Chickenfoot update

February 18, 2009 68 Comments

Chickenfoot copyright Ross Halfin

[Chickenfoot/caption]

The new CD from Chickenfoot (official site), the new supergroup featuring Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani & Chad Smith, should be out sometime between April and June, with a big tour to follow. We got a big update with news from their first photoshoot and first Guitar World feature. And this band could last more than just one CD & tour, as Chad Smith recently said that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are on an “hiatus of indefinite length.” Sounds exciting!

First Photoshoot

The band completed their first photo shoot a week ago. The photographer, Ross Halfin, wrote in his Feb. 10th journal:

“Got up at 5am and flew up to San Francisco. I’m doing a shoot with Chickenfoot, the new group with Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Chad Smith, and Michael Anthony. It was so early after driving out to Mill Valley, an hour north, it was still only 10am – sunny and freezing. The band arrived eventually with Sammy last at 2pm and he only lives up the street. Shoot quite a lot with solos, group stuff, ads, you name it.

Heard three tracks which were quite rocking, including “Avenida Revolution”. It was nice seeing Sammy. I first shot him thirty years ago in the same area. Sammy has a Ferarri that is the fastest model made for the road. He took me for a terrifying drive at two hundred miles an hour around the local streets. Sammy can drive – I felt like I was on a mini scalectrix track in a remake of Death Race 2000. I do not like fast cars…

Finished up shooting Sam and his new toy. In his warehouse were several of them – a car pervert’s delight. Said goodbye to Sammy and flew back to Los Angeles early evening.”

10 new Chickenfoot photos

Click here for Ross Halfin’s Chickenfoot page.

Chili Peppers on on a hiatus of indefinite length

This story is from MusicRadar:

When MusicRadar spoke to Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith last fall, he said the band was taking a year off, during which time he would pursue Chickenfoot.

But when we spoke to John Frusciante only last month, the eccentric guitarist stated firmly there were “no plans” for the Chili Peppers to reconvene. “We’re on a hiatus of indefinite length,” he said. “There’s other things to life.”

MusicRadar spoke to Smith again today. The amiable drummer clarified what was going on – and what wasn’t – in the world of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“We’ve been on a break for a year and whatever,” Smith said. “I can’t speak for John – he’s doing his thing and hopefully he’s happy – but I think when we’re all ready to play again, when we feel like it’s time to be the Chili Peppers again, we’ll do it.”

Whether Frusciante is at the center of the band’s extended hiatus, Chad won’t say. “You can’t force anybody to play who doesn’t want to,” he explained. “I’m not naming names. I’m just saying we all have to feel that the time is right to get it together.”

Although Smith was at first under the impression that the Chili Peppers would be inactive for a year, he now says the added time has turned into a blessing. “A year off might have been optimistic,” he said. “Maybe it’ll be two years, maybe more, who knows? It’s been a very positive time in our lives, actually

“The thing is, we’ll only get back together for the right reason: to play music with one another. That’s the only agenda this band adheres to.”

New projects abound – like Chickenfoot

As for the present, Frusciante has just released a new solo album, The Empyrean; Anthony Keidis is busy turning his life story into an HBO show; Flea has gone back to school to study music; and Smith is one happy clam as a member of Chickenfoot.

“Chickenfoot has turned out to be everything I could’ve hoped for,” Smith enthused. “When people hear this album, they’re not going to believe it’s us; they’re going to think it’s four other guys. It’s far exceeded my expectations and goals.”

With the Chickenfoot debut album dropping in late spring and a major tour planned, Smith may find that “hiatus of indefinite length” growing ever longer.

“Hey, if I can be in two hit bands, like, wow, what a problem,” he said with a laugh, “A drummer should be so lucky.”

Guitar World feature

Guitar World magazine recently sat down with all four members. The feature will be out soon. (Date of issue unknown).

VHND’s “Chickenfoot” category

Scroll up to the top of this page and you’ll see that we’ve added a “Chickenfoot” category in our CATEGORIES section (in the black right column) for fast access to all our updates on Chickenfoot!

Filed Under: Chickenfoot, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar

Gokhan Ersan

I heard the snippets they put out there. Chickenfoot sounds promising. Hi class rock from hi class musicians, hopefully. And their singer can actually sing:) As for “the other half,” they will have to doctor Dave’s vocals heavily before those four can release anything decent musically (also considering Eddie’s declining songwriting that hit bottom in 2004). I sincerely hope that “both halves” produce some well-written, long overdue hard rock albums.
http://www.freewebs.com/maelstromcustoms/index.htm MAELSTROM

Looking forward to hearing the new cd. On a side note, anybody else see a resemblance between Chad Smith and Will Ferrell?
Gee Lopz

I´m just thinking…If you like/prefer Sammy Hagar, go to redrocker.com

The same with The Chickenfoot.

