“It’s too late”: the shows Sammy Hagar will always regret not playing
It’s impossible for any musician to stay on the road for the rest of their lives. There might be bands like Metallica who live and die by their touring schedule, but the thought of someone living out of a suitcase for their entire existence would get more than a little bit exhausting if they have to put up with it for decades at a time. While Sammy Hagar wasn’t immune to getting fatigued by the road, he always had certain shows that he wished he had the chance to play again if he could have.
But listening to ‘The Red Rocker’ play now, it’s not like he’s lost a lot of shine on his pipes. It would take him a while to get to the same highs that he reached during his prime, but the fact that he can do a decent version of tunes like ‘Right Now’ decades after the fact is commendable considering what he’s been working with.
And when listening to his records with Van Halen, it would never be easy to put together a half-decent version of any of his tunes. David Lee Roth already had unfillable shoes when he left the band, but getting a powerhouse singer like Hagar helped give the band a brand new identity when 5150 came out, to the point where Eddie began to write in a whole different way than he used to.
Roth’s schtick served him incredibly well as a bluesy rock and roll singer, but there’s a searing quality to Hagar’s vocals that no one can copy. But as soon as Balance left the band feeling cold, Hagar was convinced that he couldn’t work with the band anymore, eventually leaving before they began working on a greatest-hits record with Roth back in the band. There may have been bad blood for years, but things get put in perspective a lot more when someone like Eddie passes away.
Despite their past fights, neither Roth nor Hagar could act like this was a small matter. Eddie had been battling cancer for years, but to see one of the greatest guitarists of any generation be silenced was going to be a tough hurdle for anyone to get over. And when thinking back to some of his greatest moments with Eddie, Hagar couldn’t help but remember the times when he should have savoured the moment.
He may have slagged off A Different Kind of Truth, but Hagar was still open to working with Van Halen on a joint tour with him and Roth before it fell through the cracks, saying, “We were talking about doing a reunion next year with everybody. I have been pushing for Sam and Dave for a long time. That’s the only way Van Halen’s going to satisfy all the fans, so let’s go out and give it to them. It’s too late now. That’s about the only thing I regret.”
Even if Hagar and Roth have had their fights in the past, there’s a good chance both of them would have been happy to bury the hatchet if they knew how bad Eddie had become. And now that ‘The Red Rocker’ has had problems with Alex Van Halen, any kind of tour with every past singer with the original lineup feels like a pipe dream.
Because no matter how much love they put into any new material, both Roth and Hagar know that it would be delusional to try to tour as Van Halen without Eddie. The Van Halen estate may own the trademarks of the band, but beyond the name that’s printed on the ticket, everyone who intends either a Roth or Hagar show knows that they are celebrating Eddie’s legacy rather than trying to make a cheap buck off it.
