Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth managed to do some damage early on during the band’s Monday night concert on Hollywood Blvd. for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Unfortunately, that damage was to his face.
The group had to call an abrupt stop to the first song of their set, “Panama,” when Roth announced that he had injured his nose on his microphone.
“Let me get this taped up,” Roth said, making an apologetic exit from the stage.
Oh well; any excuse for an extended Eddie Van Halen guitar solo. And when he returned to the stage, bandage across his nose, Roth proved that his sense of humor, at least, wasn’t injured.
“How do I look? Like fucking Hiawatha, right?” Roth joked.
The band’s performance came as the group prepared to release a new album, “Tokyo Dome Live in Concert,” on Tuesday. They will also embark on a tour this summer.
Parts of the group’s performance air on the ABC late-night show Monday and Tuesday, but Van Halen’s set Monday night, which closed down a portion of Hollywood Blvd., included numerous hits by the band, including “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “Dance the Night Away” and “Hot for Teacher.” As evidenced by the show, pioneering guitar wizard Van Halen’s guitar work has lost none of its dazzle nearly 40 years after the release of the group’s first album, and Roth remains an engaging showman at age 60, working the crowd and managing a few of his trademark high-kicks, busted beak or not.
During the monologue for Monday’s show, Kimmel worked in a couple of good-natured jabs at the group, referencing the famously contentious dynamic among the musicians.
“Their relationship status is ‘It’s complicated,’ but that’s alright, they’re playing tonight,” Kimmel cracked.
He also had fun with the group’s decades-long career.
“You know that teacher they were all hot for? She just went through menopause,” the host ribbed.