Wednesday
Sep142016
Fourth Place In A Two Man Race: The (Odd) Tale of Mitch Malloy
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at 12:01AM Today's post is from our friend HIM.
People on here know: I am a David Lee Roth fanboy, tried and true. Cringe-inducing missteps? Yessir. Sweat-destroyed hair plugs? You gotta’ do what you gotta’ do. Choked-chicken vocals? It happens. But the man’s got a presence, even when the very presence of him on stage leads some to apoplectic fits.
The flip side is obvious: I loathe the Hagar era Van Halen. It sounds soupy, syrupy, and cheesy (no small hat-trick for a band known to rub the shinola on a bit thick even in their heyday). But it just felt wrong, even as it made the band more popular. While I can grudgingly offer up some faint wisps of praise for Hagar as a solo and/or otherwise attached artist, I still choke back bile when people claim “Bad Motor Scooter” is a good song (with apologies to dearly departed Montrose). I mean, really? That is the image you want to put out there?
And thus begins the tale of Mitch Malloy; a tale that seems—as of late—to have again sprouted “what if” roots. His tale is a middling one, pocked with near misses and close hits and solo tours (one of which is occurring as we speak). I have no axe to grind with Malloy. He seems to be a man at peace, making music and touring the world. All the best to him. He sounds, unlike Van Halen, stable.
But in that tiny window of time that was 1996, something was almost possible: a version of Van Halen that didn’t suck . . . and didn’t involve the two front men who had carried the torch amidst decades of rancor, drugs, back-stabbing, and general kowtowing to the man (and/or men) who gave the band its name.
Malloy certainly had the look. He seemed to be a Rothgar lovechild. Tall and handsome, but with some features that spoke to a Cabo Wabo-inclined fan base. He also had the ability to carry on the Van Hagar sound without sounding exactly like Hagar (given that succession is an issue for kings, and for bands):
Even then, he hinted at an ability (if in demo form) to go back to once was and make it all seem fine:
Again, what if? Well, we know the story. Van Halen decided it was a good thing to trot out DLR on MTV (high-waisted pants and all) and tease older fans. That spooked Malloy (according to Malloy) and he was off on his own personal journey. What resulted was One Non-Blonde: the disastrous Gary Cherone fronted Van Halen III. The album and tour both got an unequivocal (if slightly over-played) response: NO MACH III! Which then led to all sorts of things that people who love and loathe Van Halen know about.
What does the future of Van Halen hold? Who knows at this point? DLR retaining the seat? Hagar and Halen(s) kissing and making up? Patti Smyth finally getting her shot? But the past does offer a tantalizing suggestion of a different route the band could have taken. Would the fans have approved? No one knows.
Reader Comments (10)
I've always though they should do a show with half DLR and half Hagar songs, and then a few joint encores. "An evening with Van Halen" or something like that. And get Michael Anthony back as well, though I can't blame Eddie for wanting to play with his son. There has to be a way to make this work, right?
True Story.
including yet another one of Ace's great looks under the hood of a situation we otherwise may never have known about -- just imagine Van Coverdale!
I too, had discovered the Mitch Malloy take a little over a year ago. He actually seems like kind of a weirdo and his solo stuff blows, though he can certainly carry a tune.
That said, it's hard to say how he would have been received since he was a nobody when EVH was considering him to be the new lead vocalist.
Since the Cherone thing was a TOTAL debacle, I have a feeling the same would have been true with Malloy and an album, considering Kenny's point, as lousy as the one with Cherone.
p.s. "C'mon, HIM! "Bad Motor Scooter" is BADA*S, even if it is a little cheesy!
And I think the closest we will ever get to a VH Combo Meal already happened: the Hagar/Roth Tour of 2002. While Hagar has recently been given to mea culpas and pleas of friendship as relates to Halen, his feelings about Roth are certainly not as kind (nor, fanboy though I am, have DLR's comments about Hagar done anything to suggest a split tour!). Nor do I think that DLR's very direct comments about wanting Anthony back in the band (or at least recognizing what was missing) will do anything to put all the pieces back together. Then again, we (I) have been wrong before . . .
Kenny, I saw that tour too. Question for you: was Cherone doing that "tapping his butt by reaching between his legs" thing when you saw them? I thought they sounded great. But Cherone just acted odd and stuck out like a sour thumb. The fans voted against it by barely filling an amphitheater, even with so many comp'd tickets floating about.
Awesome peek behind the scenes Ace. Thanks for that. Imagine the combo of (in this order) "Slide It In" and "Eruption." Ha. There are a number of hilarious possibilities . . . "Dance the Still of the Night Away," anyone?
I will give you the cheesy, Metalboy! And I won't slag on Montrose, swerving or not!
In other news (and this might be something others didn't pick up on), Bkallday knows stuff.