Huge thanks to UltimateClassicRock for reminding me of this precious Van Halen moment! 20 Years ago, one of my most favorite rock bands of all time briefly reunited on the stage of MTV to present an award for Best Male Music Video.
The crowd went crazy, the moment they saw guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony, alongside David Lee Roth. However, if you watch the whole appearance, you can easily spot the obvious estrangement and hidden tension between the members of the band. David’s a showman; he demands attention and gets it at all costs. I love him, however he just wanted that night to be all about him, instead of getting down to business – the MTV awards. At one point, Eddie was too embarrassed, so he physically pulled David away from the microphone.
Van Halen had no intention of getting back with David on a permanent basis. The MTV guest appearance was simply part of their promotional activities for Best Of – Volume 1. The foursome even recorded two new songs for the compilation album – “Me Wise Magic” and “Can’t Get This Stuff No More.”
Earlier that year, Sammy Hagar – their second frontman, left the band under questionable circumstances and it was the perfect time to briefly take David back in to record the surprise new songs for the album.
Watch their reunion below:
MY ROCK MIXTAPES 