Brad Starks. These two very words strike fear - deep, deep into the hearts of wired Van Halen fans everywhere. HA! Just kidding! Brad is well known to the legion of online Van Halen fans as the band’s official webmaster. Over the past four and a half years, Mr. Starks has done his best to keep van-halen.com running smoothly, and to keep fans informed of the band’s status whenever possible. Brad also operates and maintains the Van Halen Pleasure Dome, the band’s official message board, which is currently on “a little break” along with the band. Let’s talk to Brad and see what he has to say about himself, and the band that hired him...

What was the first album you ever bought (VH or otherwise)?

I bought my first album in 1975 - it was "Tryin' To Get That Feeling" by Barry Manilow. I think it cost $5 at the time. My first VH album to buy was 1984. I already owned Fair Warning and Diver Down because a friend had given them to me.


Oh man, Barry Manilow? Are you sure you wanna say that? You know you're never gonna hear the end of it. LOL

Yeah, I know I'm painting a target on myself with Barry Manilow, but it is true...

If you had to take three albums to a desert island and they had to be non VH.....which ones would you take?

Still Got The Blues - Gary Moore
      Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt
     "The White Album" - The Beatles


Do you play any musical instruments? Are you any good?

Guitar, piano, and a very small amount of bass and drums. I'm average on guitar and piano. I play a lot of classical piano. Drums and bass-wise I'm a hack. Just ask the folks at the last con (VHML Convention) I went to and they were treated to me playing a disco version of Not Enough on the drums.


Where did you get your computer training?

Self-taught, some schooling and a lot of books.


When did you first become interested in VH?

Heavily around 1982 or 83. I had known of them since ' 78 but didn't really get hooked until '82 or '83.


When and why did you decide to cut your hair? Inquiring minds want to know...

HA! About two years ago. It was New Year's of 2000 if I remember right. I just had enough of dealing with it. Gave me a new appreciation of why women spend so much time doing their hair and just what it was like to go through life every day with long-ass hair. I am growing it out again though. It just won't get that long again.



Let's play word association. I'll start: VHML.....

A trip.


What was the progression of events that led you from fan to webmaster?

I was just a dirty-faced kid in a garbage can that was in the right place at the right time. Seriously though, I asked and they said yes.


When did you first meet the band? What was it like?

Surreal to say the least. I met all of them together in December of 1997. Prior to that, I'd met some of them separately on different occasions. I spent about 8 hours at 5150 that day. It was completely mind blowing to be there. That studio has so much history in it's walls.....


What's your most cherished Van Halen piece of memorabilia?

My memories.


You got to go along on the 3 tour (lucky bastard). Tell us about that. Any interesting or funny stories you can share? (although I'm much more interested in the ones you CAN'T share)

I've got three words for you, "Jug Of Illusions."

Seriously though, it was the greatest experience of my life. I'll definitely cherish it. The funniest experience I had was probably in Sydney, Australia. A few of us (no band members) went out on the town. The hotel called ahead and told this one place that we would be stopping by. Well, when we got there, there was only a handful of people there, but they just stared at us like crazy. This one girl wouldn't stop staring at me so I finally asked her what the deal was and she asked me if I was the lead singer for VH. She thought for sure I was and was like a deer in headlights. I told her "No, I'm not" and then she finally stopped staring. I told Gary about it afterwards and he said I should have said "Yes!" Too funny.

Being on the set of the "Fire In The Hole" video shoot was pretty fun, too. There are some long hours in shooting a video!


Jug of Illusions? Care to elaborate on that?

The name says it all!
 
The "monthly stories" that you started doing at the PD were very popular among the fans. Have you ever considered writing a book of your experiences with the band? If you did, what would its title be?

I don't know what I'd write about. But, I bet some of my fans out there would title it "Bullshit!"


Has Mike ever let you drive one of his cars or is it look but don't touch?

No, but I've never asked. They are sweet though!!


What's the funniest fan request you've ever received?

I get a lot of requests for VH to play someone's wedding or to make a personal video greeting for their wedding. Those always crack me up, but they are usually requests from the bride or groom-to-be that wants to give the ultimate present to the person they love when that person happens to be a diehard VH fan. It's actually pretty cool when you think about it.


Does working for Van Halen really help you meet and impress women?

Yeah. But, the girlfriend I've had for the last 1.5 years knows very little about VH. She always gets their names mixed up with their instruments and everything. So, my point is that VH had nothing to do with meeting and impressing her. I did that all by myself.


Now that the band has cut ties with WB, what does this change mean for you? Will it have an impact on your job description?

Not much, really.


Can you say anything about the recent departure of Scotty Ross?

There's nothing to say really. Scotty is best in the business! He'll have no trouble at all lining up a new gig and I have no doubt he'll return.


Have you heard the new stuff Mike and Sammy did? If so, what do you think of it?

Haven't heard any of it....


What are some of your personal interests (hobbies, etc) outside of VH that we don't know about?

I love chess and "Fear Factor" is my favorite show. "Seinfeld" is the greatest comedy series ever written. Kramer was and is, my favorite character - he was such a fuckin' spaz! I'm also a huge boxing fan.


In your later years in life, surrounded by your grandchildren, what story would you tell them about your experience with Van Halen that would provide them insight into the meaning of life?

Ya can't crow before you're outta the woods, but there's exceptions to the rule.


What would you like your legacy in life to be?

That I lived life my way, and to the fullest.


Would you encourage your children to grow up and be mega rock stars? Webmasters for mega rock stars?

I would support anything they wanted to do in life.


How is running an official site different from running a fan based site?

Well, you can't just put up anything you want. It's not really your site. It's the band's or whoever it is that you're doing the site for. You have to put up what they want, how they want, etc. Which is how it should be. On the flip side, it does give you a lot of clout in many different areas.


Does the band really ever read the stuff on the message boards? If so, have they made any comments you can tell us about?

They've seen some of it. They've even gotten a kick out of some of it. In addition, some of it has given some insight into what their fans are about.


Which type of Van Halen fan do you prefer? Dave or Gravers? Sammy Fans? Gary Fans? Sheep? Sheep Shearers? or Common Household Fans?

We all have something in common, that's what matters most - Van Halen, baby!


Brad
The Official Van Halen Web Site
www.van-halen.com