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Aug072011

Van Halen III Tour

This tour was planned from the beginning to be a departure from the usual Van Halen tour. The band was determined to visit more new places and to play a much more diverse set than ever.

The plan was to first visit New Zealand and Australia, places the band has never played, before returning to their usual stomping grounds in the U.S. and Europe.

The stage was a much more streamlined design than in previous tours. It consisted of a few risers, scaled down rigs (less aesthetics, more functionality), and a circus-like motif. This set up remained essentially the same throughout the tour, with the exception of the lighting system, which became more sophisticated after the initial overseas dates.

Alex's drum kit was probably the most noticeable thing on the stage. Bright yellow, the kit featured Sanskrit writing that spelled out "Van Halen" and "VHIII." The idea to use Sanskrit came from the band's art director Stine Schyberg. The kit consisted of a Ludwig 4-ply 16-by-24-inch bass drum, Ludwig 4-ply toms at 8-by-10-inches, 8-by-12-inches, 16-by-16-inches, and 16-by-18-inches, Ludwig Super Sensitive 6.5-by-14-inch chrome snare, Ludwig 3.5 -by-13-inch piccolo, 13.5-inch and 12.5-inch congas, a cow bell, Paiste 2002 crashes at 16-inches, 18-inches, 18-inches (heavy), 20-inches, 20-inches (medium), Formula 602 heavy bell, 22-inch Signature Series dark ride with heavy bell, hi-hat consisting of a 15-inch Paiste 2002 top and a Paiste 2002 14-inch Sound Edge bottom, Yamaha 820 bassdrum pedals with a Roland electric kickdrum trigger, and 16-inch Calato Regal Tip Alex Van Halen Series double-butt sticks.

Eddie used three main guitars, with a few extras thrown in on special occasions. All three guitars were Peavey Wolfgangs. The primary guitar, which was used throughout most of the show, was a stock Wolfgang with tobacco sunburst finish. The guitar he used for Year to the Day and his solo was a Wolfgang Special with a Fernandes Sustainer in the neck pickup position. The third guitar was a crème Wolfgang Special with a TransTrem used for Fire in the Hole. Ed chose to use 35 to 45-foot George L chords on this tour instead of a wireless system. An attachment added to the bottom of the guitar bodies stretched the chord out away from the body to avoid becoming tangled. This tour also gave Eddie the chance to test his new 5150 II prototype amp head. He used three 5150 cabinets on stage, two in his trademark red, black, and white striped pattern, and one yellow.

Effects were kept to a minimum. His rack consisted of a Lexicon PCM 70 for Cathedral, two Roland SDE3000 Digital Delays, and an Eventide H3000 Harmonizer. His pedalboard included a 3-channel custom George Hardware bypass unit, an MXR M101 Phaser, an MXR M119 Flanger, and a wah pedal.

Taking a note from his brother, Eddie used Sanskrit on his amps to spell out "Peavey."

Mike's setup included four main bass guitars. All were Peavey, two were 4-string (one tobacco sunburst and one gold) and two were 5-string (one metallic black and one sunburst). Unlike Eddie, Mike chose to stick with a Shure wireless. His amp setup included two Ampeg SVT 300 power amps and an Ampeg SVT II Pro Pre/Power amp (for backup) with four bass cabinets (two per power amp). His effects rack, controlled by a custom-built Bob Bradshaw footswitch, consisted of two Roland DC30 analog chorus echoes, a Furman Powerswitch, a Klark Teknik Graphic EQ, an Ampeg SVP Preamp, two Boss SE70 Super Effects Processors, an SDE 3000 Digital Delay, an MXR Flanger, and an Electro Harmonix Micro Synthesizer.

The tour started out well down under and included an unusual feature the rest of the tour didn't. At some shows, during Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Gary would jump into the audience. When MTV filmed the 4/20/98 Sydney show, Gary continued this practice and even executed a half-faked fall down a flight of stairs (it started out as real slip and Gary decided to go with the flow).

After the Australian tour the band did a short mini-tour of the U.S. before heading to Europe. The eight show mini-tour was a huge success. The shows were often packed with fans wanting to get the first look at the new lineup live and decide for themselves what kind of a show Mach III could provide.

