One of the biggest rock stars in the world rock climbs, worked as an EMT in the roughest areas of NYC, rides his (non-motorized) bike everywhere (even in the rain, and rides it to dinner), doesn't take his cell phone to public places, is a martial arts expert, took his dog with him to live in Tokyo (and learned the language), runs a corporation, had a doctor dad that worked in the toughest prisons and on the poorest prisoners, and barely mentions sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Talkative, but not from an egotistical place. Full of enthusiasm for learning and life, a true spark of joy. Wants eye contact over texting, emails, and social media. A real mensch I wish there were more like him
This is what he says but if you watch an interview from the guy who replaced him in Van Halen, he said that he had 5 bodyguards around him. Maybe not anymore?
I'm from Texas, which means I have a couple of podunk great uncles. One of these uncles met David Lee back in the early 80s, during his prime with Van Halen. This uncle of mine is the stereotypical small town guy who knows nothing of pop culture. So when he met David at an airport, he had no idea who he was. Apparently Dave and my uncle hit it off and drank for a couple of hours and started talking about music. Dave eventually said, "You know I'm somewhat of a musician myself." My uncle replied, "Well you're sure no Willie Nelson 'cause I aint never heard a'you." This comment apparently made Dave laugh so hard he choked on whatever cheapass Texas beer they were drinking. Fast Forward a couple years. My dad and his cousins were sitting around watching MTV during Dave's solo career. When the video for I Ain't Got Nobody" came on, my uncle interjected, "Hey that's ol' Dave there, it looks like he finally made it!" My dad looked at him and said, "What are you talking about, you don't know David Lee Roth." My uncle told him the airport story. Just as he finished the story, the part of the music video with Willie Nelson popped on the screen. To this day my family swears that the only reason Willie was in that video was because my podunk uncle made Dave laugh ass off with his slick comment. That's my story RIP EVH
I remember the 1st VH tune I ever heard... Running with the Devil.... A girl brought me to her bedroom, put her Van Halen album on.... And we made out.... I just wanted to personally thank you Dave.
Wabi sabi indeed he's a fascinating person in learning so much that merely listening to him talk is like a fkn dmt trip lmao I feel equally overwhelmed with a download. Or an lsd or shrooms trip lol this got me in that mindset lol
I worked in the prison system for almost 30 years. Dave’s dad was our doctor. I saw and spoke to him every Monday. What a nice quiet guy. I’ll never forget those conversations.
I saw an interview of Dave's dad and his dad sounds just like Dave or Dave sounds just like his dad...I heard Dave worshipped his dad, which is really cool.
You should go get some valium and rohypnol, and some jack daniels, you won`t worry about energy anymore ;) Or anything else. DO IT, DO THE DRUGS! DO IT NOOOW!!!
@@TheFirstGoomba You can't mention David Lee Roth without mentioning Van Halen. Just like you can't mention VH without DLR. You must be pretty young. I forgive you. Now, can I get back to mourning in peace? Thx.
I know right? The 1st thing I thought when he died was if there was a Mount Rushmore of rock guitar gods he is definitely in the George Washington position
Gotta love DLR. In an 80’s interview with ‘Doug’ didn’t he say, “Some people burn their candle at both ends. Not me, I take a blow-torch to my candle”. 😀
I think he’s just lived so many lives compared to most people. He has so much knowledge and experience of the world, is driven, passionate, and in love with life which is why he accomplished so much. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to hold back excitement to share that knowledge with people.
Came away thinking that DLR is slightly manic. Mostly to a hugely productive degree, but it led to getting too pushy in VH, going crazy career directions, and preventing a reunion tour. I'm hoping everyone remembers all the early VH lyric work and vocals.
I'd love to see timestamps for this convo: 0:01 japanese sword smithing 0:02 the joys of cooking 0:03 social construction of reality 0:04 motorcycles, VROOM! 0:05 I like oreo cookies ... 20:07 behind the scenes of Dude Wheres My Car 20:08 explosive diarrhea 20:09 traversable wormholes 20:10 tertiary stage malignant neoplasm in geriatric hospice settings 20:11 police ride-alongs
Love how he works the mic. Puts the headphones on to size up the mic. Then removes them once he knows how it's going to sound. Moves in to get the bass rolloff etc.. True pro.
