Hagar admits the VH/Roth reunion tour was “outta sight”, but asks “why didn’t they just keep Mike?”

August 15, 2008 118 Comments

TheTourBus.com has recently interviewed Sammy Hagar, and today they posted just a quick, 90 second clip from it, when they asked Sammy what he thought about the Van Halen/David Lee Roth reunion.

Sammy Hagar: “The reunion with Dave was the greatest thing they could have done. I think it was so outta sight. But why didn’t they just keep Mike just one more time?”

Filed Under: Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen

Val Marie

Well I’m only 13 so…….I think it was good eddie wanted his son to join the band. I like wolfgang on bass and background vocal and all this Mike A talk just DROP IT!!!!
pskibobby

eddie said it himself, wolfgang was the whole reason the tour happened, he brought a new energy to the band.
jrod78

It’s their band they can do what they want… Kudos to Wolf for filling big shoe’s, I am a fan and I respect what they do. I prefer Dave era over sam era,didn,t really care for cherone, I was disapointed that Mike Anthony wasn,t there but can accept Wolf even though I make cracks about him being heavy set, It does look though he out weigh’s his dad by 75 lbs or so… I think it is funny.. he the biggest Van Halen.
Robby Venice

That IS funny…He’s ‘PaPa’ Van Halen….It almost seemed like Dave kept his distance during the show from Wolfie…Its a different time now…our kids get better nourishment ( and less cocaine ) Than in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s for that matter…Nothing would make me happier than if Sammy had a new great rock song,Van Halen had a new great rock song and Mikey with or without VH had a new great rock song….I’m putting this one to bed.
http://www.myspace.com/stevenmillan Steven Millan

Whoever the bass player will currently be(whether it be Wolfie Van Halen or anyone else),I’m just hoping that Van Halen(Version 1.2[now that Dave is back,and Wolfie is in the band])gets around to making that longly awaited album with Dave before it becomes too late.

BTW:major props to Michael Anthony.
bLUE aGAVE

It’s all good as long as they are playing music. It could only get better if they started MAKING music. Hopefully a sober Ed will be less of a miserable, vindictive freak and just make F’n music. That is all he is good at. The rest of whoever are in the band are just props.

Eddie is the genius! (which of course is a fine line from insanity)
Brian

After seeing the Other Half I understand why Sammy has to resort to take cheap shots at VAN HALEN, his concert sucked. The VAN HALEN tickets cost more money, but I thought it was worth it to see them 3 times. I didn’t hear Dave take cheap shots at Sammy. VAN HALEN kicked ass.
http://VHND Jimmy

Look after 04 tour, Sammy and Mike did the OTHER 1/2 OF VAN HALEN TOUR…Eddie and Alex were pissed, they didn’t care if they toured or jammed. They were pissed that they toured and advertised as the OTHER 1/2 OF VAN HALEN and were playing cruise ships and shit…This is why the exit of Michael Anthony. Michael Anthony is a great pocket bass player, he doesn’t suck by no means. I just dont think that Sammy and Mike thought these guys were going to hit the road again. Maybe after dealing with Ed on 04 tour, who knows…I’m thankful for the recent reunion and I hope for more, but I dont expect it…
jrod78

The hall of fame thing was bull sh!t. it was to bad that ed,al and dave wasn,t present however it wasn,t their absence that was the big dissapointment it was that sorry ass performance from Velvet Revolver that ruined it for me. thank god atleast they had Mike and Sam play with the love boat version of why can this be love… (note for Lenny Kaye) stick to patty smith music trying to copy EVH’s licks only show how much you suck…..
jrod78

I agree with you Gary, the Wolfster is very talented, I may poke jokes at him being a big boy but I was a fat kid too at one point in my life. Keep kickin ass Wolfie…… you have a job that many Bass player wish they had and you,me and a million other guitar players have one thing in common and that is we admire you dad and appreciate what he has pioneered for lead guitar. And finally what everyone who has posted something on this board, what we all have in common is that we love VH. LONG LIVE VAN HALEN……
http://www.acid-rock.com Spike

It simple….Wolfie’s pay is Eddie’s pay…They practicew when they feel like it…Mike”Lumpy”Anthony would have cost more money to keep.

