David Lee Roth returns to the stage in Los Angeles
After announcing his retirement back in 2021, David Lee Roth, the original lead singer of Van Halen, returned to the stage this week for a performance with the all-star cover band Royal Machines. The group played a triumphant cover of Van Halen’s ‘Panama’.
The rare performance occurred at a corporate event for Home Depot sales managers hosted at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas earlier this week. “Are we having a good time so far?” Roth asked as he took the stage before launching into the ‘Panama’ cover, which included his famous ad-libs.
Roth was just one of a reel of rock icons to take the stage during the event. Throughout the night, Royal Machine were also joined by Billy Idol, Linda Perry and Run DMC’s Darryl McDaniels.
When Roth previously announced his retirement from performing, he said: “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring. This is the first and only official announcement… You’ve got the news. Share it with the world.”
His retirement came around a year following the death of his former bandmate Eddie Van Halen. In his statement, Roth added that he had been thinking about his late guitarist and had been “encouraged and compelled to really come to grips with how short time is, and my time is probably even shorter.”
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