Posted on 11/20/2020 4:34:36 PM PST by DoodleBob
Alex Van Halen's stage-played complete drum kit, which he used on VAN HALEN 1980 "Invasion" tour, is available for purchase from Reverb.com for $275,000. A portion of proceeds will go to charity.
The white Ludwig kit (see video below), which was used on more than 100 shows during the tour in support of VAN HALEN's "Women And Children First" album, was previously displayed at Cleveland, Ohio's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum starting around nine years ago. Alex used the drum kit not only as a percussion instrument, but also as a visual art form. Working with various drum manufacturers, Alex custom-designed enormous and elaborate drum kits that reflected the group's musical sensibility and provided Alex the platform to shine. The kit features two custom articulated bass drums, each more than five feet long, in addition to an impressive array of floor toms, tom-toms, a gong and myriad cymbals.
Alex and his brother Eddie Van Halen formed a band called MAMMOTH in Pasadena, California in 1972, then renamed it VAN HALEN when singer David Lee Roth joined the group and, later, bassist Michael Anthony.
VAN HALEN was one of the biggest rock bands in the country in the 1980s, with hits like "Runnin' With The Devil", "Dance The Night Away", "Hot For Teacher", "Panama" and "Jump". The group, which later featured Sammy Hagar on vocals, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.
The Van Halen family moved to Pasadena after emigrating to the U.S. from the Netherlands in 1962.
I saw them on this tour. It was a great show.
I wouldn't bid on an Alex Van Halen set at all.
For sale: Used drum kit. Asking: $250.00K
I was looking up a little bit about Gary Ritchrath who was an amazing guitarist back in the day
he is cranking it out even after the string broke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR8CnXn8LY0&ab_channel=crazytfc
he was an alcoholic, got kicked out of the band, and had to sell his guitars.
that guitar he is playing is worth a lot of money today...Les Paul Burst.
I wasn't a fan at all, but I was at Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985. When they launched into Roll With the Changes, something happened and for a brief moment, they were the Loudest Rock and Roll Band I ever heard. If you watch, you can see Richrath motion offstage to turn it down. It was pretty epic. RIP.
I doubt it. They did bring him back for one concert. Man he looked bad.
There was an interesting story on one of the sites talking about Guitars. It’s from a guy who was involved with booking Gary.
He would take a lesser fee because he wanted to be able to cancel if Cronin called him to join a concert. The booker felt bad for him. He contacted the piano guy and asked him if there was any chance that was going to happen. Dougherty said Not in this lifetime.
The booker got Gary the elevated fee for the gig.
Dude was always hoping to be called back
he died a janitor.
I’m a past drummer, but I’ve ever seen base drums like that. Looks like they have the ability to shorten and extend providing a tonal range. Pretty cool. Someone will buy it since it is unique and has been played many times in concert. That’s where the value is.
They will pay me that much to take it? I don’t have to go pick it up, do I?
I know eddy van Halen is, who is Alex
if it had belonged to Neil Peart from any time in the last 30 years I would be all over that
Alex was Eddy’s brother, and played drums in a small band you may have heard something about in the 1980s.
Reading even the little excerpt can often help avoid looking silly.
Leonard Nimoy's body double.
Barring a few big names like the guy who originally played these they won’t be bought by an actual performing drummer ... most actual drummers won’t have the money unless they can sell Mom’s house. /many old drummer jokes
Now a tech billionaire who played drums in a HS rock band with friends? Sure.
I'm a guitar player and Gary Richrath was, hands down, one of my favorites. He had the whole package; the talent, the looks, the gear, and the chops. He was nailing Slash's tones with Les Pauls and Marshall amplifiers a decade before the world ever heard of Slash.
Sad though, he let his demons get the best of him and allowed himself to get kicked out of the band he started after singer Kevin Cronin wanted to take REO away from rock and into the direction of sappy ballads (that paid the bills).
Shortly before he passed in 2015, a wretched, morbidly obese alcoholic, the band invited Richrath on stage to play one of their biggest hits, "Riding the Storm Out." It was a one-off performance. Clearly, a reunion would be out of the question. Richrath was not up to it physically or musically. The chops were gone. His health was shot. Those Gibson Les Pauls long ago sold to Japanese collectors. Perhaps Cronin could sense his days were numbered and wanted to give him one last stroll on the stage.
This is the Gary I like to remember. You'll not find a more energetic version of this song. He's clearly having a blast.
REO Speedwagon - Roll With The Changes (Midnight Special version)
I’m holding out for Ringo’s set.
I probably should have said “pitch” range. I used to like Van Halen, but never saw this kit on MTV. I wonder if Alex Van Halen invented those adjustable base drums? Either way, it’s a cool concept where you can shorten the outer shell to the inner shell and have a higher pitch sound, and vice versus without having to re-tune the heads.
Splinters?
Alex is better than both of them combined.
Would be ironic if the first thing that the buyer of this kit played on it was Didacts And Narpets . . .
Eddie's brother and original drummer. He was highly under-rated mostly because all eyes were on David Lee Roth and Eddie's virtuoso and original guitar playing.
Yet another gifted artist with a tortured soul.
Cronin gets a lot of heat for what he did to Gary. People really rake him over the coals for his intro to Golden Country. From “we wrote this song”- there is no Credit to Cronin on it...to “as i watched
that last marine helicopter as it lifted off over saigon”..the song was written before that...
he is a piece of work..but dealing with a raging alcoholic is a nightmare. So we can’t really judge what happened...all we know is that it is a sad ending for a talented guy.
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