Make no mistake…it’s the money…look at all the EVH merch in the last 10 years.

BTW…Billy Sheehan said in an email..He would loved to be the VH bass player…oh well…wouldn’t we all:-)
mike

They should have used Michael. Period. But, frankly, as much as I love EVH, I wouldn’t want to be around him either.
Jim

Did someone really say Wolfie’s vocals were so good people thought it was pre-recorded?? Knock-Knock… it was! If you couldn’t tell at the show, you must be deaf.
Dan

I went to see the last show of the tour in Grand Rapids… not sure why I did. They were so much better with Sammy than Dave… Dave can’t sing anymore! They just drowned him out with the music… quite a few times, they would start playing a song and I would be loving it and then Dave would start in and ruin it.
Kevin

Yeah, i think wolfgang was VERY good. he just was DIFFERENT than Mike. the vocals and bass were GREAT, just DIFFERENT
Nat

First off, I like all the incarnations of the band – even Gary. But the whole thing with MA is typical of the kind of soap opera BS that goes on between the VH brothers (or maybe it’s just Ed) and anyone who is on the outs with them.

Without the internet to spread it all over the place, I don’t remember the same kind of back and forth “he said/he said” stuff with Dave back in the 80′s, but when Sammy left the first time and was replaced with Gary there was no end of back and forth blaming & name calling between him & Ed.

Now it’s Mike’s turn, and it’s the same crap. I wish he had played with them on this tour, even if he’s not a spectacular bass player. He’s just part of the band I know. Wolfgang did a good job, but watching him on stage just took me out of the show enough to make it seem like it wasn’t quite perfect.

I suspect 10, 15 years down the road, assuming everyone in the band is still around and playing, we’ll see some kind of reunion tour with MA, Sammy AND Dave. They just need some time to get over their bitterness, just like has happened with both Sammy and Dave now.

I’m not expecting to see Gary up there however
kyle thompson

You will never see a show with Dave and Sam together! (with Ed, Al, and Mike) And I can remeber interviews with Ed as far back as 1980 stating that Mike brought nothing creative to the band when it came recording time, so bringing Wolf into the band makes perfect sense. I like Mike! He might not be the greatest bass player but his background vocals brought out that classic VH sound. For Dave doing VH material in the Hagar era of the band is beneath him. Dave will never sing a Hagar song, yes he doesn’t have the range but more importantly to him that type of music just represented a different version of the band that he didn’t subscrible to. So whether you like the band with Dave, Sammy and yes even Gary, just enjoy the music.
theREALchris

Don’t you really think that Dave should suck it up and go along with 1-2 Sammy tunes during a show? All the Pro Daves out there have to like at least that many from Sammy. It wouldn’t have to be perfect, let the crowd sing…anything. It’s still Van Halen. Kick it Old School like Zep used to and whip out like a 10 minute (Zep’s were longer of course) medley of a few tunes. At least acknowledge it for the fans. I really think that could work. Better yet, have it be a chance for Dave to sit down and catch his breath. Just let the Band jam a few recognizable bars from a few different Sam songs.
kyle thompson

I see where you are coming from Realchris but it will never happen. As it stands right now you get the best of both worlds. (no pun intended)If you want old school VH go check out the current line up of the band. If you like the Van Hagar version check out him with Mike. I am definitely pro Dave but I really don’t care to see him sing Love Walks In or Run Around. They just don’t fit him or that version of the band.
http://mgmgrand.com Todd VW

Edward and Diamond Dave reunited on stage. End of story.
John

Sammy’s opinion doesn’t really matter at all. What matters now is what is VH going to do now? Will they try to sway MA back into the band? Will they go into the studio with the current lineup? Tour again? These are questions that VH fans want answers to now!
theREALchris

