Sammy Hagar plans to commemorate Van Halen on tour alongside Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham
- Publish Date
- Friday, 17 November 2023, 8:31AM
Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are joining forces with guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham for a summer tour that will prominently feature the music of Van Halen, aptly named The Best of All Worlds Tour. Kicking off the tour is Loverboy.
Reflecting on the upcoming tour, Hagar stated, “It’s incredible to realize it's been two decades since Mikey and I played these songs with Van Halen on the 2004 Best of Both Worlds Tour.” With Joe joining the lineup, they aim to explore this musical era more deeply. While the tour will touch on successes from Hagar's career, the enthusiasm of both longtime and newfound fans for the Van Halen collection ignited a spark. Hagar recalled, "We were at my Birthday Bash in Cabo for my 76th birthday, looked at each other, and said, 'Let’s do this.' From the first riffs, the fans went crazy. The music we created will outlive us. It deserves to be heard, so it’s time to get out there and deliver this music to the fans while we still can.”
Having previously collaborated in the supergroup Chickenfoot, Hagar and Anthony, along with Satriani, recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011, but never performed any Van Halen songs during that time. Following Chickenfoot's conclusion, Hagar and Anthony revisited Van Halen’s catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Jason Bonham in Sammy Hagar and the Circle. This new band blends elements of Chickenfoot and the Circle, providing the closest experience to a Van Halen tour at the moment.
In 2022, Satriani disclosed that he had been approached to participate in a Van Halen tribute show alongside David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen. Speaking to Q104.3 in New York, Satriani shared, “I met Alex at one point when I went to Los Angeles. But I think there are some internal matters that need to be addressed within the family… And I've often said to Alex, ‘Are you sure? Because I don’t play like Eddie. I’m just a super fan. I can certainly play these songs. But Eddie was so original – just the way he ran on stage and sang and played. It’s incredible.’”
While that particular project never materialized, Satriani now finds himself with a fresh opportunity to take on Van Halen classics and some tracks from Hagar’s solo career. According to a press release, the setlist will include “Finish What Ya Started,” “5150,” “Your Love is Driving Me Crazy,” “Best of Both Worlds,” “Poundcake,” “Sexy Little Thing,” “One Way To Rock,” “Right Now,” “Good Enough,” and “Eagles Fly.”