When Van Halen’s Opener Saw Eddie Attack Sammy Hagar Onstage

Shinedown’s drummer, Barry Kerch, shared his mixed experiences from the time his band opened for Van Halen during their highly charged reunion tour with Sammy Hagar in 2004. While the opportunity to tour with such legendary rock figures was a dream come true, Kerch couldn’t ignore the underlying negative energy between the Van Halen members.

Kerch fondly remembered his interactions with Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, as well as Wolfgang Van Halen and his mother, Valerie Bertinelli. He highlighted that despite the internal discord within Van Halen, the band members were incredibly kind to Shinedown. However, he couldn’t overlook the tension that accompanied the headline act.

Recounting a particularly troubling incident, Kerch described a moment when Eddie Van Halen physically assaulted Hagar on stage during a song. “It was one of the most amazing times of my life – it was unbelievable,” Kerch mentioned in a recent interview with Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz. “As much as those guys hated each other at that moment in time, they were so sweet to all of us.”

Eddie Van Halen appeared to take a special liking to Shinedown’s singer Brent Smith. Kerch painted a vivid picture of Eddie’s lifestyle, always with a cigarette, a bottle of wine, and his guitar. “Eddie would kick open our dressing room door, start talking, and teach how he did something on guitar. Meanwhile, Wolfie was riding a scooter up and down the hallways, and Valerie was there, taking care and everything. She’s the sweetest, and Wolfie was a good kid,” he recollected.

Interestingly, Kerch mentioned that Alex Van Halen was hardly seen offstage. “You never saw Alex; Alex would just show up, do the gig, get out – he didn’t want part of the drama, I’m sure. But I did get to sit behind his drum set, which was awesome!” he recalled.

Kerch went on to describe the apparent rift backstage, noting the clear divide between Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony on one side and Eddie and Alex Van Halen on the other. “Sammy and Michael were their own dudes; they had their own world – their own side, their own dressing rooms. Those two camps never got together until they were on stage.” He fondly remembered how Hagar and Anthony had a little bar set up side-stage and invited Shinedown’s members to join them for drinks while Van Halen performed. “It made me feel like a kid in awe,” he said, “telling myself, ‘Oh, my God, I’m on tour with Van Halen, having a drink with Sammy and Michael while they’re playing!’”

Kerch also shared a unique way Sammy Hagar rated their performances by leaving bottles of tequila in their room. “If it was a bad show, he gave us the basic model. If it was a good show, he’d give us the good stuff!” he chuckled.

But the drummer couldn’t ignore the darker moments. “On stage, you couldn’t really tell that they hated each other – but occasionally you could,” he said. Recalling a specific instance, he narrated, “There was one night Sammy was singing, and for some reason, Eddie was pissed. Eddie comes over and just kicks him as hard as he can, square in the nuts, while he’s singing.” This incident reaffirmed to Kerch that the discord between Hagar and Eddie was very real. “Yeah, they really don’t like each other! But I had a dream come true, and they sounded great every night,” he concluded.

Despite the tumultuous dynamics within Van Halen, Shinedown’s experience touring with them remains one for the books, encapsulating both the magic and reality of rock and roll.

Source: Ultimate Classic Rock