In a new interview with Radio.com, Sammy Hagar spoke about the possibility of playing more live shows during the coronavirus pandemic. Hagar and the rest of THE CIRCLE band performed last October at Sammy's annual birthday bash, which was moved to Catalina Island in California. The audience watched the concert via the boat-in, a limited amount of socially distanced chartered boats that purchased mooring reservations in the bay at Two Harbors.
Hagar said (see video below): "[Our booking] agency is trying to find ways to do [more shows]. The drive-in movie theater thing, that didn't appeal to me. I couldn't do it. My fans are crazy. So we did the Catalina Island thing, where we said, 'Well, let's have a boat-in and see how that works.' And that was cool, but it was so expensive. [Laughs] I mean, you wanna talk about paying to play. It's, like, man. We had a to build a stage, we had to bring production — everything — on the Catalina. We had to stay there a week, with building everything out, and we did a pay-per-view, and it was successful, but it was not financially successful. But that wasn't the idea — the idea was to finish up my birthday bash and get it done.
"Getting creative with it — I don't like creative with trying to do a concert," he explained. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna do 'em from my home. The little things we did [were] fun — the 'Lockdown Sessions' [where the members of THE CIRCLE recorded themselves playing covers while in quarantine] — we did some great, creative things. It was great. But it was fun for me. But I have my fun by walking out on stage for two hours and playing the music and entertaining and talking to the folks and getting the feedback. There's nothing that will ever replace that. And I need it. And I want it. And my fans need it. And they want it. And we've got to have it. So we've gotta get back to it.
"I don't wanna play to half a house, because I've been offered [things like], 'Okay, you can play in some states. But if it holds 10 thousand [people], you can only play for five,'" he added. "I don't care about playing for five [thousand] — I'd play for five hundred. I don't mind that at all. I just know that those five thousand people are not gonna stay in their seats and socially distance. The second we start getting it on and I start saying, 'Are we having any fun yet?' and holding the mic up in the air and [going], 'Right now,' they're gonna be at the front of the stage all unsocially distanced, and it's gonna get criticized or I'm gonna get sued or fined or something. So it's a bummer."
SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE released their massively popular "Lockdown Sessions" as an album collection titled "Lockdown 2020" on January 8.
"Lockdown Sessions" began in March 2020, when the COVID-19 shelter-at-home order went into effect. With time on their hands and their upcoming tour in limbo, the band's legendary drummer Jason Bonham challenged his Hagar, Michael Anthony and Vic Johnson to record a warmup jam they'd been playing backstage before concerts for several years. Equipped with iPhones and their respective instruments, they each laid down their individual tracks from the den, music room, closet and even showers of their homes, and "Funky Feng Shui" and the band's "Lockdown Sessions" were born.
Last May, SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE's U.S. tour with NIGHT RANGER was officially canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Produced by Live Nation, the outing was scheduled to kick off July 9 in West Palm Beach, Florida at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre and make stops in Tampa, Cincinnati, Dallas, Phoenix and more, before wrapping September 20 in Chula Vista, California at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre.
THE CIRCLE's first album of all-original material, "Space Between", was released in May 2019 via BMG.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.