This is a space to Van Halen fans, of the today´s line up.

I like Sammy and really miss Mike, but they are not Van Halen today.

TODAY Van Halen is : Eddie, Alex, DAVID LEE ROTH and Wolfie!!

So, i ask to the site manager and to the Sammy and chickenfoot fans to go to redrocker.com or chickenfoot.us

If i wanna know something about Sammy and Mike, i´ll go look for their websites.

(On the Sammy´s website and Chickenfoot´s website,there are links to vhnd.com or van-halen.com????? There is a line about the last Van Halen tour???

C´mon give me a break!!!

I got nothing against Sammy, Mike or The Chickenfoot.

If you don´t like David Lee Roth, please go away!!

Leave us alone, please!!!

Let´s talk about Van Halen!!!
Ernie S.

Gee Lopez, sounds like you need some therapy brother!!!!!!!!!!!
phillster

I gotta tell`ya, after readin` these entries,i`m a little afraid to leave my house knowin` some of these people actually exist.HOPE they don`t own guns.just kidding,-don`t hurt me:)-BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS< VH began as “THE” band guarenteed to carry the torch forR&R on a level of zep&who,etc.They did.When ROTH left it was like a bomb went off,- we all had to wait&see the fallout.Like the beatles, people took sides INSTEAD OF realising that they`re getting a concentrated dose of different sides of “thatsound”.DLR`S solo work is completely relevant to the attitude&sound that originally brought us all together.SAMMY has always stayed true to what he does,-the fallout?-WE got 2 great bands.COMPLETELY DIFFERENT “ANIMALS”-YES, BUT AMAZING none the less, (competition brought out the best).well, here we go again, only now it`s almost classic VH, and almost vhgr,LET THE GAMES BEGIN!-footnote:5150 was HALF done BEFORE ROTH left-ROTH had his OWN lyrics&vocals already recorded.VH BRO`S either wiped them off the face of the earth or stuck`em in the “VAULT”.(I`d love to get my hands on that!)CLASSIC VH CAN PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF NO PROBLEM,SAM&MIKE were lucky&smart to try this- could be a last ditch effort on bothsides.sit back, relax&enjoy the fallout,-it`s never boring i`ll tell ya that.
Cabo Wabo Tequila Man

Hey Adam and Scar, if you took the time to read my thread you would’ve gotten your information right. Sammy was around long before Van Halen was. Montrose was around before Van Halen was and if you took the time as a “fan” to research the facts, you would come to find out that Ted Templeman told Van Halen they should sound like Montrose AND Eddie admitted he loved Montrose and THEIR sound. What cracks me up is that I liked Dave until he left because of his ego. Ed had one as well as Al and Mike. But Dave left them high and dry to be a movie star and where did that get him? It got him 2 decent solo albums and the boom he was a circus act. What cracks me up even more is that Sammy Hagar has been doing music since day 1. Van Halen has done nothing since 1996 when Sammy left. VH3 is crap as well as 2 greatest hits albums? Those are signs that a band is finished and Van Halen is. It’s sad to admit but it’s true.

Why do we the fans need to compare who is better? Imagine if Van Halen decided to go with Phil Collins or Patti Smyth or Pete Townsend? I will take Sammy Hagar over all of them in a New York minute. All the true Van Halen fans should be kissing Sammy’s hairy beanbag for keeping the band around until 1996.

Dave is a paramedic. If he was such a great singer and musician, why is he doing that? To give back to society? Please people and to all of you who bash Sammy and me, I thank you because the truth hurts and while Sammy is touring with The Wabos, Chickenfoot, Montrose, and with his good friends Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith, Eddie, Al, Wolfie, and Dave will be doing nothing but pretending to be a band and putting out 20 albums worth of material. Sure they will and we all don’t have to pay taxes either. Good luck thinking this is 1978 all over again. Oh yeah it’s not because Mike is no longer in the band.
Cabo Wabo Tequila Man

To all the Dave fans let’s do a comparison chart shall we.

1)7 albums with Roth 1)5 albums with Sammy
one #1 hit with Jump all went #1

2)6 solo albums 2)20 solo albums
2 were decent all of them were good

3)Dave needs Van Halen 3)Van Halen needed Sammy

4)Dave is a paramedic 4)Sammy owns bars and tequila

5)Dave needs Van Halen 5)Sammy has 2 bands to play
with.

