Sammy Hagar Day in San Bernardino, CA

[voivod]

Sammy Hagar was feted with a day named in his honor Tuesday in San Bernardino, California. The Red Rocker, a former resident of the area, had plans that day to visit a burn center at a hospital in the San Bernardino suburb of Colton, California, Hagar has pledged to support the facility by donating proceeds from select tickets to the kickoff date of his upcoming tour June 3 in nearby Devore, California.

[Van Squalen]

Q & A with Red Rocker Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar was such a great interview subject, I thought fans would enjoy reading more excerpts from our chat.

Q: You were here in San Bernardino last week when the county Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation for Sammy Hagar Day. What was that experience like?

Hagar: It's an honor but at the same time, I'm like a fish out of water. I refuse to get dressed up for anything. I just can't come out of my element.

Q: What did your mother, who lives in the area, think about it?

Hagar: It's a great thing for the family, especially my mom. We were very poor -- I'm not trying to cry the blues here. My mom picked fruit in every field and orange grove in (Fontana) when we were growing up...She wasn't like some high society lady around town. (Standing) there with her son made her proud. That was really awesome.

Q: From the mid-to-late '60s, you and Wabos drummer David Louser played in local bands together like Mobile Home and Justice Brothers. And you would perform at Fairmount Park in Riverside and Nite Club in San Bernardino. How did you meet?

Hagar: A friend of mine had a record store in Colton that sold British imports...I walk into this guy's store dressed up like a rock star because I thought I was one, but I didn't have a band. He was a guitar player and really good ... He's sitting behind the counter playing some Clapton guitar licks and said, ‘Come try out for my band.' David was in this band and I got the job.

Q: With this tour and the village setup, was the goal to make sure people have the time of their lives?

Hagar: That's really what it's all about. Fame and fortune? I've had enough of that for 300 people. I really get (excited) seeing people say, ‘that was a blast' or reading fans on the internet go, ‘that was the best show I've ever been to'...that makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing.

Q: It sounds like you have a special bond with your fans.

Hagar: If I had to lose them suddenly and they were out of my life, I would feel so empty...My wife and family, that's all wonderful, but the gift I get from those people. They just touch my heart like nothing else.

Q: It's refreshing to see a major artist tour with a reasonable ticket price. (Tickets are $15-$50.)

Hagar: I happen to have a very successful Tequila business, restaurant/nightclubs, the Cabo Wabos, that I use as a sponsor...I'm basically not paying myself. Everybody (else) gets paid and Cabo Wabo is taking care of me. I wanted the cheapest ticket price possible.

Q: What can fans look forward to at the gig?

Hagar: This is the best show I've ever put together in any band in my entire life. By bringing Michael Anthony out for The Other Half, it allows me to play more Van Halen confidently...I never (usually) play more than four songs in my show, but we bust out 10-12 Van Halen songs.

Q: Do you sneak any rarities into the set?

Hagar: Yeah. "Good Enough'' hasn't been played since the "5150'' tour and it's a great rocker. Also, "Judgement Day'' (from 1991's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'').

Q:Will Anthony get his own spotlight?

Hagar: Yeah, we're actually going to play "Running with the Devil,'' believe it or not. I wouldn't sing it on the Van Halen tours because I'm uppity about the (David Lee Roth) songs. I like the ones I can personally relate to a little bit. So I'm letting Mike sing this one.

Q:You've played the Devore venue quite a few times over the years. Do any gigs stick out in your mind?

Hagar: Cabo de Mayo (2003) was one of the worst experiences of my life. In your hometown, you want more than anything for everything to go right...It rained and was freezing cold, like 40 degrees. I went out and did the show anyway, but it was difficult. I feel like I owe those people, man.

Q:"Sam I Am,'' the first single on the new album, has a swampy blues vibe. Are there other new ones like that as well?

Hagar: It's not what the whole record is, but if you had to put it in a nutshell, yeah. That's the one autobiographical tune. The rest of this album is more like that than opposed to something like "There's Only One Way to Rock.''

- George A. Paul

[TOM_5150]

Sam may be a nice dude but his new single "Sam I Am" sucks.

[the_atomic_punks_rule]

[B]

Q:Will Anthony get his own spotlight?

Hagar: Yeah, we're actually going to play "Running with the Devil,'' believe it or not. I wouldn't sing it on the Van Halen tours because I'm uppity about the (David Lee Roth) songs. I like the ones I can personally relate to a little bit. So I'm letting Mike sing this one.

As much grief as I can give Sam, this interview is more what we should hear from him. And I dig the honesty about the CVH songs.

[cokemach1]

You think Dave will sing any Sammy Van Halen when he, Ed & Al start The First 3/4s tour?

Yeah, I know people get tired of hearing Sammy bash Ed, but he will be honest, typically. (And no I don't know him. But in general, what he says about dealing with VH and all the problems has pretty much been spelled out over time.)

"F" THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!!!

[Raldo]

Cool interview.

I'm glad Sammy lowered the ticket prices. Some of these artists are just nuts these days. Some are $200 to $300 a piece.

[DannoVH]

Stuck in this town for the rest of my life, its one place I dont want to be........Sammy Hagar, Growing Pains, Street Machine...