Alex Van Halen rules out touring as he 'just doesn't like playing' without Eddie

Sammy Hagar has revealed

Eddie and Alex Van Halen

Author: Scott ColothanPublished 6th Feb 2024
Last updated 6th Feb 2024

Sammy Hagar says that Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen has turned down the opportunity to tour as he ‘just doesn’t like playing' without his late brother Eddie Van Halen. ’

The Red Rocker recently caught up with Arizona Central to discuss his upcoming The Best Of All Worlds summer 2024 North American tour, which will see him perform a set dominated by Van Halen tracks from “deep” in their catalogue alongside a handful of songs by his supergroup The Circle.

Hagar will be joined by his Van Halen and The Circle band mate Michael Anthony on bass, The Circle and Black Country Communion’s Jason Bonham on drums, and his Chickenfoot band mate Joe Satriani, who is faced with the impossible task of playing Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts.

Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham and Michael Anthony

Explaining why they’re hitting the road this year, Hagar said: "Well, Michael Anthony and I, you know, we've been doing this (Sammy Hagar and the) Circle thing. We play about an hour of Van Halen and we play about 45 minutes to an hour of my stuff, Montrose and everything.

“We're gonna kind of just really go heavy on Van Halen. Play four or five of Sammy's greatest hits. You know, 'One Way to Rock,' 'Heavy Metal,' 'I Can't Drive 55,' 'Mas Tequila,' songs you've gotta play. One Montrose, a Chickenfoot and a whole lot of Van Halen, the whole catalogue.

“I mean, we're gonna go back into the early years for three or four songs, sprinkle 'em in there, because I'm calling it not just the Best of All Worlds Tour, I'm calling it the Thank You Tour. For me it's thank you. Thank you, Eddie. Thank you to the fans. Thank you for this wonderful life, being able to do this, because I don't know how much longer I can do it.”

He continued: “Mike and I, 20 years ago, did a reunion. And it's been 20 years this year. I'm going, I don't have another 20 years to be waiting on Alex Van Halen, who's the only guy left.”

Asked if Alex didn’t want to do it, Hagar responded: “You know, he, I guess, just doesn't like playing without his brother (Eddie). Don't blame him. God bless him.

Eddie and Alex Van Halen in 2012

“So I'm saying, 'I'm getting Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham, who his dad was Alex's hero.' Jason plays just like his dad. So it's pretty much the music is gonna be served as good as it can be served today.”

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show announcing the tour on 14th November, Hagar told Stern that both Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth were welcome to perform on the tour.

Hagar said: “If Alex Van Halen wants to jump up, if David Lee Roth wants to come out and join us, come on, mother----er. You are welcome. This is about Van Halen."

When David Lee Roth accepted Hagar’s offer |newtab), Hagar backtracked and clarified his statement.

Hagar wrote on Instagram: “(Roth) ain’t coming out with me again. Maybe 1 show, a song or two if he can remember the words.

“(The invitation) was to sing a song with us somewhere like a lot of singers guitarists etc are going to do on this tour. I know better than to have him on tour again. Been there done that."

Seemingly in response to the fresh bad blood between the pair, Roth released a video earlier this year claiming that Hagar was “sex probed” by aliens.