Alex Van Halen claimed that an argument between himself and David Lee Roth almost devolved into violence and ended plans for a Van Halen reunion tour after Eddie Van Halen’s death.
During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the 71-year-old drummer, who was Eddie’s brother, recalled that he and the 70-year-old singer began rehearsing for a tour after Eddie died in October 2020 after a massive stroke following a battle with throat cancer.
Following discussions with Queen’s Brian May regarding how the band honors their late frontman Freddie Mercury during their tours, Alex approached Roth about acknowledging the late guitarist in their shows.
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“The thing that broke the camel’s back, and I can be honest about this now,” Alex said. “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—–’ popped a fuse.…”
Alex Van Halen claimed that a heated dispute between himself and David Lee Roth led to their canceled reunion tour. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
“The vitriol that came out was unbelievable,” he added.
The drummer claimed that Roth completely rejected the idea, reportedly finding it “offensive.”
Roth’s representative did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Alex recalled that he had a strong reaction to his disagreement with Roth.
“I’m from the street,” he said. “‘You talk to me like that, motherf—–, I’m gonna beat your f—— brains out. You got it?’ And I mean that. And that’s how it ended.”
“It’s just, my God. It’s like I didn’t know him anymore,” he told Rolling Stone. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But, Dave, you gotta work as a community, motherf—–. It’s not you alone anymore.”
Alex recalled that Roth rejected the idea of honoring Eddie Van Halen during their tour performances. (Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images)
Prior to the fight, Alex said that the two planned to enlist guitarist Joe Satriani and potentially original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony for the reunion tour.
However, Alex told Rolling Stone that he would not be able to tour in any case as his mobility was limited due to a spinal injury that he suffered in 2022.
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“It’s too bad on one hand, but it’s fine on the other,” Alex 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.”
“The vitriol that came out was unbelievable.”
“The heart and the soul and the creativity and the magic was Dave, Ed, Mike, and me,” he added.
Van Halen last toured in 2015. ( Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Van Halen’s last tour took place in 2015, with the band comprising Alex, Eddie, Roth along with Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen, who replaced Anthony on bass in 2006 after the latter’s departure in 2004.
In 2021, Roth announced he was retiring from his music career but has since teased a potential return.
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During his interview with Rolling Stone, Alex said that he always had been the band member who was closest to Roth. He told the outlet that he called Roth first following Eddie’s death and maintained that the two are “still in touch.”
Alex said that he and Roth are “still in touch.” (Fin Costello/Redferns)
During a January episode of Roth’s podcast “The Roth Show, the singer went on a tirade against Wolfgang, who he repeatedly referred to as “this f—— kid.”
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While speaking with Rolling Stone, Alex took a lighthearted approach to Roth’s rant against his nephew, explaining that it should be viewed as a compliment.
“To me, it’s a sign of respect,” Alex said. “That he actually thinks that Wolfie’s on the same level as the old master Dave, right? The other thing is that Wolf can easily take care of himself. It’s not a problem.”