Eddie Van Halen to Arcade Fire: 'I Thought of Smiling During Gigs First'

Rocker endeavors to set the record straight.

photo credit: Joe Bielawa

EGENDARY rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen went on the offensive today via Twitter when he took a swipe at Arcade Fire, the indie rock band known for their overt joyfulness on stage during performances.

The Van Halen rocker tweeted, "Hey Arcade Fire, I thought of smiling during gigs first," and soon followed up with, "Eddie Van Halen was smiling on stage before anyone in AF was even born."

He then uploaded numerous shots of his smiling face in various concert venues from years past "in an effort," his publicist explained, "to provide irrefutable evidence to document his claims. My client smiled on stage first, of that there can be no dispute. I mean, just look at that adorable face."

Responses from Arcade Fire personnel came swiftly and rapturously across the Twittersphere.

Win Butler said, "I think I speak for both current and former members of AF when I say, 'Eddie, we love and respect you beyond words!!'"

Likewise, Régine Chassagne tweeted that she was "overjoyed to hear from such a talented master of electric guitar," adding that she "simply couldn't stop smiling all day long just thinking about EVH smiling."

Butler chimed back in to pledge "an AF song in tribute to the great Eddie Van Halen and his glorious stage smile, to which we are all indebted."

Possible song titles tweeted by Arcade Fire fans included, "Wake up and Smell the Smile," "Keep the Smiles Coming (Eddie)," "Un Sourire Sur Eddie," "You Already Smiled Before We Did," and "Eddie's Smile is My Liege."

Van Halen fans also tweeted their song-title suggestions; unfortunately, all had to be promptly taken down due to running afoul of Twitter's obscenity guidelines.

Eddie Van Halen responded en masse to the flurry of Arcade Fire responses by tweeting, "Well alright then, as long as we're clear."