Sammy Hagar addressed rumors about his retirement in a recent video on Instagram.
“For the last couple weeks, I’ve been getting all these messages from people, ‘Oh, my God, you’re not gonna tour anymore.’ I didn’t say I’m not gonna tour anymore,” Hagar explained. He clarified he was referring to an upcoming residency in May with Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, Kenny Aronoff, and Rai Thistlethwayte, performing as the Best of All Worlds band. “We’re gonna do a residency,” he said.
Hagar described why he is considering a different approach to performing. “I’m hoping that will be a lot easier for me than packing bags every day, and getting on an airplane, fly to the next city, check in a hotel, run to the soundcheck, try to get something to eat, go to the meetings and greetings after the show, and you’re [making a tired face] doing a show.”
He added, “Without all that crazy travel, and that extracurricular stuff, it should be easier for me to wake up, have a nice breakfast in the town where you’re gonna play, not having to do anything but maybe to go to the gym, maybe rehearse. Yeah man, now you’re talking. I’ll be champing at the bit with a count showtime because I will be well-rested without all that travel.”
Discussing his thoughts on touring, Hagar said, “Maybe I might squeeze fifty hundred more shows at this voice and this body. I’m a performer. I like to perform and it takes it out of you. So that’s all I’m saying. Hopefully, the residency will be the answer to be able to continue on for many more years because if not touring is getting tough, and I’ll be doing less and less.”
He acknowledged that eventually, touring might come to an end. “So, and eventually, probably won’t be doing it at all. I mean, it is inevitable. I’m a human [laughs]. Anyway, it’s all good. I’m not gonna stop performing ever. I will play music, live music, as long as I can. I freaking love it. You kidding me? Alright, that’s your answer,” he concluded.
So, Hagar clarified his comments to The Miami Herald ahead of a recent show in Las Vegas. He said he finds the demanding tour schedule increasingly difficult. “I don’t think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that because I don’t want to piss my fans off. I’ll go out and do a one-off show and do things like that, but the residency is going to give me a good extension of my career. That’s what I’m hoping for.”
The nine-show residency, titled ‘Best Of All Worlds Tour – The Residency,’ is set for April 30 to May 17 at Dolby Live in Las Vegas.
