There’s a certain mythos around David Lee Roth. “Diamond Dave,” the eternal showman, the lion-maned frontman who helped turn Van Halen into one of the greatest rock bands of all time, has always been defined by his swagger. Whether he was leaping off drum risers in 1981, cracking wise in interviews, or dropping the kind of Vegas-meets-hard-rock banter only he could pull off, Roth was never just a singer—he was an event. That’s why his headlining slot at the M3 Festival in May of 2025 carried so much anticipation. Fans weren’t merely hoping for a nostalgia trip; they were looking for that old Roth magic, the over-the-top charisma that once made arenas feel like the center of the universe.
But from the first few moments of this set, it was clear we were not witnessing a triumphant return. This was a legend grappling with the realities of age, a performer whose spirit remains mischievous but whose body—and more importantly, his voice—can no longer fully deliver the goods.
A Setlist Stacked With Van Halen Classics
If there’s one thing Roth did right, it was packing the night with wall-to-wall Van Halen hits. This wasn’t a career-spanning exploration of his solo years or a left-field collection of deep cuts. Instead, he came out swinging with “Panama,” instantly sending the crowd into a frenzy. The opening riff—cranked to chest-rattling levels—was enough to make you forget the years for a fleeting moment. The band, made up of capable but largely anonymous players, locked into the groove with precision. But then Roth opened his mouth, and the first hints of trouble surfaced.
His trademark howl, once a thing of unrestrained joy and reckless abandon, came out raspy and strained. He grinned through it, tossing his arms in the air like a ringmaster, but there was no escaping the truth: the man who once danced on the tightrope of melody and chaos now struggled to stay on key. Still, the audience—loyal to the end—sang every word, carrying him through the song’s big moments.
“Drop Dead Legs” followed, a slightly deeper cut that thrilled longtime fans but demanded a vocal nimbleness Roth simply no longer has. He leaned on talk-singing and sly asides, almost narrating the song rather than singing it. The band gamely filled in the gaps, their harmonies doing the heavy lifting.
The first real jolt of energy came with “You Really Got Me,” the Kinks cover that launched Van Halen’s debut album. Here, Roth’s showmanship worked in his favor. He prowled the stage, mugging and gesturing like a vaudevillian rock star, letting the crowd handle the vocal fireworks while he played the eternal rascal.
Showmanship vs. Reality
If Roth’s voice was faltering, his personality remained undimmed. Between songs, he peppered the crowd with stories—some funny, some rambling, all delivered with that unmistakable Roth grin. Before “Unchained,” he launched into a monologue about “freedom, fun, and doing it your own damn way,” reminding everyone why his stage banter once made him the ultimate rock ’n’ roll carnival barker. The band hit the iconic opening riff and, for a moment, it felt like the clock had turned back to 1981.
But the cracks were obvious. On “Dance the Night Away,” a song built on silky harmonies and effortless charm, Roth struggled to find the right key. He compensated with exaggerated gestures and crowd sing-alongs, but the melody that once floated so easily now came out flat and brittle.
“Runnin’ With the Devil” fared slightly better thanks to its lower register, though the growling menace of the original was replaced by a conversational bark. By the time the band tore into “Mean Street,” it was clear the night was going to be carried as much by audience participation and instrumental muscle as by Roth himself.
Glimpses of the Old Diamond Dave
There were moments, though, when the old Roth shone through. “Atomic Punk” was delivered with surprising vigor, his yelps and snarls approximating the reckless energy of the Van Halen I era. He whipped his mic stand around like a samurai sword, striking poses that elicited cheers even when the vocals missed the mark.
The intro to “And the Cradle Will Rock…” allowed him to slip into his raconteur persona, tossing off jokes about teenage rebellion and “the eternal party of rock ’n’ roll.” The crowd ate it up, happy to trade flawless performance for a taste of classic Roth charm.
“Jamie’s Cryin’” offered another reprieve, its mid-tempo groove giving him room to lean on the band’s harmonies and focus on storytelling rather than power singing. Likewise, “I’m the One” became a call-and-response spectacle, with Roth conducting the audience like a rowdy choir.
The Stretch Run
As the set barreled into its final stretch, Roth stacked the big guns. “Everybody Wants Some!!” was a highlight, its tribal rhythm and playful lyrics tailor-made for his showman instincts. He prowled the edge of the stage, shouting “I want some too!” with a wink and a laugh. Even if the vocal fireworks of old were long gone, his sheer enthusiasm carried the song.
