We previously told you about the early Van Halen gigs at Gazzarri’s in a 2016 post. The seedy Hollywood club on the Sunset Strip, where the band played numerous times over a two-and-half-year period, played an important role in the group’s formative years. We have amazing soundboard-sourced audio of a Van Halen gig at Gazzarri’s, and it’s the earliest known live VH recording. 

In March 1974, the band auditioned at Gazzarri’s. They’d actually already tried out twice, and the third time proved to be the charm—within days a contract was signed. By this point, Van Halen had already gained a significant local following from performing at Southern California schools and parties, and when they played their first gig at Gazzarri’s on April 4th, a sizable crowd turned out.
 

 
Van Halen would typically play three or four 50-minute sets a night there, multiple times a week, once every four weeks. The band was up for any sort of odd gig owner Bill Gazzarri would throw their way, which included the running of the dance contests held at club.
 

Eddie Van Halen on stage at Gazzarri’s. Note the photos of past dance contest winners on the wall in the background.

Though Van Halen were thrilled to have their first steady gig/paycheck, Gazzarri’s was past its prime. Well known rock acts like the Doors and the Byrds got their start there, but by 1974 it was a shell of its former self, a tacky hole-in-the-wall that attempted to appeal to tourists. In addition, Gazzarri’s management required the groups they hired play nearly all covers, so if record company representatives came to the club, Van Halen couldn’t show off much of their original material. This stipulation contributed to the bad reputation of the venue and the disrespect shown to bands that frequently performed there. By early 1976, it was looking like Van Halen were going to be dismissed as simply another cover band—until a local radio DJ and music trendsetter happened to catch VH at Gazzarri’s.

One night in April ‘76, Rodney Bingenheimer and a friend found themselves in front of Gazzarri’s. Though they didn’t like the place and had never heard of the band on the marquee, they went in. Despite having sub-zero expectations, Bingenheimer and his companion were blown away by Van Halen. The overall sheer force of the group was undeniable, and the pair were impressed that VH made the covers they played sound like originals. They also couldn’t help but notice there were a lot of enthusiastic female fans in attendance—it wasn’t just dudes rockin’ out. Van Halen’s newest fans just knew they had witnessed the next IT group.
 

David Lee Roth, Rodney Bingenheimer, and the Runaways.

Soon, Bingenheimer would book a May gig for Van Halen at the Starwood, then the venue for up-and-coming acts in Los Angeles. But first VH would have to make a decision to accept the Starwood date or not, as they risked angering Bill Gazzarri by performing at a rival club. Though there was some trepidation amongst the members of the band, David Lee Roth convinced them to go for it—the opportunity was too good to pass up. At the Starwood, they’d be playing a set of all-original material for the first time.
 

 
Van Halen would continue to play at Gazzarri’s, though, with their final gig at the venue taking place in October 1976. The band went on to play other L.A. nightspots of note, including the legendary Whisky a Go Go, but the choice to go to the Starwood was probably the best decision the young Van Halen ever made. Aside from it getting them out of the go-nowhere Gazzarri’s and into a hip club, the Starwood is where Warner Bros. Records executive and producer, Ted Templeman, first saw the group perform; Van Halen would go on to make six classic albums with Templeman.
 

 
The Gazzarri’s show we’re sharing with you is believed to have been captured there in November 1974 (possibly on the 14th), which makes it the oldest circulating live Van Halen recording. A sonic upgrade of the audio was recently uploaded to YouTube, and sounds awesome. As for the band’s performance—of eight covers—it’s phenomenal, evidence that, even at this stage, they were crafting non-original material in their own image. This was, of course, their approach once they started making records, beginning with their version of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”, the first single from their debut album.
 

 
Highlights of the Gazzarri’s ‘74 tape include the first tune, “Chevrolet,” a ZZ Top number that was covered by Stray Dog, one of Eddie Van Halen’s favorite groups from the period, and the final track, “Make It Last,” a Montrose song originally sung by Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth’s future replacement in Van Halen.
 

 
If you’ve read this far, you should pick up Greg Renoff’s indispensable book on VH’s early years, Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal.

You should also know about the new—and very cool—Van Halen collection, The Japanese Singles 1978-1984, which features replicas of the thirteen VH 45s released in Japan during the initial Roth era. The singles are housed in a cigarette-style box, and the set is available in standard black vinyl, with a limited edition red vinyl version offered only at Rhino.com.
 

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
The night in 1976 when a pre-fame Eddie Van Halen OD’d and nearly died
The Nightmare Before Halloween: Insane early Van Halen set from 1977
Atomic Punks: Van Halen hanging out with their teenage fans at a Dallas, Texas record store in 1978