Sammy Hagar-“There’s Only One Way To Rock London” Concert Review
Sammy Hagar/Jayler
British Airways Arc
London, July 9, 2026
If you came into this Sammy Hagar show unfamiliar with the Red Rocker, you may have been knocked out by how laid back the American rock star is. Chilled, relaxed, joking with band members, and even lying down so he could stretch over to sign a fan’s record, Sammy never disappoints.
Fans may have felt disappointed over the years with a lack of Hagar action. He was over in the UK last year for two songs at the historic Back to the Beginning concert, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell. Before then, he came over with Chickenfoot. But this tour was unique. It would be Hagar’s first tour in England singing classic Van Halen, Montrose, and solo efforts since the 1980s, not forgetting Van Halen’s mid-90s support slot with Bon Jovi. In short, Hagar’s five dates in the UK, including 3 nights in London, are a rare opportunity to catch him, and fans up and down the country have been heavily invested.
British band Jayler has been supporting Hagar on this run, and they are instantly likable. Actually, think Hagar’s first band, Montrose, had a love affair with Led Zeppelin, and you get Jayler. Their songs may feel unfamiliar to the punters tonight, but their genre of dirty, groovy rock ‘ n ‘ roll is very welcome. Energetic and appealing Jayler has won fans over on this tour and went down a storm. Singer James Barthelomow has charisma, can’t take your eyes off him, and the band oozes confidence and swagger. They will do just fine on their own tours and prove that the throwaway tag ‘rock is dead’ should be binned.
Sammy Hagar and his talented band are next up at the impressive British Airways Arc venue. It’s all glass, restaurants, and bars, and I counted 1 minute until the escalator got to the top. You feel like you’re on top of the world, which, of course, is apt for a Sammy Hagar setlist. The band burst onto the stage with Van Halen classic ‘Why Can’t This Be Love,’ and there is literal relief in the room that we are witnessing a genuine legendary rock star who has lived it and seen it all.
Hagar is a ball of energy who defies his 78 years; the guy looks like he’s just pushing 55. He’s breezy, jumps around, runs around, and works out on stage, and oh, did we mention he can sing? Hagar sounds much younger than his years and still has that scream. He is a frontman full of melodies and memorable tunes. ‘Eagles Fly’ is one of the great rock ballads of the past 40 years. The talent is so immense that the band can pull out another ballad ‘Love Walks In’ fairly early in the set.
Kenny Aronoff on drums is a drummer’s drummer. If you get the chance to watch Rick Beato’s interview with Kenny, you will be left amazed at his enthusiasm and knowledge. Those who know know that Aronoff is one of the greatest drummers on the planet. On keyboards is Nathan ‘Spider Cherry’ Mercado I did think that he had that 1982 Sammy Hagar look about him so it was funny when Hagar mentioned that he reminded him of a young version of himself. Joe Satriani on guitar returned to England after last year’s tour with Steve Vai. Satriani is a God on guitar; he taught Metallica’s Kirk Hammett guitar, and is faithful and brilliant in his Eddie Van Halen solos. Michael Anthony on bass is, of course, an original member of Van Halen and is dominant on his weapon of choice. Full of smiles, happy to be there, and also a brilliant vocalist himself, which he proves on the highly popular track ‘Ain’t Talking bout Love’.
There are great deep dives into classic Hagar material with such beauties as ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ and ‘Heavy Metal’. And after one fan throws on a Chickenfoot tee, we get ‘Big Foot’ thrown in as a surprise- the song was not on the setlist. There is still an abundance of classics to be heard with ‘There’s Only One Way to Rock and ‘I Can’t Drive 55’ going down an absolute storm. Van Halen’s ‘Right Now’ is a poignant moment, and the show is wrapped up by ‘Encore, Thank You and Goodnight ‘, a song dedicated to the memory of the great Eddie Van Halen and a number which came about from a dream that Hagar had.
The show was everything you would expect and then more, and I did see some grown men cry. Sammy Hagar is having a ball in London tonight, and evidently, from the whole tour, the guys on stage are sharing their magic, paying homage, and kicking ass in all the right places.
Review and all images courtesy of David J. Bronstein
