Since the start of the 2012 Van Halen tour, their show has added a little more than 10 minutes of content while maintaining the same number of songs/solo spots.

Possible reasons:
a) the band is playing slower
b) a slightly different set of songs are longer than the set of songs they started the tour with
c) there is more between song banter
d) there is more in-song noodling
e) ????

discuss.

One reason is that they have added a jam during Unchained.

Dave’s talking more between songs, or stopping the show altogether because of the blowers

JasonA:
Dave’s talking more between songs, or stopping the show altogether because of the blowers

LOL. I think he almost never comments on the blowers now.

mcs5150: LOL. I think he almost never comments on the blowers now.

Probably, because after playing 15, or so shows, the tour manager finally got the arena manager to keep the A/C off.

Jams on middle of songs..
What are the shows clocking in now at Ron 2 plus hours??

Ed’s solo is about 2 minutes longer than it was at the start of the tour!

I would say a combo. In the start of the tour there were some shows where Dave cut his ICM banter short. On top of that they’ve added some more jamming during other songs like Unchained and EBWS.

I personally wish Roth would give us 45 minutes on his dogs.

It may just be a simple case of the guys are having more fun and screwing around more. When they first started they followed a ‘script’. Now they are comfortable with the show and performing with more fun.

I think when they come back they should have a medley section where just the 3 of them do about 10 minutes of some of the classic song riffs that Dave can’t or won’t sing.

sickman:
I think when they come back they should have a medley section where just the 3 of them do about 10 minutes of some of the classic song riffs that Dave can’t or won’t sing.

That sounds good to me!!

Seems that it’s a little of everything. Like a jam thrown into Unchained, Dave’s story telling in the middle of The Trouble With Never, Dave’s extra dancing, or the Illegal Evelyn story inside Dance The Night Away, a longer EVH solo spot, etc… A minute here and there adds up I guess.