Tour by Van Halen | |
Start date | June 11, 2004 |
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End date | November 19, 2004 |
Legs | 4 |
No. of shows | 80 |
Van Halen concert chronology |
The Van Halen Tour 2004 was a North American concert tour by hard rock band Van Halen. [1] It was the band's first tour since 1998 and saw the return of lead singer Sammy Hagar, who left the band in 1996 after tensions with lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen. [1] [2]
Tensions between Hagar and Eddie Van Halen were rekindled during the rehearsals before the tour even started and continued until the last show. [3] The 2004 tour marked the last time that Hagar would ever perform with Van Halen. [3] Some points of contention between the two included Eddie's increased struggles with substance abuse and Sammy Hagar’s promotion of his personal Cabo Wabo tequila brand. [1] The tour also signaled the declining relationship of bassist Michael Anthony with Eddie and Alex Van Halen. [4] During the 2004 tour, Anthony was forced to lose his licensing rights to the band and to take a pay cut due to tensions with the Van Halen brothers. [4] [5]
While commercially successful attendance was an issue, the tour generally received poor reviews from critics, with some alleging that Eddie was sloppy, unfocused, and the band was past their prime. [6] [7] The tour’s legacy has been similarly poor as well, especially regarding the off-stage developments involving Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. [4] Nick Deriso of Ultimate Classic Rock called the tour “disastrous." [4]
The 2004 tour was the first time that Van Halen had played together since 1998, with then lead singer Gary Cherone. [1] In 2004, Van Halen reunited with Sammy Hagar, their second lead vocalist from 1985–1996, who had split with the band due to tensions with Eddie Van Halen. [2] [5] Hagar claimed that the 1996 split resulted from disagreements over recording new tracks for the movie Twister , after he was exhausted from touring in support of the band’s album Balance . [8] According to Hagar, he was then informed that the songs the band had recorded would be released without his vocals and were not going to be used for the Twister soundtrack, but for a greatest-hits album, which Hagar opposed. [8] However, Eddie Van Halen claimed that the tensions with Hagar stemmed from the singer’s decision to produce his own “solo best-of set,” which increased tensions when Hagar then refused to partake in the Van Halen greatest hits release. [2] Van Halen turned to David Lee Roth, the band’s first lead singer, to replace Hagar as the band's lead singer. [8]
The 2004 reunion tour resulted after Sammy Hagar decided to call drummer Alex Van Halen in 2003 and “hit it off like old times." [9] After Hagar then called lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen, the band was once again reunited. [9]
Originally, the band planned to release a full-length album, titled The Best of Both Worlds , which would have featured the instrumentals from the aborted second album with Gary Cherone, with Hagar on vocals. [5] This plan was abandoned because Eddie Van Halen was only able to complete three of the tracks. [5] They decided to release a new compilation double album featuring three new songs, which was to be followed by a reunion tour. [5] The new songs were "It's About Time", "Up for Breakfast" and "Learning to See". Initially, 28 dates were announced, but the tour was extended to 80 across five months. [5]
Michael Anthony originally thought that the tour would expand to Europe, Japan, and South America, but the idea was abandoned because of Hagar's feud with Eddie Van Halen. [1]
Hagar’s reunion with the band, and relationship with Eddie Van Halen, began well. [9] In August 2004, Hagar said that he and Eddie Van Halen were going to “Pretend like it [the feud] never happened. We’re going to rise above it.” [9] In an early review of the tour, Hagar was described as “undeniably delighted to be back together” with Van Halen. [9] However, Hagar and Van Halen’s feelings of goodwill proved short-lived. [2]
Hagar accused Eddie of drinking too much, despite Eddie's denials: "It was horrible to know a person that was in that kind of shape." [5] In his memoir, Hagar wrote that during the tour Van Halen was “unkempt, hunched over, frighteningly skinny” and “drinking wine straight out of a bottle." [4] Van Halen was reported to have collapsed during the tour as well, in addition to playing poorly due to his struggles with substance abuse. [4] Eddie Van Halen said that he was “an alcoholic” and that in 2004 he became a “very angry drunk,” although he claimed that Hagar’s memoir was “definitely embellished." [10]
