Sammy Hagar almost single-handedly ruins Black Sabbath farewell concert

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It seems quite unusual to include Sammy Hagar in a supergroup at a Black Sabbath farewell concert alongside Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and Tobias Forge from Ghost, as Hagar seems to be the one who doesn’t quite match the other two musically.

It’s quite possible that Hagar holds an unparalleled fortune in rock music lore. While he possesses a passable voice for a pop-rock performer, this doesn’t necessarily stand out. Notably, when he replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen, the band’s charm seemed to depart with him.

Eddie Van Halen was an exceptional guitarist, while Roth added fun to the band. Hagar, on the other hand, was just a lucky fellow who happened to be their singer.

Sammy Hagar was absolutely terrible at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert

During Black Sabbath’s final performance, Hagar was included in what was called “Supergroup B.” At first, Corgan took on the role of frontman, but later, Hagar stepped in and performed a rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Flying High Again.” Unlike Ozzy, who sings the song with his own voice, Hagar merely voiced the lyrics, much like a cheerleader attempting to do a karaoke version of a Black Sabbath tune.

I take that back. The cheerleader might actually be better and more interesting.

At the event, Hagar urged the crowd to cheer and enjoy themselves, which felt unusual. A performer shouldn’t strive to excite the audience, particularly at such a performance. The audience was already engaged; it would be more appropriate for him to guide them instead. Hagar’s unawareness of the situation made him appear out of touch, and unfortunately, somewhat dull.

Interestingly, while other vocalists or band members from supergroups had been featured in great songs within their respective bands, surprisingly, it was Sammy Hagar’s song “Rock Candy,” one he wrote himself, that got played. This track, however, was part of the Montrose catalog, a band that many have likely forgotten Hagar started.

For a valid reason, Montrose and Hagar weren’t top-notch. Instead, they spent most of their time hidden in the rocky backdrop before being summoned to transform Van Halen from a renowned hard rock band into a more radio-friendly group. This was essentially a mistake made by Eddie and Alex Van Halen, and Hagar has been profiting from it ever since.

In this performance, Hagar seemed less impressive next to Corgan, but things really stood out when Steven Tyler joined for a few songs, particularly an impressive rendition of “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin. Despite some vocal challenges Tyler has faced in recent times, he delivered admirably. On the other hand, Hagar’s performance felt more like reciting his lyrics.

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2025-07-05 22:00