If there ever was a time you will feel like you stumbled onto an intimate and private Van Halen soundcheck, it’s during the band’s video for their new song ‘Tattoo,’ the first single off their upcoming album, ‘A Different Kind of Truth,’ due Feb. 7.

The black and white clip was filmed at Hollywood’s famed The Roxy, which the band used as its own rehearsal space for the past several months. Save for the confetti and balloons that tumble from the sky at the end of the video, this is a simple performance clip and it works. It was a smart move on the band’s part to narrow the focus and scope of the first video on the band doing what it does best and that’s play.

Watching David Lee Roth dance and saunter across the stage, draped in a Steven Tyler-like scarf, waving a black and white checkered racing flag and singing to Eddie Van Halen, who is wearing the ‘Dexter’ kill shirt as he pounds out murderous riffs.

Extra bells and whistles, like plot, characters and hot chicks covered in sailor style ink, are not needed to make a point in this video or at this juncture in the ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ cycle. The rhythm section – drummer Alex Van Halen and his nephew, bassist Wolfie Van Halen — are on the periphery for much of the video, which hones in on DLR and EVH, whose animosity fascinated fans for years after Diamond Dave split.

Here, the rift feels mended and the riffs are strong. And those are very good things.

Watch the Van Halen ‘Tattoo’ Video

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