Alex Van Halen Drum Kit Enters Hall Of Fame
His iconic 1980 world tour kit is on display at the Cleveland museum
Hennemusic reports that the kit, which was used on more than 100 shows during Van Halen's 1980 World Invasion Tour in support of the Women and Children First album, will live at the famed museum for a while.
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Howard Kramer says of the kit:
"As Van Halen grew in popularity, the production quality of their stage show followed suit as an increasingly flamboyant rock and roll spectacle. Alex Van Halen used the drum kit not only as a percussion instrument, but also as a visual art form. Working with various drum manufacturers, Alex custom designed enormous and elaborate drum kits that reflected the group's musical sensibility and provided Alex the platform to shine.
"After many years of planning, we are finally bringing one of Alex Van Halen's historic drum kits to be exhibited in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The kit pictured above was used on Van Halen's 1980 world Invasion Tour in support of the Women and Children First album, joining Alex as the band performed more than 100 shows. The white Ludwig kit features two custom articulated bass drums, each more than five feet long, in addition to an impressive array of floor toms, tom-toms, a gong and myriad cymbals. This kit is a sight to behold."