Hagar bites back at Roth over ‘credibility’ claim

Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar has laughed off David Lee Roth’s claim that performing songs from the Red Rocker’s era would present a “credibility issue.”

Returned frontman Roth was last week asked whether he’d ever sing tracks originally delivered by Hagar. He replied: “Good, bad or in the middle, you know Roth means it – the other guy doesn’t. That’s why it sold half as well. Why would you bring that into the proceedings?”

Now Hagar, speaking on his radio show, has fired back by saying: “The boys are out on tour – happily doing well, I hope, but they’re not playing any Van Hagar songs.

“My buddy Diamond said it was something about a quality issue. I laughed. I’m cracking up. Sometimes the guy says the wackiest things.”

He continues: “But there’s a lot of truth in that, a quality issue. You think about that. Think about them with Diamond, singing this next song – it would definitely be a quality issue.”

He then plays a live version of Van Halen’s Right Now, delivered by Hagar’s current band The Circle.

Van Halen recently released their first live album with Roth, without any studio edits, which drew criticism from Hagar. They’ll launch a US tour in July.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.