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https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/david-lee-roth-weighs-in-on-rumored-van-halen-celebration-tour/
David Lee Roth has weighed in on reports that he has been in discussions with Alex Van Halen and Joe Satriani about taking part in an all-star VAN HALEN tribute project.
Earlier today, Satriani confirmed to the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show that the trio has been in regular contact over the past year "about doing something — a tour, something like that — that was gonna be a true tribute to [late VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie [Van Halen] and the VAN HALEN legacy," he said.
The 65-year-old guitarist addressed the rumor just days after former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by the VAN HALEN drummer about six months ago about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and Joe and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy. "How could you?" Jason said. "There's nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn't want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled."
When asked by the Van Halen News Desk site to chime in on the hypothetical tour, Roth e-mailed the following statement: "IN MY MIND VAN HALEN 4r, IN THE AGE OF COVID IS GOING TO REQUIRE TWO OF US FOR EVERY POSITION. SATRIANI AND LUKATHER, ANTHONY AND NEWSTED, AL OR TOMMY LEE. PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD DO MY JOB TODAY WOULD BE PINK.."
Three months ago, Roth canceled the remaining farewell shows he was set to play at the House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Just three months earlier, the legendary VAN HALEN singer announced that he was ending his career with his Vegas concerts during the first weeks of January. "I am throwing in the shoes. I'm retiring," Roth told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "These are my last shows." He added: "I'm not going to explain the statement. The explanation is in a safe."
Last June, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen, who joined his father in VAN HALEN for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Michael Anthony, told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" it would be "great" to eventually organize an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. "It's not in the immediate plans, 'cause that's a lot of moving parts that you've gotta corral to get that to happen. But I definitely think it should happen. Absolutely," he said.
Asked how he envisions the tribute concert taking place in terms of which musicians should be involved, Wolfgang said: "I have no idea. All I know is that the focus should a hundred percent be on Pop. While it could be a celebration of VAN HALEN and the band's history, I think more than anything, it should be focused on him… It's a tall ask and a big thing to figure out. But I do think it should happen at some point."
In February 2021, former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar told Kyle Meredith that he will make every effort to take part in the Eddie Van Halen tribute concert.
"I have nothing to do with the [Eddie Van Halen] legacy," he said. "That's their business — that's Wolfie, Alex Van Halen; they're family members. Whoever wants to call me up and say, 'Here's the date,' I will be there. I don't care where I am. I'll cancel a [solo] show [if I need to]. [Laughs] [That's] something VAN HALEN would never do. I always make that joke — canceling a show was [out of the question with] VAN HALEN. I went out sick without being able to sing, Eddie went out with a crutch, Alex went out with a fucking neck brace — we wouldn't cancel shows. But I will cancel my show for a tribute to Eddie any day."
Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.
Joe Satriani has confirmed that he has been in discussions with Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth about taking part in an all-star VAN HALEN tribute project.
The 65-year-old guitarist addressed the rumor just days after former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by the VAN HALEN drummer about six months ago about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and Joe and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy. "How could you?" Jason said. "There's nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn't want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled."
Satriani, who is promoting his newly released solo album "The Elephants Of Mars", was asked about Newsted's comments in a new interview with the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show.
Joe said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've been talking with Alex and Dave for about a year about doing something — a tour, something like that — that was gonna be a true tribute to [late VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie [Van Halen] and the VAN HALEN legacy.
"For me, it was a terrifying prospect of doing something like that, but I realized that it was something that would be a real labor of love for me. I was just so honored to take on the challenge.
"It's very complicated," Satriani continued. "And all I can really say about it is that if it does happen, I know we'll make it the greatest thing ever for the fans and we'll all celebrate together not only the great Eddie Van Halen but the legacy that that band created, the amazing amount of music and the goodwill and good vibes they created as a band."
Satriani said that he was surprised to learn that Jason had revealed the project's existence before everything was finalized and an official announcement was made.
"These things are always happening in the music industry, and you're supposed to keep very quiet about it [laughs], because sometimes they don't work out," he said. "There's usually about 10 crazy ideas that float around and musicians are always, like, 'Okay, I won't say anything about this 'cause it may not work out. I don't wanna hurt this person's feelings or disrupt any other business plans.' So, yeah, we were all pretty shocked that Jason wanted to go public with it 'cause we were all sworn to silence. [Laughs]"
Satriani also talked about what it has been like to be in regular contact with Alex while putting together all the pieces for a possible VAN HALEN tour.
"I have to say that just getting to know Alex has been really wonderful," Joe said. "He's a great human being, and, obviously, I can't imagine losing a brother that way, so soon. And they were really close; their relationship was really quite unique." As for Roth, the guitarist said: "I don't know Dave that well. I think I've only met him once — maybe when Steve [Vai] invited us to see the David Lee Roth tour. I was in Australia with Mick Jagger at the time, so we all went; it was quite an experience. But, yeah, I've only spoken to Dave on the phone a number of times over the last — I don't know — 25 years or so. But he's David Lee Roth; they're VAN HALEN. It's a big deal.
