http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?t=39716&p=397594

Van Halen ’78 & The Pearl Handle Band
Postby JimiJames » Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:14 pm

A friend of mine from work Dan Hurc (60), told me this story about when he was in the band Pearl Handle
that had opened for VH on a hot summer day in August of ‘78 at the Hooker Lake Inn , WI.

VH arrived in their van and the first thing out of Dave’s mouth was
“Don’t beat on the drums and you can’t use our fans !”…
It was a blistering morning and the heat was frying everyone’s mind and
the drummer from Pearl Handle, Dean Alliotta, got super pissed at this announcement.
They were all at the bar when this was taking place, while the show was setting up…
After a couple of hours had gone by in that afternoon heat; Dean had enough.
He got in Dave’s face again about the fans, to a point where he lost it. They had to
hold him back from kicking the shit outta Dave.
Dave’s still bitchin’ about touching the drums and saying he didn’t want anything broken.
Dean was sick of Dave talkin’ shit and thought the fan thing was so ridiculous. He yelled out
“ Who’s dick did you have to suck to get these fans, you fucking homo ! ”
and because Dave was being Dave, Pearl Handle gave Dave the choice (not necessarily Van Halen)…
….. Either you let us use those fans or NO P.A. ! That must have pissed off Dave ? ! ! !

Meanwhile; While all this was taking place, Ed was still in his room… ???

So, now in between the soundcheck and hangin’ around the bar, and with Dave gone,
it was time to put everything in relax mode.
With Michael & Alex still hangin’ round, the boozer’s that they were, the band decided to invite them
to partake in the relaxation with a little Blonde… Lebanese..
The whole afternoon Michael & Alex followed Dan & Dean around like little puppy dogs wanting another treat…he says.
That turned out to be a good thing because they got to talkin’ and then asked what the fuck is Dave’s problem ?
To no surprise their answer was “We know he’s an asshole, but he’s the best singer we got”
They also talked about how Alex played guitar and that Ed was on the drums and how Dave was in a rival band.

This whole time up to the start of the show Ed’s still in his room.
Dan said when he put his ear up to the wall all he heard was Eruption over & over again.
He thought to himself; how’s he doing that with all those notes ?
There was a brief moment during soundcheck where Dan asked and Ed showed him,
but as he’s noodling, and when he came to right hand tapping, Ed turned his back with a few second sample and then said “there you go”

http://vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewtopic.php?p=550037#p550037

Post by ampdan on Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:22 am
I saw the original VanHalen in the summer of 1978 at a bar that was a converted barn called Hooker Lake Inn in Salem,Wi. It cost 3.00 at the door and their “show” consisted of a lights out drum solo with flaming drumsticks and it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. Nobody had ever seen anything like Eddie’s playing (before all of the wannabees!)
They blew the roof off of that place! Eddie’s original plexi half-stack was all the tone he ever needed.

http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/f53/shut-up-about-penn-state-scandal-460747/index2.html#post4704631

10-2011, 12:20 PM
Western Playboy

Since youre a big fan I’ll tell you a little Van Halen Story. When I was a kid growing up in the mean streets of Chicago you had to be 19 to drink in illinios and they inforced it, but you only had to be 18 in Wisconsin and they never carded anybody so we could drink up there at 16 or 17 years old. We used to drive up there to the bars and clubs when there was nothing else to do, usually when Maywood or Sportsmans park race tracks were closed. Well we drove by a dump called The Hooker Lake Inn. It was literally a barn with a bar inside. Hay on the floor and everything. They had a grill always going outside and you could buy a raw burger/bun for 1$ but you had to cook it yourself. I was hungry so that was the place. There was about 20 people in there and here comes the free entertainment. I play guitar and was a big hendrix fan back then…The band comes out, of course I didn’t expect much, they looked like fags and I knew they were from Fagville (los Angeles) cause they said that when they introduced them..then the guitar player goes into some heavy riffs…I’m like WTF is this!? It was Van Halen, they played in the loft of the barn..They were great! so I told people I knew and we all came back the next night and you could’nt even get in the barn. Musta been 500 people there. The next year or shortly after that their first album came out

https://www.bankersonline.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=423297#Post423297

Re: Best Concert
Anonymous

Van Halen before they released their first album at Hooker Lake Inn near Lake Geneva, WI. Van Halen and all the beer you could drink for $5. Very small bar that was a converted barn. UNBELIEVABLE show!

http://s1.zetaboards.com/285Freetalk/single/?p=213026&t=830857

Manna Pro Nov 6 2008, 05:47 PM
My wife calls me a either bafoon, a gorrilla or an animal.. I saw Van Halen in a Barn in 1978(?) It was a barn in Wisconsin..It was called the Hooker Lake Inn, but it was a barn..Someone told me I had to see this guy so we went..I thought he was great. There was only about 40 people there.. Obviously it was before they hit it big..

Those are the stories you like to read about……Earliest I’ve seen VH as a “headliner” outside of Los Angeles. How do you be properly attired at a converted barn to bar concert??????
MikeyV

I was thrown off for a minute about the “don’t use our fans” line. At first I thought he meant fans as in people showing up at the show.

guitard: I was thrown off for a minute about the “don’t use our fans” line.At first I thought he meant fans as in people showing up at the show.

I thought the same thing… except I didn’t get it until you pointed it out. Thanks for sharing these stories.

Awesome work Ron!!!!

ffoner: Awesome work Ron!!!!

Lots of thanks to my friend Randy who found the ticket stub on a Facebook page and forwarded it to me. Google did all the rest.

ron: Lots of thanks to my friend Randy who found the ticket stub on a Facebook page and forwarded it to me.Google did all the rest.

I’d love to see the original FB post if you’ve got a link please. Tell Randy I said thanks.

Great story Ron thanks for sharing

fans blowers he’s been bitching about it for decades now LOL

Nice post, fun story, also noticed the early headliner!