IN THIS ISSUE:
(32 pages)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR (2 pages)
Band photos, letter from the editor

RIGHT NOW (2.5 pages)
Current VH News

THE CLUB DAYS (20 pages)
An incredibly detailed look at the very interesting and little-known period of Van Halen's career before they got signed to Warner Bros. Tons of pre-1978 photos, both live and candid, and interviews with three people very close to the band in those days. Includes a review of Van Halen's never released original 25-song demo.

IT'S 5150 TIME! (2 pages)
A collage of photos from inside the 5150 studio, as well as excerpts from the architect's report.

PAT BADGER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW (2 pages)
Extreme's bass player talks about Gary and shares his experience hearing the new VH songs at 5150.

MARCHING TO MARS REVIEW (2.5 pages)
A review of Sammy's first post-Van Halen solo album.

THE BALANCE TOUR CONTRACT RIDER (2 pages)
Excerpts from Van Halen's current tour rider showing what they eat, drink, etc. when they are in each city.

NUNO STEPS OUT (1.5 pages)
Extreme's guitarist talks about Gary and shares his experience hearing the new VH songs at 5150.

MAILBAG (1/2 page)
Letters from fans

NEW MERCHANDISE (1 page)

CENTERFOLD
VH Live on stage in 1978

BACK COVER
Ed and Alex on motorbikes in 1978

CLUB DAY'S INTERVIEW
Interview by Jeff Hausman
Edited by Geoff Bell and Jon Zahlaway

The Inside Interviews Van Halen's "Club Day's" buddy Wally "Cartoon" Olney. The following is a small excerpt from one of the many interviews we conducted with old Van Halen friends for our massive Club Days Special. Ya' Gotta' check this issue out!

Inside: You were around when the band was getting huge. First of all, I have a questions about the photo you sent us showing the band on stage at the Whisky hosting a bikini contest on December 31, 1977. This photo is priceless. Who is the big fat guy in the diaper?

Olney: I just remember them being on the stage with big fat Danny in a diaper. Danny was this guy who started a thing called the Van Halen Army. He had an old Ford van that he turned into the Armymobile. It said "Van Halen Army" on the side of this van. He recruited people for this thing. Then, in the parking lots of their gigs were hundreds of people that were the fucking Van Halen Army.

Inside: Do you remember when the band got signed?

Olney: I can remember Alex and Edward coming in to our store for a sale that was inviation only. It was a buck to get in and we'd sell everything in the store for half-price. I remember Alex saying, "Well, we will..." He didn't want to say anything. I remember that story about Gene Simmons taking those guys and recording them and saying, "Okay, now, here's your tape, you're on your own." Gene tried to recruit Eddie.

Inside: For Kiss?

Olney: Well, for something. I don't know. I mean, constantly. I was at his house several times and Gene had called there and Ed was going, "No, man, I don't want to play."

Inside: Gene apparently has said that Ed asked him if he could join Kiss.

Olney: Wrong. I've sat in his bedroom in their old house in Pasadena. The rooms are fucking tiny. There was a little bedroom set off the back. I can remember Ed picking up the phone going, "No, I don't want to play," and telling me, "God, he calls me constantly, and won't leave me the fuck alone." He goes, "It was cool that he made the tape for us, but I don't want to be in a band with him. I"ve got my own band." I can remember going back, going, "Guess what? Gene Simmons called Ed!"

Inside: Could you tell who was the business mind in the band?

Olney: Definitely Alex and Dave. A lot of people use to say that the band only made it because Dave Roth's dad was a surgeon with shitloads of money. That is far from the truth. Dave Roth's father being an eye surgeon and Dave Roth being wealthy had nothing to do with the success of this fucking band. It provided them a big enough house to rehearse in, a PA system and maybe to have some money for promotion. But Alex and Ed drove fucked up cars and worked fucking hard at it. There's no other reason than that. There was no fucking favoritism going on. That band earned every fucking bit of success that they had. They busted their nuts. So I don't give a fuck what people say. I've read a million times how the band made it because of some half-ass demo courtesy of Gene simmons. Fuck you. That band made it because they worked their asses off and were talented. There's no other reason except perhaps timing.

Inside: What do you remember about their rehearsal space at Dave's mansion?

Olney: The fucking dogs. If you didn't run fast enough from the front gate to the basement, you were toast. You think I'm kidding? I can remember one time Ed and I were at the gate, and the fucking dogs came running after us. I remember we were holding those fuckers at bay with trash cans until Dave came out of the house and yelled at us. I remember those dogs quite well.

Inside: How often did you hang at Ed's house?

Olney: You know what? I'll tell you something about going over Ed's. You would always have a beer which meant a Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull 16 ounce. It wasn't a fucking 12 ounce Coors. And their mother always fed me. I had to have a sandwich. I had to get fed. That was the way their mother was. I had to fucking have a sandwich. If I didn't eat something I couldn't leave. You can't leave without having a sandwich. They spoke Dutch in the house so there was kind of this crossing of English and Dutch happening. It was cool over there.