“Romeo Delight” and “Hot for Teacher” followed in rapid succession, the band nailing the intricate rhythms while Roth half-sang, half-spoke his way through. He still hit the signature spoken intro of “Hot for Teacher” with a mischievous twinkle—proof that attitude, if not technical ability, remains intact.
The closing trio was pure Van Halen legend. “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” brought the crowd to a fever pitch, the call-and-response chorus masking Roth’s faltering delivery. And when the unmistakable synths of “Jump” kicked in, the entire festival field turned into a dance floor. Roth, ever the entertainer, twirled and high-kicked as best he could, landing somewhere between endearingly goofy and slightly awkward. The audience didn’t care; for those final four minutes, everyone was back in 1984.
The Band Behind the Curtain
Much of the night’s success—and its ability to avoid outright collapse—came from Roth’s band. The guitar work was sharp and faithful to Eddie Van Halen’s legacy without descending into imitation. The rhythm section provided the kind of muscular backbone Roth needed to lean on, keeping the energy high even when the vocals wavered. Backup singers filled in harmonies and occasionally shadowed Roth’s lead lines, a subtle but crucial assist that kept the songs recognizable and robust.
The Hard Truth
As a lifelong Van Halen fan, I wanted to love this show. And in flashes, I did. There were moments when Roth’s charisma and the sheer power of the songs overcame the cracks. But there’s no denying the reality: time has caught up with Diamond Dave. The high kicks are slower, the voice is ragged, and the once-effortless swagger now feels like a performance of a performance.
Roth himself seemed aware of it, joking at one point, “Hey, I’m still standing, and that’s worth the price of admission!” The crowd laughed and cheered, because there’s something undeniably heroic about watching a rock icon refuse to quit. But there were also stretches where the disconnect between the music in our memories and the sound coming off the stage was too big to ignore.
This wasn’t a train wreck—Roth’s professionalism and charisma kept it far from that—but it wasn’t a great show either. It was a celebration tinged with melancholy, a reminder of how fleeting youth and brilliance can be.
Legacy Over Perfection
And maybe that’s the point. David Lee Roth has never been about perfection. Even in his prime, he was a chaos merchant, a frontman who valued fun and spectacle over pitch-perfect singing. At M3, that philosophy remained intact. He gave the crowd everything he had left, flaws and all, and asked them to meet him halfway. For many, that was enough. The sing-alongs, the jokes, the sheer nostalgia of hearing these songs played loud and proud carried the night.
For others, especially those hoping for a more polished performance, the cracks were harder to overlook. But even the skeptics couldn’t deny the power of those riffs, those choruses, those memories of a band that once redefined rock ’n’ roll.
Setlist
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Panama (Van Halen)
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Drop Dead Legs (Van Halen)
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You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover)
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Unchained (Van Halen)
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Dance the Night Away (Van Halen)
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Runnin’ With the Devil (Van Halen)
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Mean Street (Van Halen)
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Atomic Punk (Van Halen)
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And the Cradle Will Rock… (Van Halen)
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Jamie’s Cryin’ (Van Halen)
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I’m the One (Van Halen)
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Everybody Wants Some!! (Van Halen)
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Romeo Delight (Van Halen)
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Hot for Teacher (Van Halen)
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Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love (Van Halen)
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Jump (Van Halen)
Final Thoughts
Watching David Lee Roth at the M3 Festival was a complicated experience. On one hand, it was a privilege to see a rock legend still strutting across the stage, delivering the songs that shaped a generation. On the other, it was a sobering reminder that time spares no one—not even the larger-than-life Diamond Dave.
Was it a great show? No. The vocals were rough, the pacing uneven, and the sense of danger that once defined Roth’s performances has dulled with age. But was it memorable? Absolutely. Because in the end, David Lee Roth remains exactly what he’s always been: a born entertainer, a ringmaster of rock ’n’ roll chaos, and a reminder that even when the body fades, the spirit of the party lives on.
If this was one of his final big festival appearances, it was fitting in its imperfection—a celebration of a career built not on flawless execution, but on joy, swagger, and the refusal to take anything, least of all himself, too seriously. Diamond Dave may be showing his age, but the legend remains untarnished.