Guess what? I got Van Halen fever, and the only prescription is… more Van Halen! So here’s one of my favorite VH boots, from the Diver Down promotional tour (dubbed the Hide Your Sheep Tour). It’s I’m So Glad, a mono soundboard show sourced from the first night of the South American leg. It was the first of three shows in Caracas, Venezuela.

The sound quality isn’t fantastic for a soundboard, but it’s a great setlist and the band is totally raging. I’m sure that playing in South America for the first time lit a fire under their collective asses. Eddie is in peak form as you would expect, while Alex and Michael are rock-solid as usual. As for Diamond Dave? Well, Dave is Dave. You know what to expect when you go to see VH with him as frontman, so you either love it or hate it. I love it.

I only have this show in .mp3 format, so sorry FLAC fans.

Set list for Van Halen at the Poliedro de Caracas (Caracas, Venezuela) — January 16, 1983:

1. Romeo Delight
2. Unchained
3. The Full Bug
4. Runnin’ With the Devil
5. Jamie’s Cryin’
6. Little Guitars
7. Dance the Night Away
8. Somebody Get Me a Doctor / I’m So Glad (listen for bits of what would become “Girl Gone Bad”)
9. Little Dreamer
10. Mean Street
11. Secrets
12. Everybody Wants Some!!
13. Ice Cream Man
14. Intruder
15. (Oh) Pretty Woman
16. Eruption
17. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
18. Bottoms Up!
19. You Really Got Me

The band:

Eddie Van Halen — guitars, backing vocals
David Lee Roth — lead vocals
Alex Van Halen — drums, percussion
Michael Anthony — bass, backing vocals