When Alex Van Halen’s Arm Caught Fire, but Roadie Wouldn’t Help

Alex Van Halen recalled the time he set his arm on fire during a Van Halen show – and his roadie, who had an extinguisher, didn’t help him.

It’s one reason why the drummer and late brother Eddie Van Halen didn’t like the classic movie This Is Spinal Tap, as he revealed in his recent memoir, Brothers (via LAist).

“For me, fire represents the temporariness – that only the moment counts,” Van Halen wrote about his regular trick of playing while his drum kit burned. “I mean, the flame is there and poof, it’s gone. So it’s life, right? … And there was an element of danger because we did it on such an amateur level.”

READ MORE: Hear the Full Version of Eddie and Alex Van Halen’s ‘Unfinished’

He continued: “My favorite memory of all of that was [when] we’d kind of gotten it down to a science. And as we’re doing it during the performance, the lighter fluid starts to come down my arm. And then I look over and I notice my arm’s on fire. So I’m thinking, ‘That can’t be good,’ right?

“I look at [my tech] Greg – who, in theory, [is] there with a fire extinguisher… I look at him and he’s looking at me, and he gives me the thumbs up. ‘Looks great, man!’ I’ll never forget that as long as I live.”

Van Halen Brothers Thought ‘Spinal Tap’ Wasn’t Funny

Elsewhere in the book, Van Halen recalled seeing the celebrated 1984 “rockumentary” about spoof rock band Spinal Tap. “That wasn’t funny at all,” he said.

“Ed and I saw it and we said, ‘That’s what we experienced!’ That is really how things happen. It’s mind bending. The public doesn’t really have any idea what goes on behind the scenes. And I’m certainly not going to burst the bubble.

“But that movie, there were a lot of elements that were more true than they were parody.”