One of the biggest takeaways I got from this was just the amount of passion and love this guy has for life. It's really inspiring in alot of ways and makes you want to get out there and try new things and make the most out of your life. Always the entertainer but a brilliant mind behind it which goes over alot of people's heads cause of his energy and what some would see as ramblings but if you really listen, you realize just how intelligent and wise he is.
My husband passed in 2016 at the age of 48 from lung cancer. I'd like to think he was over-joyed one of his favorite artists made it on over. These podcasts are truly amazing. Time capsules. I wish I could have more, but we'll have to settle for memories.. We never know how much this all matters - until it's too late.. xoxo
What a truly beautiful soul Mr. Roth has. He dropped so much inspirational truth in this discussion that he could have easily charged a viewing fee. As a child of the 80s, it warms my heart to know that one of my childhood idols is actually a brilliant, enlightened human.
@@adonisclovers I searched my brain, and tried to find a rival to DLR, but I failed. Prince was equally talented and able to entertain, but that is a different genre in my mind. David Lee Roth was like a god when I was in middle school and "1984" came out. All I know is not even Prince could do a straddle jump like DLR that rivaled mine in cheerleading that same year. He is the fucking man.
Dude David Lee Roth is so much different and cooler than I ever imagined. It's like his music career was just a happenstance byproduct of everything else he was into.
That's exactly it. He lives a very different life away from music. He's one of my inspirations, just go out and try different things. These millennial and Generation Z losers call him crazy and would rather stare at Instagram for 3 hours on end. No wonder everyone's afraid to go out and adventure anymore. Oh well, they're not hurting us I guess.
Benny yes! I’m ashamed to share this Generation with these people, sometimes I feel so isolated. Thankfully not everyone is lost to the Anti-Life disease. Kids riding around with bicycle helmets and worried about “Ebola”: adventurers are rolling in their graves!
I met David many years ago at a club in LA. He came in alone, I was alone, and he walked by and sat down beside me. We laughed and chatted for over an hour. He hasn't changed one bit. A very nice guy.
@@MB-tb5vt lol you're on RU-vid, bro. Unfortunately, if you're looking for any kind of good conversation, you'll just have to watch the video. The comment section is nothing but anger and screaming. Sucks, but when anyone can comment, there's a low bar to set :-/
@@CrashRacknShoot I'm not a bro, but thanks. Haha. I barely ever comment online due to the anger and hate. It's a time waster. But thanks for the comment. Have a nice day. 🙂
This is the best thing I have ever seen on RU-vid. David Lee Roth is an articulate, brilliant soul. I could listen to him talk for hours.....Hell, I just did.
Valerie Bertinelli said on the Howard Stern Show that Roth is too smart for his own good. I'd wager that if Dave ever went to therapy by the end of the hour the shrink would be on the couch and Dave would be asking the questions.
Like the Cover of Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 7' Therapist with his head in his hands. Blonde mane of hair, bottle of Jack Daniels on the coffee table.
I'm really interested in when Valerie Bertinelli said this. She's known Dave for a long time, she must have some rapport with him. I'm not saying Valerie is an idiot who can't think for herself, but she stayed in a bad marriage for 20 years with an asshole that blamed Dave for shit he did and bad decisions he made. It's reasonable to believe that on one level or another, Valerie had rationalized that a lot of the things that made her marriage bad was Dave's fault.
