The band that Sammy Hagar didn’t like to tour with

But there’s one big problem with Hagar’s theory: no band is actually going to have any fun opening for Kiss. That they called their fan base “The Kiss Army” was no coincidence, and whenever anyone else was on stage, most fans were either screaming for the band to come out or simply trying not to nod off before the made-up badasses hit the stage.

Ironically, however, there was one band that could give Kiss a run for their money live: Van Halen. Years before Hagar even considered joining the group, David Lee Roth’s connection with the audience and Eddie’s incredible lead acting were one of the few things that made Simmons’ “demon” persona seem like nothing more than silly kid stuff in comparison.

Admittedly, Hagar’s ability to read the room wasn’t exactly perfect at this point either. His decision to play one of his ballads for three songs was never going to sit well with a group that wanted to hear “Detroit Rock City,” and when the acoustic came out, there was no point in continuing.

Hagar didn’t even feel like finishing the song, which is to say Louder, “I just paused the song and said, ‘I’m so glad they flew in a special audience from Los Angeles for me.’ Then I pulled down my pants, shook the hell out of them, then smashed my guitar and left the stage saying, ‘Fuck you.’

While Hagar should be commended for even choosing to continue making music after a horror show like this, he at least took a few cues from what they were doing when he joined Van Halen. Check out the raw footage from Live without a net, When he heard him perform “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” he put a little more energy into the performance, especially when he dared to star alongside Eddie and actually came away unscathed.

Hagar eventually won over the crowds with his own solo hits, but anyone who tries to compete with Kiss’ live show is fighting a losing battle. No other band has embodied the phrase “give the people what they want” than Kiss, and if someone stands between them and their fans when they get on stage, they can’t be shocked when the crowd walks right over them.

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