Sometimes the best way to break the ice between warring factions is with a simple gesture of kindness. Today (Jan. 26), Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen exchanged pleasantries on Twitter.

The occasion, as noted by Van Halen News Desk, was Van Halen's 61st birthday. Hagar tweeted out a picture of them performing together with the message, "Happy Birthday Eddie - hope you’re doing good. #5150time #BestOfBothWorlds." Van Halen responded with, "Thanks Sammy. Hope you’re well too."

That might not seem like much, but the two reportedly hadn't spoken to each other since the end of Van Halen's 2004 tour, which had been their first together since 1996. Hagar's autobiography describes the guitarist in bad health due to alcoholism, and they fought regularly backstage. “What happened on that reunion tour in ’04,” Hagar later said, “was some of the most miserable, back-stabbing dark crap I’ve ever been involved with my whole life.”

Over the years, they would continue to berate each other in the press. Last June, Van Halen had criticized Michael Anthony's bass playing and backing vocals, saying, "Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play" and that "I have more soul as a singer than he does." Later that day, Hagar rose to Anthony's defense with a video in which he said, "F--- you, Eddie Van Halen for saying that about Mikey. You’re a liar [...] I’m so pissed about that. A–hole [...] Michael Anthony is the greatest guy on the f---ing planet.”

Two weeks ago, rumors had surfaced that a reunion of the Van Hagar era was imminent based on what some people thought were hints dropped by both parties. However, Anthony unequivocally denied that they were getting back together.

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