Alex Van Halen made a fan cry meeting him at a book signing in New York, as seen below.
Van Halen’s request to ban brown M&M’s from their tour had a reason behind it. In the 1980s, the band included a specific demand in their tour rider: they wanted M&M’s, but they wanted “absolutely no brown ones.” Alex Van Halen also took a shot at Michael Antony previously as well.
This might seem a bit picky, but drummer Alex Van Halen explains in his book Brothers that it was actually for safety. The band used detailed requests to make sure venues paid attention to important equipment, which could help prevent accidents like fires or stage collapses.
Alex admits they might have seemed difficult, saying, “I know. We sound like jerks.” But it wasn’t about being in charge or disliking the color brown. It was a way to check if the venue was professional. If they found brown M&M’s, it meant the venue might not have taken their other requests seriously, which made them worry about safety.
“I know. We sound like jerks,” he writes in the book. “Like rock star primadonnas looking to make some poor kid sit around picking through candies till he goes blind. But it wasn’t about a power trip, and it wasn’t about some strange aversion to the color brown.”
The band would often joke about whether brown M&M’s tasted different, but the real concern was about ensuring safety and professionalism.
Brothers is a loving tribute from Alex to his brother Eddie, who passed away in 2020. The book shares stories from their childhood in the Netherlands and Southern California and tells about their rise to fame with Van Halen. It’s not just a story about the band; it’s also about family, talent, and the passion to create.
