/09/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/10/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/11/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/16/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/17/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

01/18/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

03/24/76: Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Pomona, CA

03/25/76: Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Pomona, CA

03/26/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

03/27/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

03/28/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

04/07/76: Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Pomona, CA

04/08/76: Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Pomona, CA

04/09/76: Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Pomona, CA

04/10/76: Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Pomona, CA

05/01/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/02/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

05/09/76: Golden West Ballroom, Norwalk, CA. Van Halen opened this show for UFO. This was the first show that the band ever played where the set list was made up of mostly original songs. The set list: On Fire • Show Your Love • Last Child • Tush • The Rover • Let's Get Rockin' • Ice Cream Man • Last Night • Eruption • We Die Young • Somebody Get Me a Doctor • Babe Don't Leave Me Alone • Let Me Swim • She's the Woman. Audio recording exists. 

05/30/76: Pasadena Community College, Pasadena, CA. The set list for this show included: Show Your Love • Runnin' with the Devil • Eyes of the Night • In a Simple Rhyme • La Grange • Eruption • House of Pain • I Live with Fools. Audio recording exists. Walk Away appears on bootlegs of this show, but was not played at this performance.

06/01/76: The Starwood, Hollywood, CA. Audio recording exists.

06/03/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/04/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/05/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/10/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/11/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/12/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA. Audio recording exists.

06/13/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

06/28/76: The Starwood, Hollywood, CA. Audio recording exists.

06/29/76: The Starwood, Hollywood, CA. The set list for this show was: Let's Get Rockin' • Somebody Get Me a Doctor • Babe Don't Leave Me Alone • Show Your Love • D.O.A. • Runnin' with the Devil • Let Me Swim • She's the Woman • Believe Me • Ice Cream Man • Honolulu Baby • Simple Rhyme • Guitar Solo • Eyes of the Night • House of Pain • I Live with Fools. Audio recording exists.

06/30/76: The Starwood, Hollywood, CA. The set for this show was the same as the previous night. Audio recording exists.

07/31/76: Sexson Auditorium, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA. Opening act: Stormer

08/05/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/06/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/07/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/08/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/12/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/13/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/14/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

08/15/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

09/18/76: The Bogart, San Bernardino, CA. The set list for this show was: Believe Me • Show Your Love • You Really Got Me • Last Child • Live for the Music • Runnin' with the Devil • The Rover • Sweet Emotion • Waitin' for the Bus • Walk This Way • Superstition • Still Alive and Well • Firehouse • Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers • Keep Playing that Rock and Roll • Twist and Shout • 30 Days in the Hole • Francine • Gudbuy T' Jane • Fuck Off Chorus/Happy Trails • Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo • D.O.A. • Don't Call Us, We'll Call You. Audio recording exists.

09/21/76: The Bogart, San Bernardino, CA. Audio recording exists.

10/01/76: Pasadena Center Exhibit Hall, Pasadena, CA. Opening acts: Headwinds and Eulogy. Eulogy frequently opened for Quiet Riot, who were one of Van Halen's most-advertised rivals at the time.

10/06/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/07/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/08/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/09/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/10/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/14/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/15/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/16/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

10/17/76: Gazzari's, West Hollywood, CA

11/19/76: Pasadena Civic Center, Pasadena, CA. Opeing acts: Stormer and Smile.

12/03/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Venus & the Razorblades.

12/04/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Venus & the Razorblades.

12/05/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Venus & the Razorblades.

12/21/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

12/22/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

12/23/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

12/25/76: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

01/77: The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, CA. This was Van Halen's only known appearance at the Golden Bear. The club normally featured already-signed acts such as Rick Derringer, Captain Beefheart, Spirit and Tower of Power.

01/14/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

01/15/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening acts: Randy California and The Motels.

01/18/77: The Starwood, Hollywood, CA. Van Halen opened this show for Yesterday & Today. The set list was: Show Your Love • Runnin' with the Devil • Somebody Get Me a Doctor • In a Simple Rhyme • I Wanna Be Your Lover • Last Night • Piece of Mind • Eruption • House of Pain • D.O.A. • You Really Got Me. Audio recording exists.

01/19/77: The Starwood, Hollywood, CA. Van Halen opened this show for Yesterday & Today. 

01/27/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Berlin Brats.

01/28/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening acts: Berlin Brats and Orange. 

01/29/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Berlin Brats.

02/18/77: Pasadena Civic Center, Pasadena, CA. The bill for this show included Smile and Smokehouse. 

02/25/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: The Motels.

02/26/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: The Motels.

03/13/77: Golden West Ballroom, Norwalk, CA. The bill for this show included The Dogs and The Ramones.

04/23/77: Glendale College Auditorium, Glendale, CA. Quiet Riot also performs at this show. 

05/27/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening acts: Lance Loud and The Mumps.

06/10/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. The set list for this show was: Get the Show on the Road • Feel Your Love Tonight • Runnin' with the Devil • Atomic Punk • Little Dreamer • Voodoo Queen • No More Waiting • Guitar Solo • Somebody Get Me a Doctor • Show Your Love • Bottoms Up! • On Fire • Feel Your Love Tonight • Young and Wild • Shape You're In • Ice Cream Man • Last Night • D.O.A. • Gudbuy T' Jane. Audio recording exists.

06/11/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

07/14/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Emerald City.

07/15/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Emerald City.

07/16/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: Emerald City.

08/19/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

08/20/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

09/16/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: The Weasels.

09/17/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Opening act: The Weasels. 

10/15/77: Pasadena Civic Center, Pasadena, CA. The soundcheck for this show was recorded and circulated. It included Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love and On Fire as well as instrumental versions of On Fire, Voodoo Queen and Atomic Punk. This bootleg has been circulated under many different dates.

10/22/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

12/20/77: Pasadena Civic Center, Pasadena, CA. The set list for show was: On Fire • Feel Your Love Tonight • Runnin' with the Devil • Atomic Punk • Drum Solo • Little Dreamer • Somebody Get Me a Doctor • Ice Cream Man • Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love • Eruption • D.O.A. • You Really Got Me. Audio recording exists.

12/30/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA

12/31/77: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Despite what some bootlegs suggest, the set list for this show was: On Fire • Show Your Love • Runnin' with the Devil • Atomic Punk • Down in Flames • Bullethead • Little Dreamer • Somebody Get Me a Doctor • Ice Cream Man • Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love • Eruption • D.O.A. • Happy Trails • You Really Got Me. Audio recording exists.

01/28/78: Fresno, CA

02/08/78: Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, CA

02/18/78: Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, CA. Audio recording exists.

02/25/78: Whisky A GoGo, West Hollywood, CA. Audio recording exists.

Sometime in late 1977 or early 1978 Van Halen played at Magic Mountain, an amusement park located in Valenica, CA. They were introduced as "Warner Brothers recording artists, Van Halen." The set list for this show was: On Fire • One More Time • Runnin' with the Devil • Atomic Punk • Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love • Loss of Control • No More Waiting • Eruption • Feel Your Love Tonight • Show Your Love • Summertime Blues • Unknown Jam. Audio recording exists.