6)Dave has no music out 6)Sammy has an album out and 1
on the way.

7)Van Halen is done 8)Sammy will continue to make
music always

8)Dave needed Sammy for a tour 8)Sammy threw Dave a bone to
do a tour

What does all of this really prove? Nothing except that Eddie is the one who is not making anything happen. This 2009, not 1978-1984 anymore. That era of Van Halen is dead and gone. Eddie is not a gitar hero anymore and if he had half a brain, he would make a Guitar Hero game like Aerosmith and Metallica did and do it because he is Mr. Guitar Hero! He would put music out because he “loves” music, not sit here year after year, or sometimes not at all and say it’s going to happen. If it wasn’t for Sammy, Van Halen would’ve been dead and gone. Dave laid the foundation, but also crumbled it almost to nothing. But along came Sammy, picked up the pieces and made them a success, not an act that was all about Dave. 3 musicians flourished when Sammy joined and made music. Eddie actuall played guitar to a singer who sang and sounds good live. I am a musician and I can play guitar, drums, bass, and sing and did Van Halen tunes for years. I got more compliments on the Sammy songs than the Dave ones. Eddie is the one who destroyed this band with his ego and his insecurities when he’s tipping back the Heinekins and smoking his Camel smokes and then blaming Dave or Sammy for having issues with being in a band. Funny how Gary Cherone quit because he saw the writing on the wall. It will always be about Dave AND Sammy. Not just one.
Cabo Wabo Tequila Man

Hey Adam, you believe what you believe. In all honesty, do you think David Lee Roth could sing a Sammy Hagar song? Do you think Dave could sing “Dreams” or “Summer Nights”? That would be a big no. Sammy sang Dave’s songs because it was about the FANS. Not because he was forced to, but it was for the FANS. Sammy said here I will give you what you want and sing a tune here and there. The whole purpose of replacing someone is to start over fresh. Every Van Hagar album was done without a cover tune. Unlike the Roth era where it seemed every album had a cover tune because why? Because Dave can’t write a good song and Eddie did most of the writing and it showed. It’s funny that a B-rate performer as you put it, is still making music for the FANS and doesn’t charge $300 for a ticket either. I was main floor in 2004 and paid $75 for my ticket. Wow that 3 years later it goes up $225 dollars. That B-rate performer has put out more music and toured in 1 year than Van halen has done in over 10 years. Who are the B-rate performers now? It certainly isn’t Sammy Hagar. 7 albums and 7 tours compared to nothing from Van Halen. Also, if you look at history, Van Halen needed Sammy Hagar, not the other way around. Sammy was already established as an artist long before Van Halen had a record deal. They came to him and look at their success. It’s a tough pill to swallow that Sammy had 5 #1 albums with Van Halen and none with Dave. Every tour was sold out with Sammy and they released a live album and 2 live DVD’s with Sammy. Have they done that with Roth ever? Keep dreaming which era is better. I like both, but I also go with who’s better as a musician, not a circus stooge who can’t hold a note.
Adam

CW Tequila Man,

I want to correct you on some things. First, VH 2007-2008 were not $300. They were from $75-$150, and never higher, except for when they played Vegas both times, and even then they were up to $175. If you saw tickets for $300, you were looking at the secondary market.

Second, Sammy was indeed FORCED to sing some of the Roth era songs. He didn’t want to. The band got into some big arguments about this. The fact that VH didn’t play more classic songs in concert from 1986 to 1995 was a always a huge complaint from the fan base.

Also, you are correct about the fact that no albums went #1 with Dave, and all albums went #1 with Sammy. But I don’t think you know what that means, because it sure seems that you think what that means is that the VH albums with Sammy singing have sold more than the ones with Dave singing. (Instead of explaining to you right now, I will hold off until I hear back from you, to see if you understand this. Do you think that the Sammy VH albums sold more copies than the Dave VH albums?? I think you do!)

Also, again, I was correct that Sammy Hagar’s career, although somewhat successful in the ’70 and ’80s, really was pretty much every rock fan would agree was “nothing” compared to the insane success of Van Halen. How old were you in 1985? I get the impression that you were a kid at that age & didn’t live through those years as an adult or teenager.

My favorite is when you said that “VH needed Sammy more than Sammy needed VH”, I’d say that in the eyes of 95% of readers who would read this comment of yours, you lose all credibility.

You say “every tour was sold out with Sammy,” implying that the Roth tours weren’t sold out. But the reality is that the band sold considerably more concert tickets per night in 1984 than in 1986.

