The calendar may have said January 11, 2024, but for a couple of hours it was 1984 at The Canyon Club in Montclair. Fan Halen stormed the stage, put the sold-out crowd in a time capsule, and threw a party with the music from the ultimate party band played to perfection.
Tribute bands are an iffy thing. The crowd is looking/listening for the performances and songs they love to be played they way they remember. Or played to the classic album, note for note. If the singer’s even slightly off, guitarist a little tinny, harmonies not really there, it’s like “Okay, they tried.”
Fan Halen is different. They are billed as “The World’s Most Authentic Tribute to Van Halen.” That’s a mouthful and a lot to live up to. This is Van Halen of the David Lee Roth era, no Sammy tunes here. It would be far too easy to say, “Close your eyes, they sound like the real thing.” That’s because they look and act like the real thing. So keep your eyes wide open, because you don’t want to miss anything.
Let’s start with Ernie Berru, aka Diamond David Lee Roth. Every yelp, scream, and howl on heard on any VH song is in play, because Ernie can do them all. This is not the “live” Diamond Dave that talks his way through songs, this is “album” Dave. Besides actually being able to sing, Ernie brings to life the swagger and banter that made DLR “The Toastmaster General.” And he can do the splits off the drum riser.
The rhythm section of Michael Thompson as Alex Van Halen and Andy Catt as Michael Anthony is beyond solid. These guys are excellent musicians. Andy’s bass playing provides that hidden groove in early Van Halen and his high harmony vocals gives the band and the audience exactly what is needed for the authentic Van Halen sound. Thompson is something of a smiling beast on drums. He makes the difficult seem effortless as he’s pounding a 1981 era double-bass Ludwig drum kit. Once you hear his intro to “Hot for Teacher,” you know he’s capable of anything.
Finally, there’s Derek Fuller. He’s more than just riffs and EVH-style tapping. He’s got the Brown Sound down. It’s one thing to play like Edward Van Halen, it’s a whole other thing to make it look as effortless as the king did. Derek’s grins, expressions, and thumbs up, and yes, jumps, remind us of what a truly different kind of guitar hero looks like. He also provides backing vocals, rounding out the full VH sound.
The setlist ran the gamut from albums of the DLR era with the original lineup, what fans call “The Six Pack.” The majority came from Van Halen and 1984 with a highlight being Ernie/Diamond Dave on acoustic guitar before kicking in to a roaring “Ice Cream Man.” Another highlight was Derek/Edward’s solo on “Eruption” before going into “You Really Got Me.” But who’s kidding who? The entire night was like a greatest hits album with everything played to perfection. These guys can play anything in the VH catalog, including legendary unreleased tunes. (Their show in Pasadena last year opened with “Let’s Get Rockin.”) They even do “Happy Trails” to end the night.
We lost Edward Van Halen in 2020 and we lost the original VH line up years before that. But Van Halen’s music, and spirit, will always live on. And as long as Fan Halen is around, we’ll be able to pay our tribute as they play their tribute.
FAN HALEN SET LIST
Photojournalist - Los Angeles
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