By VIN MANNIX
TAMPA

David Lee Roth didn't shout the familiar lyric until late in Monday night's raucously entertaining concert.

It's from "Hot For Teacher," Van Halen's 1984 smash, and it took on a new meaning 24 years later for many at the St. Pete Times Forum.

"HEARD YOU MISSED US . . . " Diamond Dave shouted to the appreciative 16,000-plus audience. "WE'RE BA-A-ACK!"

They were, indeed.

Apart for more than two decades, Roth, the fun-loving showman, was together again with guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen and his brother, Alex, with his manic, muscular drumming.

That Eddie's 16-year-old son, Wolfgang, replaced bassist Michael Anthony was a small price to pay for those of us who wondered if we'd ever see this act again.

They didn't disappoint.

So what if Diamond Dave is 52, Eddie 53, and Alex 54.

They put on a 2Ω-hour show that made the huge arena reverberate with energy we felt way up in the Forum's cheap seats ($50) directly opposite the stage, a large S-shaped walkway.

When the house lights went down an enormous roar went up, accompanied by the sudden thunder of Alex's drum solo, and gave you killer goose bumps.

Then the stage was illuminated, revealing Van Halen, with Roth atop the highest point of the walkway waving a big red banner.

It was showtime, baby!

They floored it with "You Really Got Me," "I'm the One," and "Runnin' With the Devil," and continued ripping through so many hits from the Roth/Van Halen era (1978-1985), it took your breath away.

Is it possible they sounded better live than they have on your CDs cranked up all the way on your speaker system on summer weekends all these years?

Absolutely.

Diamond Dave, long shorn of his bleach blond locks, was the clown prince, prankster and puckish performer we've loved from long ago.

Who cares whether Sammy Hagar sold more records with Van Halen when he replaced Roth.

The band's success never dispelled the belief that Van Halen was a lot more fun with Roth. And, if the Van Halen brothers and Roth could ever get over the drama and bury the hatchet, they would put on a reunion tour that truly rocked.

Monday night was proof.

Even from our nosebleed seats, you could feel the fun they had being together again.

Eddie Van Halen was like the sorcerer's apprentice on guitar with his lightning licks.

His brother Alex's drumwork was impassioned and powerful.

As for Wolfgang? What Eddie's son lacked in stage presence, he made up for in playing chops.

Although it would've been great to see Anthony again.

That would've made this Van Halen reunion whole.

By the time the band encored twice with "Panama," then "Jump," and took their bows, they had delivered us an unforgettable show.

The final image of Diamond Dave waving goodbye with his sailing captain's hat, frozen on the IMAX screen, we will cherish for a long, long time.

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