Jake E. Lee is one of the lucky few who can claim to have witnessed Van Halen in their prime during their 1978 tour supporting their classic self-titled debut. In a recent interview with Tone-Talk, the guitarist reflected on this unforgettable concert experience, alongside other legendary performances he attended in the ’70s.
Lee recalled seeing Van Halen headline an arena shortly after the release of their debut album. “First time was ’78, their album had just come out,” Lee shared. “But they were big enough in California, because they were huge in California right away, they did a headlining show, I think it was at the San Diego Sports Arena, but I’m not sure. It was not long after the first album had come out, and nobody that I knew had seen them live yet. And I saw them there.”
At the time, Lee’s friends had yet to see the band perform, but they were already buzzing about their reputation. “People that I knew that had seen them in soundcheck said, ‘They sound just like the f*cking album, but they’re all over the place,'” Lee said. “I was like, ‘Oh, can’t wait!’ And they sound just like the album. F*cking David Lee Roth, love him or hate him, he was the ultimate front man. And they were amazing.”
Lee’s timing couldn’t have been better, as he also caught other iconic bands in the ’70s. Reflecting on his concert experiences, Lee said, “I am lucky: I saw Black Sabbath on their ‘Master of Reality’ tour. I think that was ’70, maybe ’71. Grand Funk Railroad. It’s just amazing my parents let me do that.”
Lee went on to share a story from his youth when he saw Grand Funk Railroad at just 13 or 14 years old. “I said, ‘Hey, I want to go see a band.’ They said, ‘Okay.’ They let me get on a bus, go to downtown San Diego, which was a really bad area at that time, it’s all h*okers and p*mps and drug dealers. Go there, get on another bus, go to the Sports Arena, where everybody was smoking pot, and I don’t think they realized what they were letting me do. But they did pick me up after.”
Jake E. Lee’s early concert experiences reflect his unique connection to rock history, having witnessed firsthand some of the most significant bands and performances of the ’70s. His memories serve as a testament to the vibrant music scene of that era.
