At this time, we’re diving into one of the chaotic excursions in rock historical past, the 2002 “Sam and Dave” tour. Image this: two former Van Halen frontmen, Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth, sharing a stage. What may presumably go flawed? Spoiler alert: all the things.
In 2002, Hagar and Roth launched into the “Tune for Tune, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll” tour. The idea was easy: alternate headlining spots every night time. However whenever you put two alpha rockstars with many years of rivalry on the identical invoice, issues are sure to get messy.
Talking with Rolling Stone, Sammy Hagar revealed that Roth wasn’t too eager on the alternating schedule. On nights he was purported to open, Roth would reportedly name in simply minutes earlier than showtime, claiming his bus broke down. Hagar, ever the skilled, would step in to keep away from disappointing followers. He did this about 4 occasions.
Hagar recalled, “He tried to drag stuff on the Sam and Dave tour. The nights when he was opening, once we flip-flopped…which I’d by no means do once more. I’d by no means trouble. However look, I’m not a gap act for anyone.
He added: “On these nights, he would name in and say, the bus broke down, 10 minutes earlier than he was purported to go on. And since I care about my followers, I’d go on. And I did that about 4 occasions. I needed to interrupt the man’s neck.”
He additionally criticized Roth’s performances, saying he caught to his 1983 Van Halen setlist, full with younger musicians replicating Eddie Van Halen’s solos. Hagar felt Roth ought to have showcased extra of his solo work. He mentioned:
“The stupidest factor is, he did the worst when he headlined. He couldn’t observe me with a band of children enjoying Eddie’s guitar solo observe for observe and enjoying ‘Eruption.’ He did his entire Van Halen present from 1983, and I’m going, ‘What an fool!’ He ought to have represented himself slightly extra like who he was as a solo artist.”
Regardless of this general disagreeable collaboration, Hagar isn’t positive he’d refuse to play with him once more outright. He defined: “The circumstances must be proper. Dave at all times needs an excessive amount of. He at all times tries to upstage.”
