Sammy Hagar has weighed in on David Lee Roth’s return to the stage, and it’s safe to say he’s not holding back on his opinion.
Hagar, who replaced Roth as Van Halen’s frontman in 1985, shared a co-headlining tour with Roth in 2002. However, according to Hagar, the tour was a bit of a disaster, with Roth often leaving him to open the show, even though they were supposed to take turns. The tension between the two vocalists was palpable, and it didn’t leave a positive impression on Hagar.
Now, Roth has come out of retirement, which he previously announced back in 2021, and returned to the stage in May at the M3 Music Festival in Columbia, marking his first public performance in over five years. Roth is set to perform more shows this summer, and when Hagar was asked about the news in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, his reaction was anything but optimistic.
“I literally fell off my chair, roaring with laughter,” Hagar said. “It ain’t over until it’s over. Listen, he may not … Let’s see if he makes the shows. Who knows what Dave is up to?”
When asked if he would ever consider touring with Roth again, Hagar responded candidly: “The circumstances would have to be right. Dave always wants too much. He always tries to upstage. He tried to pull stuff on the Sam and Dave tour. The nights when he was opening, when we flip-flopped… which I would never do again. I would never bother. But look, I’m not an opening act for anybody.”
Hagar recounted instances where Roth allegedly made excuses to delay his performances. “On those nights, he would call in and say that the bus broke down, 10 minutes before he was supposed to go on. And because I care about my fans, I would go on. And I did that about four times. I wanted to break the guy’s fuckin’ neck.”
Hagar also shared his thoughts on Roth’s performance as a headliner, claiming he didn’t live up to expectations. “The stupidest thing is, he did the worst when he headlined. He couldn’t follow me with a band of kids playing Eddie’s guitar solo note for note and playing Eruption and shit. He did his whole Van Halen show from 1983, and I’m going, ‘What an idiot!’ He should have represented himself a little more like who he was as a solo artist.”
Reflecting on his own career, Hagar expressed gratitude for his solo ventures before joining Van Halen. “I’m so fortunate that I had a solo career before I joined Van Halen, because even Mick Jagger and people will tell you, being in the biggest rock band in the world and then trying to go solo ain’t the easiest.”
It seems that while Hagar is keeping his distance from any potential reunions, he’s still keeping a close eye on Roth’s comeback.
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