Also, you imply that because they released cover songs with Dave, and not with Sammy, “Dave can’t write a good song and Eddie did most of the writing.” Then why don’t you look at the bigger picture: VH released 60 songs in 6 years with Dave, and about 40 songs in 10 years with Sammy. You might want to break out your calculator.

Finally, you brought up the fact that Sammy has released more albums & tours than Dave, and you imply that that fact means that Sammy is better. Well, I guess that depends on how GOOD his albums and tours were, doesn’t it? Quantity does not equal quality.

Look, if you like Sammy better, that’s wonderful. But most of the general public liked Dave better. That’s all I’m saying.

But that fact shouldn’t take away from your enjoyment of Sammy. You don’t have to prefer the more popular singer. I don’t prefer Dave because he’s more popular. Even if Sammy was more popular, I’d still like Dave better, because I prefer his voice & lyrics to Sammy’s.
Gee Lopz

Yes, Ernie S….

I agree with you!! i´m need a little therapy!!

C´mon, i´m a Van Halen fan, Dave Lee Roth era fanatic. Eddie Van Halen is crazy !!! All this waiting make crazy!!

But this Van Hagar fans, insist to comparing, “who sing better”, “who sell more records”, etc, etc…It´s makes me sick!!

The fact is: Eddie Van Halen NEVER gonna have to play Satriani songs…David Lee Roth NEVER gonna have to sing Van Hagar song…(THEY JUST DON´T NEED!!!!)

But, i´m sure that Chickenfoot got to plays some van hagar era songs in this set list…

That´s the BIG difference.

Even Sammy admits, when he came in Van Halen, the band is already big and succesful stablished band.

To Cabo tequila:

Sammy can sing Mean Street? Panama (Ridiculous version!!)? Running with the Devil?? Dance the night away?? Atomic Punk?? Unchained??? Hot fot Teacher??? Beautifull Girls?? Somebody get me a doctor?? (Even cover songs like You´re no Good or Pretty Woman??) good like David??

Like David Lee Roth says: the original VH songs talks about take your girl, drink some beer and make sex (f…ck). The van hagar songs is like to buy a Nissan, drink milk and talk about relantionship…

Yes, maybe i need therapy!! But, i´m not the only one here!!

It´s 5150!!!

“Somebody get me a Doctor”!!!
Gee Lopz

Just one more thing:

Everybody knows Black Sabbath, right?

Well, Ozzy don´t have to sings the Dio-era material when he is on “reunion tour” with Black Sabbath…Like Van Halen, the band don´t even think about it. Not about a “prohibition” of Iommi and Geezer Butler…

Just because don´t fit. And it´s not necessary!!

Can You imagine Ozzy singing Heaven and Hell or Moby Rules??

Dio have better voice than Ozzy, but Ozzy IS Balack Sabbath.

The same with Van Halen today.

Today, we have Heaven and Hell. Black Sabbath, just if ozzy is in the band…

Van Halen + Sammy Hagar = Van Hagar

David lee Roth IS Van Halen.
SCAR

Hey Cabo Wabo Kool-aid man and the rest of you poser’s – you take this shit, way too seriously. You act like you can jam or sing better than the VH brothers, Dave and Sammy!!! The fact is YOU CAN’T!!!!!!! I sure as hell don’t claim to jam or sing better than them. That’s why I don’t put them down, they are all so fucking talented it’s unreal!!!! I just enjoy the music, it’s that simple. If the VH brothers, Dave or Sammy ever read some of your bitchy little rants they would be laughing their asses off at you poser’s. True fans kick back, open them a nice frosty cold beer and enjoy the good tunes Eddie, Alex, Mike, Dave and Sammy gave us!!!!!!!!!
Cabo Wabo Tequila Man

Hey Adam, I know exactly what it means when all the albums Sammy did with Van Halen compared to with Dave. In 1985 I was 14 and understood about what was going on. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to know that a number 1 album means more than a platinum album. It means you stand out amongst your peers as the industry’s best. It’s funny that the issue at hand is who is better? Dave,Eddie, Alex, and Mike put themselves on the map as the greatest hard rock band in history. We all sat back and said “shit this is amazing”! Then we got nothing but crap from these guys as albums went on because Dave took this band and ruined it with flashy showmanship and forgot about making music. Funny how the 1984 album went back to music and then Dave left. He needed that album to make him his money to leave for what? Crazy From The Heat album? It was going to be a movie? As for what I said before about Van Halen needing Sammy? Um they did my friend and if everybody would look up history and read, you will see that they reached out to him through a mechanic. Sammy didn’t want to join because of the drama with Dave lingering over the band. Yes Dave sold more albums than Sammy, but I personally would take a #1 album over wondering if it’s going to be platinum and sell 10 million copies.

