Van Halen reunion tour scrapped after David Lee Roth declined Eddie Van Halen tribute, says brother Alex

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The highly anticipated Van Halen reunion tour was shelved after frontman David Lee Roth vehemently rejected to pay tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen, according to his brother and the band's co-founder Alex Van Halen.

In a candid interview with Rolling Stone, Alex shed light on the tense discussions that ultimately led to the tour’s collapse, citing David's explosive reaction when the idea of honoring Eddie was brought up.

Eddie, the guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen, died of cancer at age 65 in October 2020. The famed rock band's last tour was in 2015. 

Alex Van Halen says David Lee Roth had a vitriolic response to proposed Eddie Van Halen tribute

The suggestion was simple: an overt tribute to Eddie Van Halen, much like how Queen honors Freddie Mercury in their live shows.

However, David, who shared a notoriously strained relationship with Eddie, took serious offense. 

Alex shared, "The thing that broke the camel's back, and I can be honest about this now was I said, 'Dave, at some point, we have to have a very overt — not a bowing — but an acknowledgment of Ed in the gig. If you look at how Queen does it, they show old footage.'"

"And the moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave f***in' popped a fuse.… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable," added the 71-year-old. 

Alex Van Halen details explosive fight with David Lee Roth

Alex Van Halen explained that he had even consulted Queen’s Brian May on how the band continued to tour after Freddie Mercury’s death, incorporating old footage to honor him. But for David Lee Roth, any tribute to Eddie Van Halen was apparently a step too far.

The heated exchange escalated quickly, with Alex stating, "You talk to me like that, m**********, I'm gonna beat your f***ing brains out. You got it?' And I mean that. And that's how it ended."

Though David has not publicly commented on the matter, Alex expressed a sense of disappointment not only over the tour’s cancellation but also the irreparable rift.

He said, "It's just, my God. It's like I didn’t know him anymore. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But, Dave, you gotta work as a community, m**********. It's not you alone anymore."

Alex Van Halen reflects on tour cancellation

Alex Van Halen, who has been recovering from a 2022 back injury, noted that while the tour’s demise was unfortunate, he wasn’t too torn up over it.

Reflecting on the band’s catalog of music, he expressed, "It's too bad on one hand, but it's fine on the other. Because now, in retrospect, playing the old songs is not really paying tribute to anybody. That’s just like a jukebox in my opinion. ... To find a replacement for Ed? It's just not the same."

Despite the fallout, Alex revealed that he and David are still in contact. 

Alex's memoir 'Brothers' is set to release on Tuesday, October 22. The book follows his childhood with Eddie up through their original band lineup.