I hear ya Kyle. But then you gotta ask yourself…Am I going to see Van Halen, or am I going to see David Lee Roth sing his old songs with his old band. I know, I’m splitting hairs here, but I just love the music!! I’ll put a wishlist out…(these should jive with Dave’s “attitude”) Summer Nights, Amsterdam, Sucker in a 3 Piece, Finish What Ya Started. Sucker is one of my faves, and Dave can bust out his accoustic for Finish. But I totally see how the Sammy singles are different. I wouldn’t be a VH fan if I didn’t!
kyle thompson

Well REALchris Van Halen is only Van Halen with David Lee Roth!! haha. I think John brings up good points. Will there be new music with Dave? A new tour? I think they have to do so in order fot this not to be a one and done so to speak. One thing for sure (as evidence by this last tour) the public still wants to see them and like I said hopefully that means new music down the line. According to Dave (and that depends if you believe him or not) he helped write parts of 5150. I could definitely see him doing Summer Nights or Good Enough. But again that is just fantasy land.
theREALchris

I set myself up for that one Kyle! Ha! I highly doubt Dave wrote anything from 5150. Maybe though. I guess he could have had some lyrics kicking around that Eddie gave to Sammy. One more Sam song push and then I’ll let it die….the intro to Top of the World is just the outro to Jump. Let them flow. Dave is now the one sitting on top now, right?
kyle thompson

Hey I am not a Sammy hater. The guy does have an incredible voice. Van Halen was smart, they went after a guy who had a name, a good voice, and somone who would go along with Eddie and HIS VISION of the band and what it should be at the time. One Way to Rock, Heavy Metal, Swept Away, all good stuff; I just didn’t like the style of music (overall) he delivered with Van Halen. I mean can you really imagine I am the One or On Fire followed up with Feels so Good or Mine all Mine? YUCK!
DAN HALEN

all you hagar fans need to accept the fact that he is gone ,and never coming back.roth and halen started this band,and they will finish it.roth will be touring with the halens next summer while sam is cleaning toilets at the cabo wabo cantina.roth brings out the best in ed. face it,me wise magic was their best effort in the last 20 years.i wish they would have played it live. I BELIEVE THEY WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO MAKE A NEW CD,BUT IT WILL ROCK LIKE NOTHING THEY HAVE EVER DONE.ROTH WILL MAKE SURE OF THAT.ANYONE AGREE?
theREALchris

I know you’re not a hater. I’m not a Dave hater either. In fact, you said it Best when you say it’s Ed’s Vision. Every band has some tunes though that would not follow others in a set list. Feels So Good is an awesome song with a great Eddie solo, but I don’t see it following anything other than Source of Infection like it does on the record. It’s funny picking stuff from OU812…wasn’t that named that way to poke fun at Dave?
kyle thompson

I wasn’t talking so much about a setlist as in contrasting the different styles of the band. Van Halen named the album OU812 in response to Dave’s first solo album Eat’Em and Smile.
theREALchris

Right, right. The only way to overcome a want for the old, is to give us a want for the new!!! New Record soon please! Then tour and play it!
kyle thompson

AMEN brother!
http://vhnd Chad

Eddie is the greatest musician of all time. I am one of the biggest VH fans of all time. Ever since i was ten years old and heard and the cradle will rock. It is ashame however, that he has lost his damn mind for the last 12 years. He had the most perfect band. Drama like a woman. I thought he wanted to make music for the rest of his life even if he had to sit on a stool. It is literaly heartbreaking. I still love you Eddie but good God what you have put your fans through.
Big Al

Therealchris,
I’m ready for my virtual punch! Mike did do it to himself. He tried to be like Sam and sell Hot Sauce on the music Ed created. ED had cancer, hip replacement and marital problems going on and all Mike cared about was selling Hot Sauce. He helped start a band called Planet Us with Sam and two members of Journey. Neil and Dean didn’t want to be a Van Halen cover band, they wanted to create music.
All Mike had to do was show up,play music that was already written for him, sing high harmonies on lyrics that were already written for him, collect 1/4 royalties and touring and T-shirt sales. He OWES all his fame and fortune to EDDIE and how does he repay ED ( remember Ed had caner, hip replacement and marital problems) by trying to make more money on Ed’s hard work and CREATIVITY.
Mike and Sam never thought they’d see the day VH would reunite with Dave. He gambled and was WRONG!!! That’s why he looks the way he does in the pictures. He know’s “HE’S THE DUMBEST MAN IN ROCK HISTORY!!!!”
http://? jake

big all is right..he said it perfect!
Brian

Since Van Halen have been known for doing a few covers in the past. If recording is in their future, they could re-do
poundcake,summer nights, etc. They could call the cd RE-WRITING a WRONG.
ClubfootKolby

