The Van Halen frontman described the difference between “then and now” by sounding off on new rock acts currently in the business.

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David Lee Roth directed some harsh words at his rock peers in an interview with the New York Post, at one point even calling them cheerleaders and not showmen!

Roth said:

“These days, I see too much cheerleading and not enough stagecraft, and what I’m seeing isn’t worth cheering for. The questions I want to ask most of my colleagues are: Can you even do the whole song from beginning to end? Can you do it onstage like you did it in the studio? Do you float like a butterfly or sting like a pre-recorded bee?”

Last year in a similar interview, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil echoed those same sentiments that Roth shares on why music, specifically its performers, are just not the same as it once was.

Vince Neil said to Ultimate Classic Rock in July 2011:

“Most bands forget that this is entertainment, and you’ve got to put a show on. Most of these bands are content to wear jeans and a t-shirt, and just stand there and play their music. Which, is kind of missing the point. That’s why all those ’90s bands disappeared — they were f—ing depressing people.”

It’s tough to argue with these guys – after all, they’ve been there and done that.

But what do YOU think? 

Is new music just not the same as before? Or are these rock veterans just upset they’re no longer in the spotlight as much?

Check out Opening Night footage from the Van Halen tour!