"He did horrible things to people. He treated people so bad. He was a complete raving maniac." In 2016, Sammy Hagar talked candidly about his fears that Eddie Van Halen was going to die during Van Halen's 2004 reunion tour

Van Halen, 2004.

In a 2016 interview newly posted to YouTube by AXS TV, Sammy Hagar spoke candidly about his issues with Eddie Van Halen on Van Halen's lucrative 2004 reunion tour, describing the 80-show tour as "the worst experience in my life."

The tour, which ran from June 11, 2004 to November 19, 2004, received some damning reviews from fans and critics alike, with Hagar subsequently admitting that he tried to quit the circus mid-tour, so embarrassed was he by the guitarist's wayward performances at certain gigs, a consequence of Van Halen's battle with addiction.

"Eddie was completely whacked out off the charts on alcohol and drugs," Hagar recalled in the interview. "And poor guy, I mean he was really in bad shape, I thought he was going to die."

Recalling how there'd be nights where Van Halen's playing on classic songs was so bad that he couldn't even recognise which song the guitarist was performing, Hagar admitted that he wanted to walk away after 40 shows.