Sammy Hagar has never been one to hold back—and in a new interview with Rolling Stone, the former Van Halen frontman opened up about his long-running issues with David Lee Roth, particularly during their infamous 2002 co-headlining tour.
The tour, promoted as “Song for Song: The Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll,” was billed as a dream for Van Halen fans, featuring both of the band’s iconic vocalists. But behind the scenes, the chemistry between the two was anything but harmonious.
“He Tried to Pull Stuff on the Sam and Dave Tour”
According to Hagar, the plan was to rotate headlining spots from night to night. Roth, however, didn’t seem to want to share the spotlight.
“He tried to pull stuff on the Sam and Dave tour,” Hagar said. “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.”
Things got worse when Roth allegedly started delaying his set times.
“On those nights, he would call in and say, 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 f*ckin’ neck.”
Roth’s Headlining Nights Didn’t Deliver, Says Hagar
Ironically, Roth’s insistence on going last may have backfired. Hagar recalled that Roth’s sets, which leaned heavily on his 1983 Van Halen material, failed to impress.
“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 sh*t,” Hagar said.
“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.”
Would Hagar Work with Roth Again?
Despite the tension, Hagar left the door slightly open to a future collaboration—under strict conditions.
“The circumstances would have to be right,” he added. “Dave always wants too much. He always tries to upstage.”
While both singers remain legendary in their own right, their onstage rivalry seems to echo just as loudly as any Van Halen chorus.