Mike does not owe a Ed a thing, they all were in this together. Dave left the band to try and make a movie, Sammy came along and kept the band going good for ten years. Maybe Ed and Alex should break out some of the old video tapes and give us all some great stuff from both bands for Christmas
Joe S

I have been a Van Halen since I heard them on the radio at the end of 1977 with You Really Got Me. Van Halen brought me and my wife together in 1985 because of there music.
Van Halen has gone through many changes. From VH to 1984 (1977-1984 David Lee Roth Era) the music reflected
a big party atmosphere. From 5150 to Balance (1986-1995 Sammy Hagar Era) the music was about falling in love. There are differences between the two but the main thing that was the same was the core or the group Eddie, Alex and Michael. I am not going to talk about 1996-1999 (the Gary Cherone Era) it was a dark time. VIII was a mess, there were maybe 2 to 3 good tunes it sold worse then Diver Down and half that album was cover songs. I have seen Van Halen in concert 12 times. The first time was in 1980 then from 1984 on I have not missed a tour. I enjoyed the tour when I saw then in San Diego in November 2007 it was a great blast from the past
I just wish Micheal was part of it. I do think if they are going to continue Dave would have to swallow his pride a sing a Sammy song or two. I have an interview where Eddie stated after the 84 tour he was writing songs and kept waiting for Dave to show up and we all know what happened. When he said that I could see Dave singing why can’t this be love, if you listen to the lyrics they sound like Dave’s. I could see him dong that tune in concert and also Black and Blue (that is a Dave tune for sure), Top of the World and maybe Poundcake. I do hope they do a new album and tour I would like to see. Here are a few questions for us to ponder. Will they record a new album, will they tour, will Dave leave again, will Wolfgang quit, will Michael be asked back, will Alex and Eddie just call it a day and put Van Halen to rest what will be the next chapter in As Van Halen Turns.
theREALchris

Right on Joe. Couldn’t agree more.
theREALchris

Big Al—-*SWING* Damnit…I missed!! I know what you mean, and even the original post that said he did it to himself isn’t entirely wrong. Mikey should have know that Eddie’s the boss, and don’t piss off the Boss. All I really meant is that he didn’t say to himself, “I’m going to piss off Eddie, work with Sammy and get kicked out of VH.” There’s no way he thought that. Why would he? If he wanted to quit, he would have.
theREALchris

Oh and the sauce….that has nothing to do with VH (I don’t think) in any way. It’s not his fault that when VH gets played on the radio that every mindless DJ has to quip about it. Really, the only one really towing that VH line for all it’s worth is Sammy. Cabo Wabo is a VH song. I totally get Eddie not liking that. There’s obviously paperwork that makes it all legal and shit, but Eddie doesn’t have to like it. Next week on “As the Van Halen Turns,” Dave decides to open a successful dog park venture…”Unchained.” (Wow, that was awful! )
Joe S

“Next week on “As the Van Halen Turns,” Dave decides to open a successful dog park venture…”Unchained.” (Wow, that was awful! )”

It would be Next week on As Van Halen Turns (-the)
theREALchris

That’s true…Personally, (if it’s funny at all) I think it’s funnier with “the” thrown in there. You know, “As The World Turns.” Just my dumb sense of humor I guess…
Robby Venice

The Van Halen life show…..or…..Van Halen Factor’…..Next weeks episode: Make it through seven citys with Dave doing Karate kicks while missing all the high notes…Then , Tour with Sammy while he’s having wine tasting backstage with Emeril, Toby Keith and Mike Anthony selling Hot Sauce in Jack Daniels Bottles…I would rather eat worms and Bull’s nuts
RW

Joe,
You’re spot on. But…..I honestly don’t think that Dave can sing “Black and Blue”. Not a knock on DLR (love the music, don’t care for the flake) just reiterating the fact that he sings a different style & a lot lower than Sammy. Maybe if they dropped the key, yeah.