Another point of contention during the tour was Sammy Hagar’s promotion of his Cabo Wabo tequila brand, to the displeasure of Eddie Van Halen. [1] Bassist Michael Anthony said that “he [Eddie Van Halen] was never happy about that, the whole Cabo Wabo thing.” [1] Anthony claimed that Sammy independently contracted with arenas to sell the tequila, which “would create some tension onstage and offstage." [1] Hagar claims he was told by the Van Halen brothers, before the tour, that he would not be allowed to promote his Cabo Wabo tequila, so he purposefully “got a Cabo Wabo tattoo” on his arm and “wore short sleeves." [11]
The tour also caused controversy with Michael Anthony, the band's longtime bassist (performing with them until 2000 when they went on hiatus, but still officially a member in 2004). [5] Anthony was hired as a touring musician rather than a 'real' member of the band, resulting in being paid a reduced commission. [5] Initially, the Van Halen brothers did not want him on the tour at all, but Sammy Hagar refused to tour without him. [5]
The tour also resulted in a legal dispute between Van Halen and the Baltimore Orioles. [12] The Orioles had contracted Van Halen to perform a September 2 concert at Oriole Park at Camden Yards for $1.5 million, in addition to 80 percent of ticket and merchandise revenues. [12] However, the Orioles later canceled this deal, causing Van Halen to file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, suing for at least $2 million. [13] Van Halen argued that they lost potential revenue in the Baltimore area from a non-compete clause and that they had to rearrange the 2004 tour for the show that the Orioles’ reneged on. [14]
According to Pollstar , the tour grossed $54.3 million, making it the sixth highest grossing tour of 2004. [15] Pollstar reports that the tour had an average ticket price of $99.12 and sold 1,054,238 tickets over 83 shows. [15] However, according to Billboard Boxscore, the tour grossed nearly $40 million. [16]
Critical reception for the tour was generally negative, with some reviews alleging that the tour was a watered-down version of the band’s past versions. [17] Jason Bracelin, of the Houston Press , wrote that “In their prime, the guys in Van Halen were as sticky, sweaty, and accident-prone as the best keggers. Now, they’re hard-rock parental units approaching their fifties, and so are many of their fans." [17] Kyle Munson, of The Des Moines Register , wrote that Van Halen sounded “sloppy” and alleged that Hagar seemed more focused with signing autographs than singing. [18] However, Doug Fox, after a performance in Salt Lake City, wrote that the future of Van Halen “seems to be on firmer ground as well with the return of Hagar." [19]
Overall, the tour’s long term reputation has been similarly poor, being described as both “Disastrous” by Nick Deriso of Ultimate Classic Rock and “Ill-Fated” by Andy Greene of Rolling Stone . [3] [4] The tour also is notable for its lasting damage on the relationship between lead singer Sammy Hagar and lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Sammy Hagar, in his memoir, wrote that after the 2004 tour, his relationship with Eddie Van Halen was “irretrievably broken." [4] By the end of the tour, Anthony and Hagar reportedly used “different jets, different hotels, different limos, different security details" from the Van Halen brothers. [4]
The tour also signaled the declining relationship between bassist Michael Anthony and the band. [4] Allegedly, Alex and Eddie Van Halen did not want to tour with Anthony, while Hagar insisted upon his presence in the band. [4] Anthony ended up being forced to relinquish his Van Halen licensing rights in addition to a pay cut. [4] Anthony claims he accepted the deal because he thought it may have been the last time the band would ever perform together. [3] In 2006, Eddie Van Halen fired Anthony from the band and replaced him with his son, Wolfgang Van Halen. [20]
Typical Setlist
Additional musician
Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and for the virtuosity of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Michael Anthony Sobolewski is an American musician who was the bassist and backing vocalist for the hard rock band Van Halen from 1974 to 2006. He performed on Van Halen's first 11 albums and was their longest-tenured bassist. Following his 2006 departure, Anthony has collaborated with fellow former Van Halen bandmate Sammy Hagar for the supergroups Chickenfoot and Sammy Hagar and the Circle. In addition to his music career, he markets a line of hot sauces named Mad Anthony and related products. Anthony was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen in 2007.
David Lee Roth is an American rock singer. Known for his wild and energetic stage persona, he was the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen for three stints: from 1974 to 1985, during 1996, and from 2006 to when they disbanded in 2020. He has also had a successful solo career, releasing numerous RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum albums. After more than two decades apart, Roth re-joined Van Halen in 2006 for a North American tour that became the highest-grossing in the band's history, and one of the highest-grossing of that year. In 2007, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen.