@@Gunner192 Valerie has a book out called "Losing It," which is worth a read. She doesn't really criticize Dave or get into band politics. It is really interesting on EVH, however, as it gives a non-music industry take on his personality. She isn't negative at all - really - it's fairly honest. It's more about addiction and it's impact on relationships. She is critical of EVH's alcoholism at various times. Pick up the book. Greg Renoff's book is good also on early VH, I had no idea until I read it, just what the band went thru to make it. Both Roth and EVH were mercurial personalities, "Van Halen Rising" is very good on the emergence and evolution of Eddie's technique. Bertinelli does mention that initially EVH was quite shy and reclusive. Roth's strategy is mentioned, connections in the music industry, all that. Roth's father is VERY interesting, and part of VH's early rise. Dr Roth is a hidden element in most biographies. A lot of factors that aren't mentioned anywhere else - it is a book which will blow your mind. The writer is a trained historian and talks about how it was accomplished. Much better than Noel Monk's book which is sensational and similar in flavor to the book about Zeppelin written by Richard Cole, another Tour Manager. Greg Renoff is also behind a book which came out recently on Ted Templeman, another key figure.
"I flew to Tokyo to buy a soda one night after I was up all night playing Hit Me Baby One More Time on Jimmy Hendrix' cousins old banjo. I met Johnny Depp on the plane and we stole the old lady from the seats next to us scarves and hats while they slept and used them to dress up as pirates where we sneaked around the plane in the dark taking peoples stuff."
David Lee Roth has a genuine lust for life. So inspiring. He understood early on how to enjoy his existence. And he has so much success. Goes beyond bein' a rock star.
I can. The man is breadth, depth, and as insightful as it gets. Just has it all. He is intense, and will be to much for the limited, because he doesn't really have any limits. Has effectively used the advantages he has because of the previous great work he has accomplished. Heart of gold and has all the empathy you can expect of anybody, much less a major superstar sex symbol.
@@alexxanderson9025 The word "bonkers" is the epitome of stupidity in this context. Dave is perfectly rational and make perfect sense here. KEEP UP LITTLE ONE.
entertaining: absolutely; super smart/well read/ well traveled: obviously; but fuck, at what point/age do you think "maybe i can pull this interview off without chopping up a few rails"?
That is my exact reaction, I never knew he was this entertaining on a non-minstrel level. I've always loved his VH front-man personality but this podcast really showed a part of him I didn't expect. One of the more surprisingly great episodes I've listened to from JRE.
That was an insane interview. The eccentric behavior of Diamond Dave makes so much more sense after watching this. He is brilliant! Great Job Joe for keeping up, he switched gears constantly but tied it all together.
*David Lee Roth is an INCREDIBLE spirit with such an intense way at looking at the world.... love him dearly... thank you Joe for giving this man the time for us true rockers*
After Eddie's death, I watched a bunch of Van Halen videos to take a trip down memory lane like many others have. After about the 5th video, I began to notice all the members in VH were always smiling and laughing. Enter Sammy Hagar and the theme continued. Now this video just takes the jubilation to 11! VH = Very Happy
Now that’s a show id watch/listen to every week. Imagine the people he’d have on that respect him and how these shows would prob last hours apon hours lol
fo'real. this interview is wild and remarkably intellectually. I never thought of learning a new language that way. I knew watching those Naruto and Shingeki No Kyojin in the original language would help. but it's the 1st step. great stuff Joe!
I had no idea David was an EMT. Listening to him speak about the profession made me feel really proud of myself as a paramedic. He hit the nail on the head of what it's like to work in the industry and even some of the reason why I got into it as well. Also must say, David would make one HELL of a partner! His "ambulance voice" is great 😆
@@gregdahlen4375 But there’s passion behind all music, at least some, and millions of people are affected by it. A band is only a small group of members which means they tend to become closer. A friend for many years, of course he’s devestated. Everybody has bumps in the road, and I’m not saying that they’re platonic soulmates or anything but he’ll be sad.
@@gregdahlen4375 Despite their obvious differences, Eddie would have been like family to Dave, they shared an amazing experience together that will always be a part of his heart and soul.
As a huge fan of his music growing up sitting in my room as a teenage kid in Milwaukee Wisconsin and blasting every Van Halen record until my ears rang and drawing Van Halen logos on my TrapperKeeper in school, I have to say Joe that was hands down one of my favorite interviews. Man alive that guy lived a full life! Love hearing his stories!
