“I’m taking his side because we protect each other” How Eddie Van Halen would always have his brother’s support during Van Halen’s many bust ups
If Oasis has taught us that starting a band with your sibling probably isn’t a good idea, Van Halen is proof that it can be a wild ride worth taking — if you’ve got each other’s back.
Discussing the importance of family in a recent conversation with CNN’s All There Is with Anderson Cooper, Alex Van Halen speaks of the unwavering support he would offer his brother Eddie through Van Halen’s many bust ups.
READ MORE: Alex Lifeson reflects on his lifelong “romantic affair” with the guitar: “We’ve never had a single argument”
“At the end of the day, when there is a disagreement within the band, I am taking his side — and vice versa. Because we protect each other,” says Alex, who details the depth of his bond with the younger Van Halen in his new memoir, Brothers.
The pair had played together for over five decades — having launched the band as teenagers in their Pasadena basement.
“That was the most important thing we had talked [about],” the drummer adds. “Stick together.”
Brotherly bond aside, Alex also recounts the moment he realised Eddie’s songwriting genius early in their career, saying: “We all used to bring pieces of music into the basement. And I remember when Ed brought in Runnin’ With the Devil, that chord structure and that whole deal.”
“The moment I heard that, I said, ‘Okay, Ed, you’re writing all the songs from now on because we can’t compete with that.’ [Laughs] And this had nothing to do with speed. It had nothing to do with articulation. Had nothing to do with anything other [than] it was just absolutely brilliant to my ear. It was amazing.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Alex shares how his brother’s passing had caught him off guard because “none of us really thought he was gonna die”.
“He’d always bounced back,” says the musician [via Blabbermouth]. “He could do more and more drugs than anybody and still wake up the next day and perform. I don’t think anybody really thought he was gonna die. So when he passed, it was really a shock.”
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