The European tour was cut short when a piece of the ceiling at the Docks in Hamburg, Germany fell on Alex's arm during the soundcheck. Thankful to have only injured his arm, Alex wore a soft cast. The band was forced to cancel the remaining dates on the European tour. The venue where the incident occurred was condemned the next day.

The set list for this tour changed frequently and was probably the most varied the band had played since their club days. Dirty Water Dog was performed in Australia and Japan, but was left out of the U.S. set list.

When averaged the typical set list for the main North American tour looked like this:

4/10/98: Queens Wharf, Wellington, NZ. Opening act: Destiny. Audio and video recordings exist.

4/11/98: North Shore Events Center, Auckland, NZ. Opening act: Destiny.

4/14/98: Silverdome, Launceston, AUS. Opening act: Davo. Footage of this concert, including backstage footage, was shown on Australian television's Today Tonight. Video recording exists.

4/17/98: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, AUS. Opening act: Liquid. Sammy Hagar flyers and posters are posted all over Melbourne to advertise an upcoming Sammy Hagar concert. Posters, produced by the venue hosting Hagar, read "Sammy Hagar - Ex Van Halen." Audio and video recordings exist.

4/18/98: AIS Arena, Canberra, AUS. Opening act: Liquid.

4/20/98: Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, AUS. Opening act: Gumption. MTV films this concert for an episode of Live from the 10 Spot. Muchmusic also broadcasts this concert and includes four more songs than the MTV broadcast. Audio and video recordings exist.

4/23/98: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, AUS. Opening act: The Poor.

4/24/98: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, AUS

4/27/98: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, AUS. Video recording exists.

4/29/98: Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth, AUS. Opening act: Hurricane Mary.

5/13/98: Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.

5/14/98: Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.

5/16/98: Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, IL. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Eddie uses a Wolfgang guitar with a Chicago Bulls logo on the body to close this show. Audio and video recordings exist.

5/17/98: Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.

5/19/98: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Creed. Audio recording exists.

5/21/98: Fleet Center, Boston, MA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Three songs from this show are broadcast on Real Rock TV. Audio and video recordings exist.

5/22/98: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. Opening act: Creed. MTV's Mattrock producer Austin Reading proposes on stage to his girlfriend. The band obliges as a favor to Austin and Matt Pinfield who had just interviewed the band weeks earlier at the 5150 Studio for a special all-Van Halen episode of Mattrock. Audio and video recordings exist.

5/24/98: CoreStates Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: Fuel. Van Halen Day is declared in honor of the band's 22nd performance here. Audio and video recordings exist.

5/27/98: Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland. Opening act: Slumber.

5/29/98: Rock Im Park, Nurnberg, GER. The bill for this show also included Clawfinger, J.B.O., Therapy?, Bad Religion, Rammstein, and Ozzy Osbourne. Audio and video recordings exist.

5/31/98: Rock Am Ring, Nurburgring, GER. The bill for this show also included J.B.O., Deftones, Clawfinger, Therapy?, Bad Religion, Rammstein, and Ozzy Osbourne. Audio recording exists.

6/02/98: Huxley's Neue Welt, Berlin, GER. Opening act: Doro.

6/03/98: Docks, Hamburg, GER. This was the first show canceled due to Alex's injury. The remaining dates on the European tour were also canceled.

6/05/98: Karlshamn Rock Festival, Karlshamn, SE. Canceled.

6/06/98: Esbjerg Rock Festival, Esbjerg, DN. Canceled.

6/07/98: Tioren, Copenhagen, DN. Canceled

6/09/98: Wembley Arena, London, UK. Canceled.

6/10/98: NEC Arena, Birmingham, UK. Canceled.

6/12/98: Hallenstadion, Zurich, SW. Canceled.

6/13/98: Monsters of Rock Festival, Milan, Italy. Canceled.

6/14/98: Sportpark Boshoven, Bospop Festival, Weert, NL. Canceled.

6/16/98: Brabanthal, Leuven, BE. Canceled.

6/17/98: Le Zenith, Paris, FR. Canceled.

7/01/98: Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: Monster Magnet.

7/03/98: Del Mar Fair, San Diego, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Audio recording exists.