@@Mark-OutWest No idea. For that matter, they don't need those giant mics either. Check out the Dave Rubin podcast - he uses lavalier mics clipped to the shirt. The sound is great, you never have issues with someone being too close or too far from the mic, and you don't have this big metal contraption blocking the field of view.
nuclear plnts existing can be safe is operated properly ily but they take so much water that no longer sure its safe cause can contain the water get to dump and that is not healthy
This was without a doubt the fastest 3 hours I’ve spent since I don’t know when. DLR had his critics, but he definitely held the title of “Mr. Entertainment.” I just didn’t realize how much depth and breadth in experiences he compiled. This changed my view of him.
He has lived life to the fullest. I admire him for that as much as being a rock star. He has lived the way I tried to. He just got to see more places and do more than I. I’m 44 and I’m not done yet. His enthusiasm for life keeps me hopeful and keeps me going.
Hahaha. You noticed too. Roth comes from a family of learn-ed doctors, lawyers, Indian Chiefs. The dude is probably most often the smartest in the room. Definitely most articulate.
@@jimmyfreeman5714 Totally agree. I think the best part about his level of intelligence is that he's fully aware of it, but he never makes less intelligent people feel inferior about it and he's not an arrogant tool about it either. Too often those two things go hand in hand! Dude is a mensch and a legend in more ways than his critics think.
From all I have read, Dave was always this way sober or not. That is what makes him so hard to live with (15 yrs with the Van Halen's) but you played to monster crowds, every album goes multi platinum (the first and the last sold over 10 million each), and make a shit ton of money.
David Lee Roth I never paid attention I’m paying attention Brilliant worldly and engaging Thought provoking Not a dull second Thanks for the VH days Thanks for the present Dave
what's more original and cool than "and the cradle will rock"? you listen today and it sounds as truly unique as it did then. dave and eddie were such an amazing combo
Certainly one of the great pure frontmen from the American bands..alongside Steve Tyler, Peter Wolf, Fee Waybill, and Iggy Pop. Dave grabbed some of his persona from JD Mangrum of Black Oak Arkansas for sure.
Definitely.....check out his biography Crazy from the Heat if u haven’t already. Its awesome. No endless booze & girls diary....nope, this is skiing to the venues & camping in the amazon. Amazing from start to finish. Plus if ur a fan, he dives deep into the history of VH. Great stuff.
DLR is brilliant and smart! This is why EV Halen can not stand him! Hes 5 steps ahead of everyone and doesn't stop talking! But this is an amazing interview seriously..
Absolutely love DLR! Can't speak for the late EVH, but I can see where DLR could be a lot to handle and deal with on a daily basis. However, to me that chemistry would be well worth it to have kept such an epic band together. Just maybe take longer vacation away from each other.
It really was an amazing interview. When it first started, I wondered if I could endure 3 hours listening to him. But as it started rolling along, I couldn't quit listening. He is truly brilliant, and wow what a life!
Diamond Dave comes off as a super smart person, critical thinker, and has a thirst for life and learning. He makes mundane things of life seem like the greatest experiences a person can have. This is one of Rohan’s most interesting interviews ever. Dave is never at a shortage for words but you want to hear what’s coming next. I’ve seen him twice with Van Halen and once on his Yankee Rose Tour. Never dreamed I see this guy in this capacity but I’m really glad I did. Well worth the time to hear
David is such a great story teller and you can tell he really lived the life. Very cool of Joe to allow him to express himself good interview (It's David Lee Roth) very cool
Kinda bugs me how he laughs like a madman every 20 seconds Maybe it is cocaine Otherwise he laughing cause he's crying inside either way this cackling old fellas maniacal laughter was unnerving
The beauty of this interview , is that you find out that David Lee Roth never stopped living and he is always looking for adventure, Joe was stunned at the intellect Dave brought forth, and to me a great interview is when the guest blows the host mind and the host is not afraid to show it and reveal it as so, thank you Joe for doing the interview ! I can't stop watching it ,so much info.