5150 is the seventh studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on March 24, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records and was the first of four albums to be recorded with lead singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth. The album was named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, 5150, in turn named after a California law enforcement term for a mentally disturbed person. The album hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing the band's previous album, 1984, which had peaked at number 2 behind Michael Jackson's Thriller album, on which Eddie made a guest appearance.
Sam Roy Hagar, also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose before launching a successful solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with "I Can't Drive 55". He enjoyed further commercial success when he replaced David Lee Roth as the lead vocalist of Van Halen in 1985, but left in 1996. He returned to the band from 2003 to 2005.
OU812 is the eighth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1988 and is the band's second album to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. Van Halen began work on the album in September 1987 and completed it in April 1988, one month before its release.
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is the ninth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on June 17, 1991, on Warner Bros. Records and is the third to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and maintained the position for three consecutive weeks. The album marked a record in the band's history, seeing seven of its eleven tracks released as singles.
Live: Right Here, Right Now. is the first live album by American rock band Van Halen, released in 1993. It is the band's only live album featuring Sammy Hagar and the only live album by Van Halen until the release of Tokyo Dome Live in Concert in 2015.
The Best of Both Worlds is the second greatest hits album by American rock band Van Halen, released on July 20, 2004, on Warner Bros. The compilation features material recorded with lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, but omits Gary Cherone's three-year tenure with the band. Prior to The Best of Both Worlds's release, Hagar reunited with Van Halen, and the band recorded three new tracks to include on the release.
Best Of – Volume I is the first greatest hits album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released on October 22, 1996.
Cabo Wabo is a nightclub, restaurant and bar company founded in 1990 by American rock musicians Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony. Located in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Sammy Hagar bought out the rest of the Van Halen members in 1996 after several years of bad management. Franchises exist along the Las Vegas Strip and on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It also has its own signature brand of tequila with the title of same name of the company.
Live Without a Net is a live concert video of Van Halen recorded in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1986, and released later that year. It was of their performance on August 27, 1986 at New Haven's Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The 90-minute release removed a few songs from the full performance. While the band attempted to record the previous night, audio problems prevented it from being used, although some video footage from that night would later surface in music videos. The concerts were part of the 5150 Tour, supporting the album of the same name, Van Halen's first with lead singer Sammy Hagar.
The Waboritas is the name of Sammy Hagar's backup band, though they are frequently and more recently referred to as "The Wabos". They were formed in 1997 and have been active ever since. Their only hiatus was during the Van Halen tour of 2004, during which Hagar kept them fully paid.
Red Voodoo is the eleventh studio album by American rock musician Sammy Hagar, and his first album to feature his band the Waboritas. This album was released on March 23, 1999, by MCA Records. When Hagar finished touring in support of his Marching to Mars album, he recorded this album. Red Voodoo is an extension of the party atmosphere that permeated Hagar's concerts on that tour and the album contains a party-vibe. "Mas Tequila" was the lead single and alluded to Hagar's other career endeavor, as his Cabo Wabo tequila was being distributed throughout the United States.
Jesse Harms is an American musician and songwriter. He has worked with Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, Eddie Money, REO Speedwagon, Bad English, Guitar Shorty, Patty Smyth, and McAuley Schenker Group.
Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972 by the Dutch-born American brothers Eddie Van Halen (guitar) and Alex Van Halen (drums), plus singer David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony. The band's discography consists of 12 studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, and 56 singles.
The Van Halen 2007–2008 Tour was a North American concert tour occurring in the fall of 2007 and winter and spring of 2008 for hard rock band Van Halen. It was Van Halen's first tour since 2004, and the first one with original singer David Lee Roth since he left the band in 1985. Roth was with the band from 1974 to 1985, when the band rose to prominence.
The OU812 Tour was a concert tour by hard rock band Van Halen in support of their studio album OU812.
The 5150 Tour was a concert tour by American hard rock band Van Halen in support of their seventh studio album, 5150.
Sammy Hagar, also known as the Red Rocker, is an American musician and songwriter with a music career spanning over 40 years. He rose to prominence during the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Montrose, which was his first band and debut into music. He left the band sometime in the mid-1970s and embraced a solo career, releasing his debut studio album Nine on a Ten Scale in 1976. He has since kept a steady successful solo career, achieving a hit in 1984 with "I Can't Drive 55". Hagar later joined Van Halen, replacing lead singer David Lee Roth in 1985. Hagar is also known for having associated and being a member of various other bands.