"Like I said before, if it ever does happen, it will be a great honor and a terrifying challenge," Satriani said. "Eddie, you can't reproduce what he did — you can't. You can learn the notes and you can be taught all the fingerings and get the gear and everything, but there was only one Eddie and he was the epitome of an original genius. But if it does happen, I know that Alex will make sure that it's the right way to do it."
Satriani went on to compare the experience of playing classic VAN HALEN songs to the challenge of performing in the band CHICKENFOOT in which he is joined by former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar, ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith.
"I looked at it from a musical point of view," he said. "I spent most of my life trying to memorize my own catalog — there are a lot of notes to memorize and to pull off a show and to stay focused on it. So every time something like this comes up, like CHICKENFOOT, it's, like, 'Okay, I've gotta make space in my brain for a whole other way of playing.' The great thing is when you get together with the guys in CHICKENFOOT, their personalities are so huge and they bring so much talent that you don't really have to be so big; you just be a part of something.
"But the thought of representing all the eras of VAN HALEN, that's pretty daunting; that's a lot of stuff," he admitted. "And just from a guitar player's point of view, Eddie progressed remarkably as a player and as an inventor, and those two things, they kind of went together from 'Van Halen I' all the way to the last album. And when you sit down to actually learn it and pull it off, you go, 'Wow! Not only do I need talent but I need [to use specific] gear,' 'cause certain things won't work unless you've got this amp and it's doing that. So that's also another thing."
Last June, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen, who joined his father in VAN HALEN for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Anthony, told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" it would be "great" to eventually organize an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. "It's not in the immediate plans, 'cause that's a lot of moving parts that you've gotta corral to get that to happen. But I definitely think it should happen. Absolutely," he said.
Asked how he envisions the tribute concert taking place in terms of which musicians should be involved, Wolfgang said: "I have no idea. All I know is that the focus should a hundred percent be on Pop. While it could be a celebration of VAN HALEN and the band's history, I think more than anything, it should be focused on him… It's a tall ask and a big thing to figure out. But I do think it should happen at some point."
In November 2020, Wolfgang told Entertainment Tonight that proceeds from any tribute show in honor of his father will go toward Eddie's favorite charity, Mr. Holland's Opus, which helps underprivileged students access musical instruments. Proceeds from the debut solo single from Wolfgang's solo band MAMMOTH WVH, "Distance", are also benefiting Mr. Holland's Opus.
In February 2021, Hagar told Kyle Meredith that he will make every effort to take part in the Eddie Van Halen tribute concert.
"I have nothing to do with the [Eddie Van Halen] legacy," he said. "That's their business — that's Wolfie, Alex Van Halen; they're family members. Whoever wants to call me up and say, 'Here's the date,' I will be there. I don't care where I am. I'll cancel a [solo] show [if I need to]. [Laughs] [That's] something VAN HALEN would never do. I always make that joke — canceling a show was [out of the question with] VAN HALEN. I went out sick without being able to sing, Eddie went out with a crutch, Alex went out with a fucking neck brace — we wouldn't cancel shows. But I will cancel my show for a tribute to Eddie any day."
Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.
Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has told The Palm Beach Post in a new interview that he almost joined an all-star VAN HALEN tribute project six months ago. VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen had already tapped Joe Satriani to play guitar, Newsted said, and the two were searching for a bass player for a possible VAN HALEN tour.
Newsted said he agreed to go to California to jam with the guys and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy.
"How could you?" he said. "There's nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn't want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled."
Last June, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen, who joined his father in VAN HALEN for the band's 2007 reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth, replacing Michael Anthony, told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" it would be "great" to eventually organize an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. "It's not in the immediate plans, 'cause that's a lot of moving parts that you've gotta corral to get that to happen. But I definitely think it should happen. Absolutely," he said.
Asked how he envisions the tribute concert taking place in terms of which musicians should be involved, Wolfgang said: "I have no idea. All I know is that the focus should a hundred percent be on Pop. While it could be a celebration of VAN HALEN and the band's history, I think more than anything, it should be focused on him… It's a tall ask and a big thing to figure out. But I do think it should happen at some point."
In November 2020, Wolfgang told Entertainment Tonight that proceeds from any tribute show in honor of his father will go toward Eddie's favorite charity, Mr. Holland's Opus, which helps underprivileged students access musical instruments. Proceeds from the debut solo single from Wolfgang's solo band MAMMOTH WVH, "Distance", are also benefiting Mr. Holland's Opus.
In February 2021, former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar told Kyle Meredith that he will make every effort to take part in the Eddie Van Halen tribute concert.