And to what you said that I implied Sammy is better? No what I’m saying is, is that Sammy doesn’t need to live off his Van Halen fame like Dave does and still does. A country bluegrass album he released to do what with? Come on now and admit Dave hasn’t done crap except live off of Van Halen.

Also they “forced” Sammy to sing old songs? Really? So they said “Sammy, we want you in the band, but you have to sing Dave tunes, if you don’t we will replace you with Phil Collins? No I don’t think so. Sammy knew joining the band that the fans want to hear some old tunes and he sang them. I bet he hated it but he did it for the FANS!

Will Dave do it for the fans if they started sending in e-mails wanting to hear Summer Nights? No of course not and that’s sad. But as everybody stated on here, Ozzy won’t sing Dio songs and they are Heaven and Hell, which is fine, but it’s still the same. It’s stupid that bands fire lead singers and expect the new ones to still sing the old tunes.

Dave is bitter that Van Halen succeeded without him and he proved it by putting out Eat Em’ And Smile to sound like Van Halen. He thought they were done and once Dave realized they weren’t, he tried to capture the magic with other guys and what happened there? They all left Dave because they didn’t want to be compared to Van Halen.

Dave ruined this band first, and now Eddie has been doing it since 1996.

And one more thing, it’s funny that you said Sammy had a semi successful solo career? Where do you live? Van Halen never sold out St. Louis UNTIL Sammy joined the band. Who cares right? Who cares that Sammy was a success before Van Halen and after Van Halen. We can do this every day but it’s not a comparison. My credibility with anybody is that I speak the truth about this topic. Van Halen NEEDED Sammy Hagar, not the other way around. Sammy was doing fine without these guys and he took a chance and gave up his solo career for them. And wow they had more #1 albums with Sammy and had a wider audience that appreciated 4 musicians and not an act. Eddie played a better guitar, Al played better drums, and Mike played a better bass and sang better. He didn’t have to pick up Dave’s slack because he has no harmony.

GO READ THE BOOK EVERYBODY WANTS SOME AND THEN COME BACK AND TALK TO ME!
Cabo Wabo Tequila Man

Gee Lopez,

Did you read your thread before you posted it? Ask yourself why Van Halen did so many covers? Why would you as a band want to live off of another band’s success? They sang:

1)You Really Got Me
2)Dance The Night Away
3)Ice Cream Man
4)Your No Good
5)Where Have All The Good Times Gone
6)Pretty Woman
7)Dancing In The Street
8)Big Bad Bill
9)Happy Trails

9 cover tunes and most were on Billboard music charts. Wow that’s the way to be a band. Funny that Sammy put out albums that went to #1 with only 1 cover tune and that was for Eddie and Al’s dad on OU812.

I wouldn’t want to sing those songs if I was Sammy and just do my thing. Dave was about singing other people’s tunes and now it’s cool? All I want is originality and Sammy gave it to Van Halen.
George

I am psyched for this! Wow, what a supergroup!
Schizo

Chickenfoot is HSAS, just a different S, A, and S:
Hagar
Smith
Anthony
Satriani

I’m looking forward to it. Why not have a positive attitude about four great musicians coming together to make something that might be very special? Or it could be a let-down, but I’m going to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. Sam is Sam, Mike is Mike, and that’s not a bad thing, and Joe and Chad are both brilliant musicians who will only add to what could amount to be a really great rock band. We don’t see many of those around anymore…
nik_range

Well guyz,this is surely going to be a masterpiece!
With satriani on guitar,music heaven is not very far.
Please buy the album, because these guyz will surely
re-create the history of ROCK!!!!!!!
Epi

Ok,children settle down.Damit boy!! lets agree,opinions are like a@#holes,we all have one? can you children say A&*%hole.no one really gives a crap what we say about anyone or anything this is just cheap entertainment for us all and I bet that all of you whom wrote your stupid comments including me and mine?? will all get a good laugh and then we will all move on to something else to bitch about.OK Got it!!
So I just heard about this new group “ChickenFeet” from of all sources the TV, It got my attention,as I heard who the players were, interesting. Joe Satriani and Sammy Hagar WoW,add Chad Smith from the RED Hots,Michael Anthony,this has to be good i’m thinking and I’m ready to hear the CD. So I can’t give negative remarks to music I havent yet heard regardless of who is in the band right !! so give them a chance and lets all wait and see what developes.