7/04/98: Blockbuster Pavilion, Devore, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet and Johnny Lang. Audio recording exists.

7/05/98: Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Audio recording exists.

7/07/98: Concord Pavilion, Concord, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Video recording exists.

7/08/98: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet.

7/10/98: Rose Garden, Portland, OR. Opening act: Monster Magnet.

7/11/98: The Gorge, George, WA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Audio recording

7/14/98: The Canyons, Park City, UT. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/16/98: Fiddler's Green, Denver, CO. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/18/98: Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/19/98: Riverport Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.

7/21/98: Riverbend, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Three people were stabbed outside this concert during the band's encore. By the time the encore was over the police and fire departments joined helicopters in evacuating the victims and seeking the suspects, who weren't caught (at least not on this night). Audio recording exists.

7/22/98: Deer Creek Music Center, Indianapolis, IN. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/24/98: Starlake Amphitheater, Pittsburgh, PA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This show was broadcasted on the Album Network. Audio recording exists.

7/25/98: Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

7/26/98: Hershey Park Stadium, Hershey, PA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/28/98: Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/30/98: Blockbuster Pavilion, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

7/31/98: Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

8/02/98: Starwood, Nashville, TN. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.

8/04/98: California Mid State Fair, Paso Robles, CA. Gary receives a bloody cut on the top of his head reportedly due to an encounter with a mic stand.

8/12/98: Molson Centre, Montreal, QC. Canceled.

8/13/98: Great Woods, Mansfield, MA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This show was stopped after four songs. Gary experienced some problems with his voice and left the stage. After about fifteen minutes Eddie and Alex asked the crowd if they could come back the next night. Audio recording exists.

8/14/98: Great Woods, Mansfield, MA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This show was added to make up for the 8/13/98 show. The full version of Jamie's Cryin' is played for the first time since the 1984 tour. Audio recording exists.

8/15/98: Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

8/16/98: PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

8/18/98: Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

8/19/98: Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

8/21/98: Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, VA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

8/22/98: Trump Marina & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.

8/23/98: SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

8/25/98: Darien Lake, Buffalo, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

8/26/98: Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio and video recordings exist.

8/28/98: Classic Amphitheater, Richmond, VA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

8/29/98: Hartford Meadows, Hartford, CT. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.

8/31/98: New York State Fair, Syracuse, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

9/02/98: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

9/03/98: Pine Knob, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

9/05/98: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, his band, and roadies run out on stage during Alex's solo and begin dancing.

9/06/98: Float-Rite Park, Somerset, WI. Canceled.

9/15/98: House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC. Audio recording exists.

9/16/98: House of Blues, Orlando, FL

9/17/98: Sunrise Theater, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

9/20/98: Roberto Clemente Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Canceled due to Hurricane Georges.

9/25/98: Pedreira Paulo Liminsk, Curitiba, Brazil

9/26/98: Pacaembu Stadium, Sao Paulo, Brazil

9/27/98: Metropolitan, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These three South American dates were canceled just days after being scheduled due to a problem with a Brazilian promoter.

10/02/98: The Joint, Las Vegas, NV. Ed used his red, white, and black striped Wolfgang Special at this show. Gary dedicated Josephina to the memory or Matt Fourman, a long-time Van Halen fan. Audio recording exists.

10/03/98: The Joint, Las Vegas, NV. Audio recording exists.

10/13/98: Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AK

10/16/98: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI

10/20/98: Sun Plaza, Hiroshima, JAP. Audio recording exists.

10/21/98: Kokusai Center, Fukuoka, JAP

10/23/98: Castle Hall, Osaka, JAP. Audio recording exists.

10/24/98: Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, JAP. Audio recording exists.

10/26/98: Sangyo Bunka Center, Iwate, JAP

10/28/98: Budokan, Tokyo, JAP. Audio recording exists.

10/29/98: Budokan, Tokyo, JAP

10/30/98: Budokan, Tokyo, JAP. You Really Got Me is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.

11/01/98: NK Hall, Tokyo Bay, JAP

11/02/98: Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, JAP. Audio recording exists.

12/11/98: Roberto Clemente Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Make-up for canceled 9/20/98 show. This show was canceled due to Gary Cherone's strep throat.