Sammy Hagar recently discussed his approach to performing Van Halen\u2019s classic material, including songs from David Lee Roth\u2019s era with the band, in an interview shared on Ultimate Classic Rock.<\/p>\n
When asked about his appreciation for \u201cRunnin\u2019 With the Devil\u201d and other songs from Roth\u2019s time in Van Halen, Hagar explained his philosophy on performing iconic rock songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s like \u2018Rock Candy\u2019 to me, it just has it,\u201d Hagar said. \u201cYou know, anybody can play it. It\u2019s one of those cover songs. If I\u2019m going to do a cover song, I like to do [things like] a Led Zeppelin song, or a Rolling Stones song that\u2019s iconic, \u2018Honky Tonk Women,\u2019 or Led Zeppelin\u2019s \u2018Rock and Roll,\u2019 or \u2018Whole Lotta Love,\u2019 [for example]. You kick those songs off anywhere, anytime, anyplace, [with] any amount of people, any place in the world, and everybody is happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hagar also revealed his favorite Van Halen song to perform. He made a pointed comment about other band members\u2019 capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Panama\u2019 is my favorite. You know, that\u2019s the one I want to sing. I don\u2019t let Mikey sing \u2018Panama,\u2019 because I like singing it. It\u2019s a really fun song to play and sing. It\u2019s badass,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe add those songs to the set because we\u2019re doing a lot of Van Halen stuff. Unlike the other guys that didn\u2019t want to play my era, or can\u2019t play my era. I like playing those songs, and I can play and sing those songs, and I think everyone appreciates them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The singer also praised bassist Michael Anthony\u2019s development as a lead vocalist. He noted Anthony\u2019s evolution from background vocals to more dynamic lead performances. Hagar highlighted Anthony\u2019s rendition of \u201cAin\u2019t Talkin\u2019 \u2019bout Love\u201d as particularly strong in recent years.<\/p>\n
Hagar\u2019s comments reflect his ongoing commitment to celebrating Van Halen\u2019s entire musical legacy, spanning both his era and Roth\u2019s time with the band. His willingness to perform material from different periods of the band\u2019s history demonstrates a broader perspective on the group\u2019s contributions to rock music.<\/p>\n
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Hagar has been supportive of both his and David Lee Roth\u2019s eras in Van Halen in recent interviews. He now praises the Roth era, recognizing the band\u2019s diverse contributions to rock history. This marks a shift toward a more collaborative appreciation of Van Halen\u2019s complete catalog.<\/p>\n
The relationship between Hagar and Roth has shown signs of warming in recent months. Louder Sound noted that Hagar responded positively to David Lee Roth\u2019s recent comments about him, interpreting them as an \u201colive branch moment.\u201d Hagar believes Roth\u2019s tongue-in-cheek remarks were not negative. He even suggested that Roth might have had a similar dream experience with Eddie Van Halen\u2019s ghost.<\/p>\n
Hagar\u2019s collaboration with Michael Anthony extends beyond Van Halen performances. Eddie Trunk revealed that Hagar\u2019s recent single, \u201cEncore, Thank You, Goodnight,\u201d features Michael Anthony among other musicians like Joe Satriani and Kenny Aronoff. This collaboration highlights their ongoing musical relationship outside of Van Halen.<\/p>\n
In his interviews, Hagar has emphasized the importance of legacy and the music both he and Roth created with Eddie Van Halen. He encourages fans to enjoy both their contributions to Van Halen\u2019s catalog. He expressed happiness that both he and David Lee Roth are keeping the music alive for audiences worldwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sammy Hagar recently discussed his approach to performing Van Halen\u2019s classic material, including songs from David Lee Roth\u2019s era with the band, in an interview … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n