Van Halen's David Lee Roth Talks Health Cost Of Touring

K. Wiggins | 03-14-2020

Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth says that he values being able to perform live and tour "eminently" but says that it comes at a cost to his health, comparing it to boxing and the NFL.

While Van Halen has been on hiatus, Roth returned to the scene last year with the launch of his Las Vegas residency and more recently supporting KISS on their latest leg of their End Of The Road farewell tour.

Roth sat down with Las Vegas Magazine to discuss the residency and KISS tour and when asked how performing live and touring has changed for him, he responded, "I've come to value it eminently.

"That's a space like a boxing ring. How many people have literally sacrificed their health to get to it, and then again to stay with it, whether it's a theater, an opera stage, a ballet floor?

"There's so much great talent and ambition and energy out there now, so much more than when I started. I value that effort and I value that which I have more than I ever have before.

"The injury rate for my job is like the NFL- 100 percent. But I'm looking at 40 summers and a full house. Are you kidding me? We're going to play to half a million people by Hanukkah."