Steve Perry breaks silence on infamous Van Halen guacamole incident

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry has broken his silence on a now infamous Van Halen guacamole incident that happened 42 years ago.

Back in 1978, Journey hit the road across North America in support of their fourth studio album ‘Infinity’ with fast-rising Californian rockers Van Halen in tow.

In his wordily titled book ‘Runnin' with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen’, Van Halen tour manager Noel Monk claimed that Steve Perry walked into Van Halen’s dressing room at one date on the tour – however, unbeknownst to him, Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth were having a food fight at the time.

Unfortunately for Steve Perry, he was caught in the crossfire and his pristine jacket was covered in avocado-based dip Guacamole.

Monk writes in ‘Runnin' with the Devil’: "From the top of his luxurious mane of silky black hair to the middle of his shimmering new sateen Journey jacket, (Steve Perry) was completely covered in guacamole.

“'I was going to wear this onstage tonight,' he told me, tapping the chest of his jacket, his lower lip quivering. 'Look at it now – it's f---ing ruined.'

“Words failed him, and for a moment I thought he was about to erupt – to start screaming, to demand that we pay for damages and leave the tour immediately, have our heads mounted on spikes and set outside the front doors of our next gig, but instead he simply began crying, a soft, sad little whimper, and I felt bad for him."

In an interview with Rolling Stone published this week, Steve Perry has now set the record straight and categorically denied the guacamole incident brought him to tears.

“One night, I decided I had to go tell him, ‘I just love you guys.’ I open the door and was about to say, ‘Hey, guys…’ Now, back in these days, guacamole came in a cottage-cheese–like container. The band was having a food fight,” Steve explained.

“Just as I was opening the door, a container of guacamole bumped off the mirror to my left and splashed against my most prized possession, being a small-town kid from Fresno. It was my satin tour jacket that had “Journey” on the back of it. Wearing that, I felt like I was finally somebody.

“The guacamole went on my left shoulder and my left arm. I looked down on it and I looked up at them and they sheepishly laughed like, “Oh s---.” I just looked at them and I closed the door and left because I was pissed. I went into the bathroom and I was just pissed. That was my prized jacket. I still loved them, but I couldn’t give them props anymore after that. I wiped my guacamole off my satin jacket.”

He added: “I wouldn’t cry over guacamole. It becomes folklore at some point. It becomes silly.”

We’re glad Steve has finally cleared it up!

Eddie Van Halen died on Tuesday 6th October aged 65 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

You can read tributes to Eddie Van Halen from Wolfgang Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Nikki Sixx, Tony Iommi, Joe Elliott, Metallica, Aerosmith, AC/DC and many more RIGHT HERE.

Eddie Van Halen - The legend in photos:

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