“There should be a star in front of three clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the set list!”: David Lee Roth jokes about his tumultuous relationship with Alex Van Halen
Though one of the most influential rock bands of all time, the Van Halen camp hasn’t been without its conflict through the years. Following the death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen in 2020, much talk was made about a potential Van Halen tribute tour. But in 2024, drummer Alex Van Halen claimed plans fell apart after David Lee Roth objected to an overt acknowledgement of Eddie during the shows. “The moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave fuckin’ popped a fuse…” he said.
But tensions seem to have settled as of late, with both Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth putting aside their differences to sit down for a conversation thanks to TEDxFargo. The conversation itself actually took place on 30 July this year in Fargo, North Dakota, but has just been uploaded to YouTube.
READ MORE: Joe Satriani recalls David Lee Roth’s “crazy” attempt to recruit him for a Van Halen cover band in the ‘90s: “I said, ‘But Dave, Ed’s still alive!’”
As David Lee Roth explains, during the Van Halen years, what seemed like a harmonious performance onstage would often mean chaos backstage.
“We never showed behind the kitchen,” Roth says. “These are the first times Al and I are discussing Hell’s Kitchen in the back…”
He continues, elaborating on the times he and Alex have come to blows behind the scenes: “There should be a star in front of three different clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over the setlist!”
Elsewhere, Sammy Hagar, who took over from David Lee Roth as Van Halen frontman in 1985, recently spoke of his desire to stop “being the Van Halen guy”, after years of touring his Best of All Worlds tour alongside Joe Satriani and Michael Anthony.
“I’m kinda done with being the Van Halen guy,” he said. While he vowed to “always keep some [Van Halen tracks]” in his show, he reflected on how the Best of All Worlds trek evolved into a bigger thing than he had originally planned.
“Originally, the Best of All Worlds tour with Joe Satriani was supposed to only be once in 2024,” he said.
Watch the full TEDxFargo conversation between Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth below:
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