Is David Lee Roth Leaving Door Open for Return With Retirement Tour Poster?
We've seen it happen before, bands announcing a farewell tour only to have a change of heart. And while David Lee Roth recently announced his retirement at the conclusion of his upcoming Las Vegas residency, he did leave himself a window if he reconsiders with a new poster for the run proclaiming: "THE LAST TOUR EVER UNLESS IT ISN'T."
Given Roth's sense of humor and showmanship, this could simply be a matter of poking fun at other farewell runs that didn't end with the supposed final farewell. But it also leaves the option just in case he decides to walk it back that he could literally say it was right there on the poster.
Earlier this month, Roth told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring. This is the first, and only, official announcement... You’ve got the news. Share it with the world." The announcement came days after he revealed his plans for a Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, as well as Jan. 5, 7 and 8. "I'm not going to explain the statement. The explanation is in a safe. These are my last five shows," said at the time.
Roth, who just turned 67 on Oct. 10, went on to add, "I've got a band that is doing what Al [Alex Van Halen] and I used to call a 'block,' that means 75 rehearsals for one show. We are bringing it in classic VH [Van Halen] style. Alex and I are the only version, that was his message. There is no other variation. There is no torch being passed. There is no other side to this coin. This is classic, in-your-face Van Halen."
'Diamond Dave' gave no indication whether this meant that drummer Alex Van Halen would take part in any of the upcoming shows as his message was a tad cryptic, as is typical of many things the singer says.
Roth seems to be having fun as always with this retirement announcement. There were even fans who pointed out that Roth himself appeared to have predict his retirement date in the video for title track to his 1991 album A Lil Ain't Enough. In that clip, Diamond Dave visits a soothsayer who uses a crystal ball to predict futures. The clip then cuts to a shot of the marquee outside the Anaheim Stadium, which reads, "Diamond Dave, THE ABSOLUTE FINAL TOUR: SOLD OUT."
A bloated, double-chinned Roth then rolls up to the venue in a hovercraft limo, where he gets bombarded by an onslaught of reporters. The date of the show? Oct. 10, 2021, Roth's 67th birthday.
Regardless of how this turns out, Roth has given fans a lifetime of entertainment, always keeping people on their toes right to the very last detail of his final tour dates.