Touring rock stars have their share of strange travel stories. But few compare with the pair of security run-ins Eddie Van Halen had in 1995 when his band was on the road supporting their album Balance.
One incident was bizarre. The other was considerably more serious.
During one tour stop, security officials inspected one of Van Halen’s electric guitar cases and discovered a chainsaw inside.
When questioned, Ed explained that it was simply a tool of the trade. Van Halen’s stage production involved large wooden props and set pieces that occasionally needed to be cut or modified during load-in or teardown.
I don't know anything about music. I’m just a tinkerer.”
— Eddie Van Halen
Although it may seem an odd way to transport the tool, the chainsaw fit perfectly inside the guitar case. For Ed, that kind of improvisation was second nature.
“I don't know anything about music,” he once joked. “I’m just a tinkerer.”
From Van Halen’s perspective, the chainsaw was no different from a screwdriver or soldering iron. For that matter, he once used a chainsaw to hack a large chunk out of his Ibanez Destroyer, creating the famously mutilated “Shark” guitar seen during the Women and Children First era.
Once security realized there was nothing more sinister involved, the situation ended without further trouble.
But another airport encounter didn’t go nearly as smoothly.
On April 7, 1995, Eddie was passing through security at the airport in Burbank, California, on his way to a show in Oakland. After placing his carry-on bag on the X-ray conveyor belt, he suddenly realized he’d left a loaded .25-caliber Beretta pistol inside the bag.
It wasn't like I was trying to sneak it on the plane. I just totally spaced and forgot to take it out of my bag.”
— Eddie Van Halen
Van Halen had purchased the handgun as protection for himself and his family: his wife, Valerie Bertinelli, and their young son, Wolfgang Van Halen. Fans and stalkers would sometimes sit in vans outside his home for extended periods, prompting him to take precautions.
Because the band typically traveled by private jet, traditional airport security checks were rare — hence his oversight when flying commercial.
“I forgot to take it out of my bag on a commercial flight,” he said afterward. “It wasn't like I was trying to sneak it on the plane. I just totally spaced and forgot to take it out of my bag.”
He realized the problem almost immediately, but it was too late.
“It was already on the conveyor belt,” he explained. “If I would have caught it two seconds earlier, I could’ve just sent it home and not gotten in trouble for it.”
Airport police detained him for roughly half an hour and confiscated the weapon. Although the gun was legally registered and Van Halen cooperated fully with authorities, he was cited for possessing a firearm in the airport.
Van Halen ultimately pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor, paid a $1,000 fine and received one year of probation. The gun itself was ordered destroyed by the court.
Ironically, the trip that prompted the incident ended up being unnecessary. When his flight arrived in Oakland, he learned that singer Sammy Hagar had fallen ill, forcing the band to cancel three shows scheduled for that weekend.
“So I get arrested for the gun and didn't really even have to go,” Eddie later joked. “If Sammy had told me an hour earlier, I wouldn't have had to fly up there.”
“That was embarrassing. You’d think a guy like Eddie would at least carry a .45.”
— Ted Nugent
The episode was mortifying for the guitarist, who would have preferred to keep the spotlight on his playing. Still, the story quickly spread through the rock world — and even drew a wisecrack from fellow guitar slinger Ted Nugent when he was interviewed by Guitar Player for the December 1995 issue.
When asked about Van Halen’s airport predicament, the famously outspoken Motor City Madman grinned broadly.
“That was embarrassing,” Nugent said. “You’d think a guy like Eddie would at least carry a .45.”
