Video: 35 Years Ago, Van Halen Kick Off Their First Headlining Tour | Guitar World

Thirty-five years ago last week, on March 25, 1979, Van Halen kicked off their first headlining tour following the release of their second album, Van Halen II.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Latest

(L-R) Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal of No Doubt perform at the Coachella Stage during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 20, 2024 in Indio, California

“I was just learning to play – I started strumming the chords and ran upstairs and said, ‘Guys, I think I just wrote a song!’”: Gwen Stefani on the only No Doubt song she's ever written on guitar

See more latest ►

The Black Friday deals have finally arrived in the UK and Europe thanks to Thomann - grab up to 70% off in the early Cyberweek sale

“I'd try to bust out my best hot and fastest licks, and Joe would always be so helpful. He'd say, ‘All those licks are cool. But just slow it down, man. Tell a story’”: Lionel Richie guitarist Greg Suran shares the solo advice he received from Joe Walsh

“The world may not be ready for this”: Meet the D.U.M.Bucker – a fully functioning, monstrous eight-coil pickup that you might actually be able to buy

“A simple and beautiful guitar that is like a warm piece of furniture”: Fender Japan leans into the gear furniture trend with the Fragment Telecaster – a fresh take on the traditional rosewood Tele template

“John, Paul, George, Ringo, the first time they ever performed together in the Cavern Club, this amp was what they used”: Hear the amp said to be John Lennon’s first Vox put through its paces – with Noel Gallagher’s Les Paul

“The bass isn’t looked at as a ‘cool instrument’. It’s always seen as the ‘backbone’ of a band. I think I’m trying to shed new light on it”: Blu DeTiger on how she's changing people’s perception of bass players

“It was Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and the engineer. Quincy said, ‘Go in there, and do what you want’”: Steve Stevens on following in Eddie Van Halen’s footsteps to record the ‘spiritual successor’ to Beat It

“He said, ‘If you got in the band, what would you do?’ I said, ‘I always wanted a White Falcon.’ Everything I owned, I put into that”: Billy Duffy spent his life savings on his first Gretsch – now he’s got a signature model to mark 40 years of The Cult

"Our lowest prices of the year": Guitar Center's gigantic Black Friday sale is officially here and sees up to 50% off some of the most popular guitars of all time

“I’m making mistakes in the guitar a little bit but I went home and wept that night. It’s a song I’ve been living with for years and could relate to deeply”: Timothée Chalamet on playing guitar in the Bob Dylan biopic – and the song that made it all click

“From January 2024 to now, we sold 334 units. I went after it, but it plummeted”: Why JHS Pedals is discontinuing Ross Pedals – just over a year after resurrecting the legacy brand