For everyone wishing for the band to do something that would bring together the different eras (hey, maybe yet ANOTHER greatest hits CD? Who doesn’t need 6 copies of “Jump”?), I recall that, as the story goes, Sammy was backstage with Kid Rock & Ted Nugent and they were begging them to go out together and do some VH classics at the same time. Sammy was all in. Dave wanted nothing to do with it. Dunno why, but…..man, if that doesn’t sum up the VH attitude towards the fans (Sammy & Mike giving them what they want, Dave & the brothers being the ones the older fans want, but screwing them at every possible opportunity) nothing does.

I listened to VH CDs almost nonstop during the late 90s. Owned cassettes and then bought CDs. The CDs got destroyed and I picked up more…that’s how much I listened. Now? The band is pretty much dead to me. I can listen to 1984 in my car, don’t need to shell out 4 figures to see them perform it.

I hated typing those words, but it’s true. And I reiterate; one of my favorite all-time collection of artists are now little more than a nostalgia band.
Robby Venice

they sure coudnt tour again unless they release new CD…..I think we need new rockstars ..
Joe S

RW,
I like what you said. I stated I had seen Van Halen 12 times the first time being in 1980, the tickets were $12.50ea. When I saw them in 1984 the tickets were $18.50. From 1986-91 they averaged $25.00 to $45.00.

I think you get where I am going with this. When the tickets went on sale for the 2007 Tour they were $150.00ea. If you remember I also stated I met my wife because of Van Halen, well we just got married back on October 10 (yes David Lee Roth Birthday) and because we were planning our wedding I passed on buying the tickets because after the tickets there is dinner, drinks and gas to get to the show so it would of cost us a minimum of $500.00 just for the show. The why I got my tickets is I won them fro 101.5 KGB in San Diego, if not for that we would of missed our first show in over 20 years.
I do remember when they did the 2004 Tour with Sammy tickets were $75.00, wow the tickets went up 100% in 3 years. I do hope if they do come around again the tickets will be more reasonable, I would be able to handle $75.00 to maybe $100.00 a ticket other than that I won’t go. I saw Sammy and Michael in 2006 and the price was right $65.00 a ticket, it show you who is for the fans and who just wants to fill there pockets. I don’t know what will happen next in the next chapter of As Van Halen Turns. I guess we will all just have to stay tuned and see.
Ray

I saw this tour 3 times it was great 26 classic tunes one right after another. I do hope they come out with new music but if not, so be it I saw the greatest guitar player and frontman that took 23 years to get it togather. As Dave always said it was the tunes that matter. again 26 classic tunes no boring 15 minute bass solo. well worth the $$$$$$$
kyle thompson

Amen Ray!! The classic VH has stood the test of time!
http://www.vah-nailin.com peetah

I think the next tour should be “a three-hour tour,” honoring the whole legacy. Note to Ed: Do a set with Sammy, do a set with Dave. Take a 20-break in-between sets, then do an encore with *everyone* on stage. Let Mike and Wolf alternate on bass and back both sets… or, heck, do the Ned’s Atomic Dustbin thing and have two bass players for part of the time. Have Dave sing back-ups on a Sammy tune and Sammy back up a Dave tune. But in the middle of it all, you make sure you have the Original Van Halen and the 5150 Van Halen operate in their original format for a little while. It could be one kick-ass party, where everyone gets what they want… and my bet is that it would outgross the last tour. Let bygones be bygones, Ed. Life’s too friggin’ short… and have Gary Cherone and the reformed Extreme open the show… have *him* do a song with you, too. It would be a total blast.
theREALchris

In a Perfect World, peetah, in a Perfect World!
kyle thompson

More like fantasy land:)