(“Side A”)
00:00 Intro
00:45 Running With The Devil
04:17 Eruption
06:39 You Really Got Me
09:19 Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
13:09 I’m The One
(“Side B”)
16:58 Jamie’s Cryin’
20:56 Atomic Punk
24:14 Feel Your Love Tonight
28:04 Little Dreamer
32:19 Ice Cream Man
36:02 On Fire
39:29 Credits & Thank You’s
Fair Warning is a little 'jamming band' that Gerry (the drummer) and I formed put together back in 1997 in Melbourne Australia, for no other reason than to have fun and keep our chops up by playing Van Halen songs with our good pals, as we all toured in Tommy Emmanuel’s band at the time.
We jammed every few weeks or so, for about a year, but we never intended to go out and play shows back then, so we didn't... it was just something special for us, and brought us closer to the music of Van Halen. We did get asked back in 1997 to play the Frankston Guitar Show, so that ended up being the one and only gig we ever did... over 25 years ago! lol.. and we stopped jamming after that show, as all of us went on to tour with different artists, and in different circles etc...
...Fast Forward to 2017, as the 40th Anniversary of the debut Van Halen record approached, I thought it would be a novel celebration to re-ignite 'Fair Warning' with Gerry, and find a singer (no easy task to find someone who can even be close to 'Diamond Dave' in ANY city in the world) and a bass player who could throw down that all important bottom line, and also sing those harmonies. enter Eugene Hamilton, and Jason Vorherr (respectively).
I spoke to Rob Walker and Greg Phillips, who do an amazing job putting together the Melbourne Guitar Show, and we tried to make it happen, but alas, the schedules of everyone did not align on the 'actual' 40th Anniversary. But thank you for their patience with us, because the planets DID align for us to headline the Saturday of the following year - August 3rd 2019 - which we thought would be acceptably close to the anniversary (well, it’s a whole year off, but we just wanted to do it!.....so any excuse, right? lol)
The concept was simple: as a proper ‘homage’ to the album - to play it from start to finish, like a live show version of listening to the record (although a show with no soundcheck as it turned out, because a freak power issue took out the P.A. system earlier in the day - hence the constant onstage gesturing to sound crew out the front lol)
..so what you see here is our VERY FIRST PERFORMANCE together, with only a handful of rehearsals leading up to it. So while not perfect by any means, we hope we at least captured a little VH magic on the day. I guess you'll be the judge of that.
We played this show with nothing but full respect to Edward, Alex, Dave, Mike, Wolf, Valerie and everyone in the whole extended Van Halen family, because those guys are our hero's and changed our musical journey, and we are forever grateful.
We tried to play it ‘true’ musically, but more than that - we tried to feel onstage, while playing, the way we felt when we all first heard this music... and playing this stuff, you just can’t wipe the smile off your damn face!...because when I was 12 years old, it was Edward that taught me that it was ok to smile when you played your instrument; it was Edward that showed me that it was ok to look like you’re having as much fun as you are; and it was Edward that confirmed for me as I entered my teens, that music is an expression of joy.
RIP Eddie - you changed the world while you were here, because you changed all of us in it.... The world knows that you wrote a lot of great music, and that your guitar playing was completely unique and innovative... but I like to think it is ‘WE’ - the people that you touched and changed for generations to come - that are your greatest composition, and your grandest accomplishment.
Humbly,
Simon Hosford
Gerry Pantazis
Jason Vorherr
David Bowers
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For the best podcast on Van Halen you'll ever hear:
www.dweezilzappa.com/runninwi...
My Racer X tribute:
bit.ly/raceraxe
Some links of my favourite KZfaq people:
Pete Thorn / @petethorn
Rick Beato / pegzch
Kylie Olsson / @kylieolsson
Websites of stuff I use:
TopJimi (Kemper profiles) topjimi.com/
Maton Guitars maton.com.au/
D'Addario Strings www.daddario.com/products/gui...
#eddievanhalen #vanhalen #evh