Van Halen recently announced that they will co-headline the inaugural Stone Music Festival at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium over the April 20 and 21 weekend.
Also on the bill are co-headliner Billy Joel, Kings Of Chaos, Richie Ramone, Buckcherry, Lifehouse and Illumination Road, among others.
For Van Halen, it’s their first Australian appearance in many years, after coming close a couple of times recently, including a canceled headlining slot at Soundwave 2011.
“You're going to have to ask the rhythm section about that one,” singer David Lee Roth tells The Daily Telegraph, in regards to the band’s lack of shows down under. “I myself am a traveller. And let me carry with that an explanation that all those who wander are not necessarily lost. I'm calling you from Tokyo, in fact."
Roth was asked if the Aussie concert is part of his quest to get Van Halen out of America and touring the world again.
“Clearly,” agrees Roth. “The Van Halens, I think, are just now starting to value that which once was, which was the capacity to experience other worlds, other communities, particularly when you are a stranger in a stranger land. I find that so refreshing. And you gotta be prepared to be a beginner, you gotta be prepared to not have your cheesburger and fries, you gotta be prepared for a lot.”
Roth says he still has a fire in his belly when he walks on stage.
“That fire starts down around little Elvis long before it reaches the belly. Yeah, I named my dick,” explains the singer. “My fire starts long before we even start to rehearse let alone get to the stage. I collect music, like, by weight. There are still three Tower Record stores here, four floors of actual CDs, you can hold them in your hands like belt buckles. If I cup my hands I can pile CDs all the way up to my chin. I myself have four or five things I really love to listen to and I am able to investigate deeply into that here. I listen constantly and I sing and dance constantly. I chose this apartment because it has a cool wooden floor and with the right socks you can get a four-foot slide.”
Following the Australian show, Van Halen will bring their “A Different Kind Of Truth” tour to Japan for three shows in June.
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