The gloves are off—again.
Sammy Hagar, the hard-hitting Red Rocker and former Van Halen frontman, just dropped a bombshell in a new interview with Rolling Stone, admitting he seriously wanted to “break David Lee Roth’s f—in’ neck” during their joint 2002 tour.
Promoted as “Song for Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll,” the co-headlining run was a dream billing on paper—Van Halen’s two iconic frontmen sharing the same stage. But behind the scenes, it quickly unraveled into a full-blown battle royale of egos and broken agreements.
The plan was simple: Hagar and Roth would alternate who opened and who headlined each night. But Roth, true to his notoriously unpredictable reputation, didn’t always stick to the script. According to Hagar, Roth would call in “bus trouble” just minutes before he was supposed to perform—forcing Hagar to take the stage first, multiple times.
“I would never do that again,” Hagar said. “I’m not an opening act for anybody. But I care about my fans, so I went on anyway… four times. I wanted to break the guy’s f—in’ neck.”
The tension wasn’t just about logistics. Hagar believes Roth’s insistence on headlining worked against him, calling Dave’s performances outdated and lackluster. “He couldn’t follow me,” Hagar taunted. “He did his whole 1983 Van Halen show. He should’ve represented his solo career more. What an idiot.”
Even now, over two decades later, the animosity simmers. Hagar’s Best of All Worlds Las Vegas residency kicks off April 30, loaded with Van Halen material—though he insists there’s no reunion with Roth in the works unless the “circumstances are right.”
“Dave always wants too much,” Hagar concluded. “He always tries to upstage.”
With two giant personalities and decades of baggage between them, the Hagar-Roth saga remains one of rock’s most toxic—and fascinating—feuds. And while there’s no cage match booked (yet), fans can’t help but imagine the ultimate showdown between Van Halen’s heavyweights.
