Hagar keeps the party going
Sammy Hagar is getting ready to host his annual Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit concert, with famous friends such as Dave Grohl, Mick Fleetwood, Pat Benatar, Sarah McLachlan and Bob Weir raising funds for pediatric cancer research at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Usual co-host James Hetfield, on tour with Metallica, is sitting this one out. But Hagar has grown used to multitasking, as he is also promoting his new album, “This Is Sammy Hagar Vol. 1 — When the Party Started,” appearing on the second season of his “Rock ’n’ Roll Road Trip” travel series on AXS TV, and planning a tour with his band the Circle. There’s always that Van Halen reunion to think about too. Hagar, 69, spoke to us from a tour stop in Florida.
Q: So James can’t make it this year? A: No, James is on tour with Metallica. It’s kind of a bummer. We talked about it, and at first I thought maybe we skip one. But then we both agreed that’s not cool. I’m looking for a life-size cutout of him that I can put onstage with me. I’ll put the microphone in his face and he’ll go, “Yeaaah!” Q: He’s had some of the best moments of these concerts, like singing Adele with his daughter or singing the Beatles song. A: Having a partner like James is so unusual and special. He’s so uncomfortable with it. There’s no question about it. James is probably uncomfortable in Metallica. He’s just uncomfortable. He’s such a goodhearted guy. I’m sitting there backstage with him, and I go, “James, it’s all cool, man. I’m not good at this either.” He creates a tension when he performs acoustically that’s really powerful. Q: Have you considered taking Acoustic-4-A-Cure out on the road, like a slightly younger version of Ringo Starr’s AllStarr Band? A: I would love to do it. Between everything else I’ve got going on in my life, I don’t even have time to tour with my own band. To try to take another band on, don’t even get me started. Q: You’re doing a proper tour this fall. Did you miss performing regularly? A: I always miss being onstage. But I don’t miss being on tour. The way I’ve been doing it for about the last seven or eight years, I’ll just take two shows — you know, Dallas and maybe Houston. But I got so old last year, I found myself having to go over to my studio five days a week and rehearse to get my voice into shape. Next thing I know, all I’m doing is getting ready for two shows. I wouldn’t do more than 40 or 50 shows a year. I just can’t. It’s my body and my time. And in my heart, I get out there onstage and I go, “You know, I don’t feel like doing it tonight.” Q: People don’t just want your solo shows. They also want to see you with Chickenfoot and Van Halen, so the demand is coming from all fronts. A: That whole Van Halen thing lurking in the woods out there, I feel there’s a sniper out there — any minute the bullet is going to come flying in that says “VH” on it, “You’re it!” We’ll see what happens. I don’t understand them. I haven’t understood them in a long time. I would only do it with Sam and Dave anyway. I’d rather Dave (David Lee Roth) go out and sing his own songs. I’ll sing my songs. That would be the ultimate show, I think. If we could do it that way, I would suck it up. It would be fun.