David Lee Roth Thanks Eddie Van Halen, Mocks Other Rockers Onstage
Van Halen wrapped up their summer tour this weekend with two nights at the Hollywood Bowl. At the first show on Saturday, David Lee Roth was in a particularly generous mood as he thanked his longtime sparring partner Eddie Van Halen for giving him "the best years of my life." But that was sandwiched by the singer taking shots at Jon Bon Jovi and Bono's stage gestures.
As you can see in the video above, during the breakdown in "Dance the Night Away," Roth decided to give the crowd a dance lesson, starting with moves learned from soul greats like the Temptations and the Four Tops. Then he turned his attention to "the white boys."
"Bon Jovi has made a career of what we call the half-Jesus," he said. Roth then proceeded to hold one outstretched arm up in the air. "And if you really mean it, you do a fist."
He then used Bon Jovi's recent squabbles to pivot to a rare display of affection for his bandmate. "Rumor has it that Jon is kind of at odds with the guitar player. Imagine the odds of that s--- happening? The difference is Edward and I agree to apologize every couple of summers and come out and share the good news with you."
Roth then walked over to Eddie, where the two exchanged off-mic pleasantries before the singer continued, "The best years of my life; the high points of all my life -- onstage with you, homeboy. I will always do the half-Jesus towards you, Eddie Van Halen."
Moving back to center stage, he went back to the zingers. "I've never met a Van Halen audience that wasn't about three steps ahead of my punchlines. You're wondering, 'half-Jesus?' [It] compels the question, 'What about the double-Jesus, Dave?' Bono, right? Nobody does the double-Jesus better than Bono. And he puts his hands in as he embraces the world," Roth mockingly gestures as if to bless the audience.
On Facebook, bassist Wolfgang Van Halen was a little more succinct with his parting message to the fans, "That's all, folks," he wrote. "What an amazing time these last few months have been. I won't ever forget it. Thank you."
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