In the 80’s there was no band that went harder than Van Halen. Every song was a monster hit and even changing lead singers couldn’t stop them. Till now.
Initially Van Halen had David Lee Roth as a lead singer and then after in fighting they brought in Sammy Hagar, who was just as popular. Now the band is trying to do a reunion tour with DLR until it hit a hitch.
Alex Van Halen, who founded the band with his brother, opened up to Rolling Stone about the collapse of the tour.
Alex Van Halen confirmed to the magazine, in a piece published Tuesday, that rumors of a planned tour following Eddie Van Halen’s death were true, and there were even early rehearsals featuring himself on drums with original lead vocalist David Lee Roth. However, the plans fell through following an explosive argument over paying tribute to the band’s late cofounder.
“The thing that broke the camel’s back, and I can be honest about this now,” Alex Van Halen revealed, “was I said, ‘Dave, at some point, we have to have a very overt — not a bowing — but an acknowledgment of Ed in the gig. If you look at how Queen does it, they show old footage.’ And the moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave f—in’ popped a fuse.… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable.”
Alex Van Halen said he had several phone conversations with Queen’s Brian May about how the band performs while still honoring the group’s late singer, Freddie Mercury. But he said Roth allegedly simply refused to pay tribute to his brother. “It’s just, my God. It’s like I didn’t know him anymore. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But, Dave, you gotta work as a community, motherf—er. It’s not you alone anymore,” Alex Van Halen said. The magazine noted that Roth declined to comment on the matter.
Ultimately, he said he feels okay about the canceled tour, and he’s still in touch with Roth.
“It’s too bad on one hand, but it’s fine on the other,” he said. “Because now, in retrospect, playing the old songs is not really paying tribute to anybody. That’s just like a jukebox, in my opinion. … To find a replacement for Ed? It’s just not the same.”