Andy Greene of Rolling Stone reports:
David Lee Roth caused mild panic in the Van Halen fan community late last year when he told the press that the band was “finished” as he announced plans for his Las Vegas residency and solo tour with KISS. Former frontman Sammy Hagar hasn’t spoken directly to Eddie Van Halen since the conclusion of their 2004 reunion tour, but talking to Rolling Stone, he has a different take than Roth’s assessment.
“Until Ed or Alex Van Halen die, they’re not finished,” he tells Rolling Stone. “Those are two great musicians that can friggin’ do as good as most people at half-mast. As a drummer and as a guitarist and creative person, Eddie, I can’t see them ever being finished. I wish they were more active, but I think Van Halen will never be finished.”
“If they want to get it together, they just have to call Dave or have to call Sammy,” he adds. “They can go out with [Van Halen’s son] Wolfie as a trio, but that’s not the legacy of Van Halen. I think they know that. I’m not predicting what’s going to happen, but I would tell you if there’s concerts next year, Van Halen will probably be on tour next year…”
…The exact state of Eddie Van Halen’s health has been the source of much speculation in the past year, but the guitarist has yet to comment on the situation publicly. “Eddie had a lot of health issues, but I heard he got it together,” says Hagar. “I pray for the guy and I love the guy.”
The classic Van Halen lineup of 1974 to 1984 hasn’t performed together since the conclusion of the 1984 tour. Original frontman David Lee Roth did return to the band in 2007, but Anthony was replaced on bass by Eddie’s son Wolfgang. “My dream tour is the Sam and Dave tour with Ed, Al and Mike.” says Hagar. ‘Let Wolfie put his band together and open. I have a son, Andrew Hagar, who makes great music. Let Andrew open, let Wolfie play with his band in the middle and then have the Sam and Dave tour where we do an hour each. An hour with Dave songs and an hour with me.”
The logistics of a Sam and Dave tour might be hard to work out. They went out together as solo acts in 2002, but there was so much tension backstage, an actual wall had to be erected at certain venues to keep them apart. At no point did they appear onstage at the same time.
“If Dave wants to come out together, we can do that,” says Hagar. “But of course he wouldn’t want to do that, so I couldn’t care less if I even saw the guy. The truth of the matter is, for the fans, and just for me to be a part of that, I want to to walk out there every night and do the best of Van Hagar and have him do the best of that era. That’s a good a tour as anyone would ever do on the planet and it’s for the Van Halen fans. I love making people happy. And it would make me happy…”
“I foresee it happening,” he says. “I’m not trying to plant a seed like I know something is happening. I know nothing. I just know what I know in my heart and my head, which is that it has to happen. Whether it’s Sam and Dave or not, I don’t know that either. But I know that Eddie and I are not done. If enough water goes under the bridge before we die, it’ll happen. It has to. God is going to slap us both around if he has to.”
Read more at Rolling Stone.
26 Responses
Well Dave always said that a Van Halen reunion with him was “inevitable”. It just took him 22 years to pull it off. I’m not sure Sammy or the Van Halen bros.have that much time left.
Plus I think if Eddie gets healthy enough he would just as rather live a quiet life out of the spotlight. In some later interviews it sounds like he’s embraced aging and slowing down. By the way, I heard it takes ALOT to get Alex up and running for a tour. One of the main reasons for the Dave reunion was to get nephew Wolfie a jump start playing music and carry on the legacy.
I’ve learned to never say never but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. Nice P.R opportunity for Sammy though when nobody seems concerned about his “circle”.
Listen, I am a Van Halen purist, the band for me, begins with Van Halen and ends with 1984. However, let’s remember Sammy doesn’t need the money, he sold his tequila company for $80 million. He plays because he loves to play, and at 72, he can still sing.
Again, I suspect he just misses Eddie and playing with him. Time heals all wounds, but it does so faster for some, rather than others.
Just another Hagar hater, that’s all there is to it. Sammy doesn’t need publicity, for anything, his Redheads (myself included) range in the millions and are loyal to him, whether it’s saving Van Halen, which he did, (would you rather have had Patty Smyth or Daryl Hall? Nothing against them, but come on!) Or The Waboritas, Chickenfoot, OR The Cirlce! And just FYI, yes, I don’t know where you get your info from, but most fans love Sammy’s “Circle!” Michael Anthony, Vic Johnson, Jason Bonham, and of course The Red Rocker himself, can run “circles” around most other bands out there today! After Dave split, VH was LUCKY to get Sammy, if he never joined VH, they would’ve been done, I mean completely done.
Actually I am a Hagar fan and I do enjoy many of his contributions, V.H, solo or otherwise. I just thought he finally gave up and quit pursuing the Van Halen thing as he indicated about a year ago. It seems like he turned over every rock to get back in to no avail. They haven’t even spoken in years. It’s almost as if whatever he is doing is just a side gig until he gets that call from the Van Halen Bros. Remember that being hired in Van Halen took Sammy from the theaters to arenas. I sort of get the feeling he wants to end his career on a larger stage and only being in Van Halen is what would do that for him.
From what I remember, he implied that it has to do with musicians passing on, like Ronnie Montrose. I think Hagar feels like it is something they should all do before, God forbid, any of them are no longer here. So, I think it is a combination of that he misses Eddie (maybe Alex, too?) and that he doesn’t want to have to live with any regrets.
It’s too bad Sabbath couldn’t have done the same with Bill Ward, and I pray that my favorite band, Judas Priest, gets their act together, before God forbid, they have any permanent recriminations.
Remember, if Sammy never joined VH, they would’ve been playing in theaters! Sammy kept VH in arenas. Hagar was just coming off of the success of the VOA tour and his 3rd huge rock anthem ~ “I Can’t Drive 55,” he was bigger than ever. And just for the record, Sammy hates playing big venues, especially arenas! He’s always said he’d much rather play smaller, more intimate venues than the big ones. He is most comfortable in his Cabo Wabo Cantina, and has had an open invitation to Ed & Al anytime they want to jam for many years! I agree, Sammy would love one more run (along with Mikey) with Ed & Al, not to play “arenas,” but to bury the hatchet, and just to play together again one more time, anywhere! Arena, theater, wherever, whatever! Even though it ended badly (both times, unfortunately) it doesn’t have to stay that way. I’m sure they all have some regrets, but if they can just put the music first, and let everything else go, Van Hagar can and will once again be on “Top Of The World!” Cheers! 🙂
Remember The Heroes.
Dana , you seem right on the money with your assessment , and I’m also a band purist, so VH for me stopped when Dave left as well- as you get older your priorities change as you mature and I do believe Sammy is motivated by forgiveness and living life with no regrets and mending fences if possible, that being said justified or not he was publicly harsh on Eddie ,hacked him up pretty good – so possibly if Eddie is healthy and physically able and even if he has forgiven Sammy for shining a great big light on his substance abuse issues , he just might not want to revisit that, he might not want to be around Sammy at this point, I don’t see it happening, none of them seem to need the money , and with this pandemic and concerts done for god knows how long , I just don’t see it – I hope i’m wrong
Robert,
That is why I wrote, as per my gut instinct, this all begins and ends with Eddie. But, then again, maybe it’s just gas? LOL!!
D 🙂