Sammy Hagar Has Conditions Before David Lee Roth Can Join Him For Reunion

Sammy Hagar recently opened up to Rolling Stone about whether he’d ever share a stage with David Lee Roth again—and he didn’t mince words. When asked about another possible tour with the former Van Halen frontman, Hagar set the tone with a firm response.

Hagar said:

“The circumstances would have to be right. Dave always wants too much. He always tries to upstage.”

That tension was evident during their infamous Sam and Dave tour, which featured the two Van Halen singers alternating as headliners. According to Hagar, that setup quickly turned chaotic. He explained:

“He tried to pull stuff on the Sam and Dave tour. 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 that the bus broke down, 10 minutes before he was supposed to go on. 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 fckin’ neck.”

Performance Problems and Personality Clashes

Hagar didn’t stop there. He also aimed at Roth’s stage act, calling it outdated and lacking originality. Hagar added:

“The stupidest thing is, he did the worst when he headlined. He couldn’t follow me with a band of kids playing Eddie’s guitar solo note for note and playing ‘Eruption’ and sht.
“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.”

Two Frontmen, One Iconic Band

Hagar and Roth’s rivalry has long fueled debate among fans, who often compare their eras in Van Halen. But Hagar had plenty of success before joining the band. According to I95 Rock, he released eight solo albums between 1976 and 1984 and packed out venues with double-night sellouts.

Louder Sound also noted that Hagar’s early work with Montrose in 1973 helped shape the hard rock style Van Halen would later embrace. His smooth transition into Van Halen was fueled by credibility and hits—and VHND confirmed his strong fanbase helped define a new chapter for the group. A reunion? Maybe. But only if Sammy’s in the driver’s seat.