The singer opens the program with a story about buying Japanese air rifles while on a 1979 tour in Japan, and putting them to use the following year while on the road and staying at a hotel in an undeveloped remote location in the Florida Everglades.
After a show at the Sportatorium in Miami – an event partially attended by Roth’s grandmother, who was in her 90s at the time – Van Halen brought the rifles with them and “adjourned to the Holiday Inn,” Roth recalls. “Previously that day, I had sent out my security guard” on a shopping spree to buy some toys for the after-party hang at the hotel.
It turns out that Roth’s security man at the time was named Ed, so the group felt the need to come up with nicknames for both him and their guitarist in order to keep things straight.
“My security guy's name was Ed, and we called him 'Big' Ed," explains Roth. “I sent ‘Big’ Ed” into the Coconut Grove for the afternoon to buy every flash cube and every light bulb that he could find; and, after the show … I had ‘Big Ed’ throw … geez, there had to be 500 light bulbs, flash cubes … filled the entire swimming pool with light bulbs and flash cubes … and (we) sat (on the top floor) with our Japanese air rifles, drank Jack Daniels out of paper Dixie cups with no ice … and ordered room service with our groupies and shot out the light bulbs ‘til about three in the morning.”
Intertwined in the Florida adventure tale, Roth reveals the nickname the band had for Eddie Van Halen, which you can hear in the latest episode.
Pick up your copy of 1978’s “Van Halen” here.
See also:
David Lee Roth recounts Van Halen’s club days on The Roth Show
David Lee Roth covers R&B classic Mustang Sally
David Lee Roth shares Haitian adventure on The Roth Show
David Lee Roth streams new episode of The Roth Show
Search Van Halen at hennemusic
