IN THIS ISSUE:
(32 pages)

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

RIGHT NOW (1 page)
Current VH News

MAILBAG (1 page)
Letters from fans

IS THIS THING ON? (1 page)
What goes on during VH's soundchecks.

IT'S THE SOUND, MAN! (1 page)
An exclusive interview with VH's Soundman, Jim Yakabuski

3 RING CIRCUS (5 pages)
A comprehensive overview of the band's 1998 World Tour!

GARY CHERONE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW (3 pages)

ALEX VAN HALEN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW (2 pages)

TIMELINE PART 6 (5 pages)
Band history from 1990 to 1993

CLUB DAYS PART 2 (5 pages)
Part 2 of an ongoing detailed look at the very interesting and little-known period of Van Halen's career before they got signed to Warner Bros. This segment features an interview with Terry Kilgore, a longtime childhood friend of the band.

MERCHANDISE (2 pages)

CENTERFOLD
Outdoor shot of the band looking out at a sold-out stadium crowd.

BACK COVER
1998 Live band photo

CHERONE INTERVIEW
Interview By David J. Criblez

Gary Cherone is in a position that epitomizes the term "double-edged sword." Becoming the lead singer of the legendary Van Halen is something that can surely be defined as a dream come true. Having to win over the hordes of fans who pledge allegiance to either David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar, however, can be a nightmare. Gary had the odds stacked against him coming into this gig. Van Halen fans had already suffered the heartbreak of losing Diamond Dave. Then it happened all over again with the Red Rocker. While some swore by Dave, some swore by Sammy, and some loved both, one thing was for sure: no one was all that excited by the prospect of a third singer. Still, Gary Cherone took on the job and, through it all, has kept his cool. Almost everyone who saw Van Halen's recent tour agrees that he's one hell of a singer and performer. Those who have met him off-stage also agree that he's one of the nicest guys in rock'n'roll. In our first one-on-one interview with Gary, the singer shared his thoughts about taking the place of two larger-than-life personalities, and expressed his anticipation about making the next Van Halen album.

The Inside: How are you getting used to your position as the frontman of Van Halen?

Gary Cherone: It's awesome and very comfortable but the first three songs of every night, I go through the same anxiety. No matter what, I'll always be the new guy 'til the next record. But together we feel like one. After that third or fourth song, the audience jumps on the wagon and we all have a good time.

Inside: What exactly do you go through during the first three songs?

Gary: It's the anxiety of, 'Here's another audience to win over.' I have the pressure of doing my best and keeping my voice up to par. I don't have a lot room for error"they're looking to find something! That's my own paranoia. There's always a few out there with the folded arms going, "O.K., I don't care what you do, you ain't Dave and you ain't Sammy."

Inside: Is it almost like chasing ghosts?

Gary: I try to channel it into the performance. It actually gives me adrenaline.

Inside: To me, Van Halen with David Lee Roth, with Sammy Hagar and with you: they are all three different bands that can't be compared. Do you agree?

Gary: You're right on the mark. When you have different guys in the band, it's different chemistry. When Eddie and I started writing, it was different from when he wrote with the other two guys. I remind myself that Sammy went through the same shit 12 years ago. I know old school Van Halen and, when Sammy joined the band, it was nothing like that. It was good in it's own right 'cause they were carving their own niche. Now, 12 years later, Sammy's the staple and I'm the new guy.

Inside: When Sammy joined VH in 1996, they came out with 5150, one of their biggest selling albums [6 million units]. Your first album with the band, Van Halen III, hasn't sold all that well [500,000 units]. Does this concern you?

Gary: It's somewhat frustrating, but I try not to compare eras because the eighties was a different place. But there is a high standard to be in Van Halen and anything less then a double platinum record is considered a failure. For me, I was coming from Extreme, where a gold record was pretty damn successful. So it's all in the perspective. But I think the band was pleased with what we came out with. As far as the public perception, it was an eclectic record.

Please note: This above portion is only an excerpt from The Inside's first-ever one-on-one interview with Gary. The entire interview appears in issue 12!