Sammy Hagar attends the Beach Bar Rum launch at Cabo Wabo Cantina on February 17, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)
This past Sunday legendary Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar sat down with Rick Springfield to talk to Forbes about their rum business, however Hagar revealed in the interview that the lockdown has more or less killed his creativity.
While the sit down started innocently enough, the topic of COVID was an inevitable one and soon the Red Rocker would detail that although his band has been keeping together by jamming out cover songs he hasn’t felt inspired to write anything original.
“It’s funny cause I haven’t been that prolific during COVID,” Hagar told Forbes interviewer Steve Baltin. ” I have a million ideas. But I’m having a hard time with lyrics because I’m not a negative person and there’s so many negative things.”
“It seems like a negative time and I don’t like to write about that,” Hagar continued. “I really don’t like writing about being locked down. So with my band we did the Lockdown Sessions of cover songs, one new song. And that’s about as creative as I’ve been on that level.”
Hagar admitted only a few months ago that these jam sessions not only were fun, but were the glue that “made our band [The Circle] stay together” through the lockdown. The collection of songs they covered for fans to get them by turned into a creative catalyst for Hagar as he worked to find something positive to write about.
The collection was eventually released as “Lockdown 2020,” which is filled with amazing covers from Van Halen, to The Who, to AC/DC, and even Bob Marley.
While music has not been Hagars main focus during this time, he said he’s anxious to get back to rocking.
“What I’ve done is I’ve turned this time off into being able to deal with all of my different business ventures that sometimes get neglected. Other people have to do the work. They call me up and say, ‘What do you want to do about this?’ I say, ‘I don’t know, I don’t have time for that.’ ‘Then why’d you start the damn business?’ ‘Cause I’m an idiot.’” Hagar said laughing at himself. “You give me five minutes off and I start a new business.”
“So I really have been massaging all those things and being able to do stuff like this for Beach Bar Rum and for my Santo Tequila and for my Cabo Wabo Cantina,” Hagar continued. “All these places needed attention. I really focused and have got so much done. [But] I’m so happy to start touring again and tell all these people, ‘I don’t have time for that today. I got a show tonight.’”
Ultimately Hagar wants to return to the fun-filled beach parties he’s use to throwing and said he knows his fans are desperate for that communal feeling as well. Hagar is also aware of the other…needs… of his fans. Well, he said it best.
“Yeah, COVID took so much from everybody’s life. Everyone is so horny and in need of some kind of a release and a good rock concert is as good as it gets.” Hagar told Forbes.
“We just throw this big party at the beach bar. Wherever we are, we may be in the middle of Iowa, but we’re gonna bring the beach. We’ll put an environment backstage for you and of course sell the booze and the drinks in the venue. I’m really looking forward to throwing that party,” Hagar concluded while laughing.
While Hagar threw an actual beach birthday bash in October, Las Vegas or Catalina are where he has his sights set for when people are allowed to go to concerts again. At least there’s plenty of sand in each prospective location.
