Here it is folks, your first stirrings of Van Halen's 2012 tour, long rumored, but now a sweet reality. OK, we won't believe it until we have a tour tee in our hands outside Toyota Center and a sweaty, torn ticket stub in our wallet.
Late Sunday night on Twitter, David Lee Roth tweeted a Vimeo and a YouTube clip of what appears to be the band, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, and himself working out live moves on a sound stage. Wolfgang Van Halen, now a bear of a man, is seen on bass guitar. VH's own official Facebook and Twitter accounts also stirred with the news.
Imagine our surprise coming home from holiday revelry to see this. More clips can be seen on the band's official site here.
Stay tuned to Rocks Off in the coming days for more details as they come, including more about the new album that is supposed to be coming along with the tour. Our sources who are close to the sessions say that the material isn't a perfect synthesis of old VH and a newer model, with Wolfgang's youthful bite. We'll see what that means soon we guess.
Naturally, fans were already complaining about the lack of new tunes on these new promo clips. The reaction was mostly positive, save for the usual angry pro-Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony folks who are still chapped about the ousting of both men from the VH lineup for Roth and the younger Van Halen.
Check out this recent blog from sister blog West Coast Sound about the band's "no brown M&M's" rule. It sheds light on what on the outset seems like a free-wheelin' rock star move.
Expect this new tour - Lord willing - to come through Houston spring or summer, fall at the latest. Either way, we will be salivating the whole time.
