Photo: WireImage
It's no secret that Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth don't like each other, and in a recent interview with Rolling Stone the Red Rocker recalled just how miserable he was on the infamous 2002 "Song for Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll" tour where the two Van Halen singers switched off who "headlined" from show to show.
“He tried to pull stuff on the Sam and Dave tour," Hagar claimed. "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.”
“On those nights, he would call in and say, the bus broke down, 10 minutes before he was supposed to go on,” Hagar continued. “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**kin’ neck.”
“The stupidest thing is, he did the worst when he headlined. He couldn’t follow me with a band of kids playing Eddie [Van Halen's] guitar solo note for note and playing ‘Eruption’ and s**t,” Hagar pointed out. “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.”
That all being said, Hagar didn't shut down the idea of performing with Roth again. “The circumstances would have to be right,” he admitted. “Dave always wants too much. He always tries to upstage.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hagar shared his theory on why Alex Van Halen won't speak to him anymore.
Hagar kicked off his "Best of All Worlds" Las Vegas residency on April 30 that showcases his full career, including his time with Van Halen.