"I have nothing to do with the [Eddie Van Halen] legacy," he said. "That's their business — that's Wolfie, Alex Van Halen [Eddie's brother]; they're family members. Whoever wants to call me up and say, 'Here's the date,' I will be there. I don't care where I am. I'll cancel a [solo] show [if I need to]. [Laughs] [That's] something VAN HALEN would never do. I always make that joke — canceling a show was [out of the question with] VAN HALEN. I went out sick without being able to sing, Eddie went out with a crutch, Alex went out with a fucking neck brace — we wouldn't cancel shows. But I will cancel my show for a tribute to Eddie any day."
Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Thanks for posting these jzfunk.....There's been quite an uproar over this possibility over at Vhlinks as Jason Newsted's comments were posted there over the weekend.
As many VH fans are wondering, including me, why no Mike Anthony in this possible project?
I would add that of all the terrific guitarists out there who could pay homage to Eddie, for a number or reasons, my choice would be Dweezil Zappa. Just my preference.
Thanks for posting these jzfunk.....There's been quite an uproar over this possibility over at Vhlinks as Jason Newsted's comments were posted there over the weekend.
As many VH fans are wondering, including me, why no Mike Anthony in this possible project?
I would add that of all the terrific guitarists out there who could pay homage to Eddie, for a number or reasons, my choice would be Dweezil Zappa. Just my preference.
Yeah....I dont get the whole "not including" Mike thing, and Sam was not mentioned either, but why? Per Sam, he said that he was in contact with Ed before is passing and on decent terms. From what has circulated on the internet, MA never spoke with Ed before his death. Mike spoke with Al when Ed passed, and then about 6 yrs ago he had a friendly good talk with AVH over the phone. Not sure why Mike gets the "sh!t end of the stick" from the VH camp.
As far as guitar players, like you mentioned there are tons that would be great. I know very little of Dweezil Zappa's besides his name and who his dad was. I know he is regarded as a really good player, but I could not tell you much more than that. I guess I always associated his playing with his dad's stuff and it really never spoke to me. I do like the song he did in the 80's with his sister that made the rounds on MTV.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Me thinks DLR was throwing in some misdirection to muddy things up and add confusion, while at same time mentioning Mike Anthony to quash some potential ugliness backlash among the fandom. That response seems very DLR to me.
Satriani is a really odd choice if the plan doesn't include Mike & Sam, given the whole Chickenfoot thing. Which leads me to believe all the former band members would be included as well as multiple (outsider) players at each position like what DLR is saying. Maybe not so big as to be chaotic, but 3 or 4 players at each position to rotate through a bit. If Mike & Sam are out, then other guitar options make way more sense than Satriani. And nothing against Satch, but John 5 or Dweezil or Pete Thorn would seem better choices for playing VH music. Or even Steve Vai - who doesn't have the tone, but certainly the chops to pull it off and Vai has been very reverent when speaking about EVH. (Although I could see why they might exclude anyone formerly in DLR's solo bands, so X Steve Vai and John 5.)
It's also possible AVH wanted to try playing/jamming first with a couple of outsiders to see what it was like to play VH music without EVH, with preliminary discussions of what AVH had in mind of possibly doing with the former VH bandmembers if it all felt good and worked out. But perhaps he wanted to try playing the music with outsiders first to see how it felt.
I also wonder what this would have looked like. Sounds like more than a 1-off, but I cannot imagine taking it on the road as a tour. So perhaps multi-night run in theaters in 3 or 4 or 5 cities, sorta like what TTB sometimes does. Or maybe a Vegas residency.
I saw EVH several times and Steve Vai twice and Vai absolutely has the chops and then some. He is a technical wizard!!
But good point about his tone. Never heard it as good as Eddie's. Those Ibanez guitars are popular with heavy metal and shredder players so I don't know why Steve never got that big tone Eddie always had.
I guess I would go with Steve Vai if I had something to do with it.
Me thinks DLR was throwing in some misdirection to muddy things up and add confusion, while at same time mentioning Mike Anthony to quash some potential ugliness backlash among the fandom. That response seems very DLR to me.
Satriani is a really odd choice if the plan doesn't include Mike & Sam, given the whole Chickenfoot thing. Which leads me to believe all the former band members would be included as well as multiple (outsider) players at each position like what DLR is saying. Maybe not so big as to be chaotic, but 3 or 4 players at each position to rotate through a bit. If Mike & Sam are out, then other guitar options make way more sense than Satriani. And nothing against Satch, but John 5 or Dweezil or Pete Thorn would seem better choices for playing VH music. Or even Steve Vai - who doesn't have the tone, but certainly the chops to pull it off and Vai has been very reverent when speaking about EVH. (Although I could see why they might exclude anyone formerly in DLR's solo bands, so X Steve Vai and John 5.)
It's also possible AVH wanted to try playing/jamming first with a couple of outsiders to see what it was like to play VH music without EVH, with preliminary discussions of what AVH had in mind of possibly doing with the former VH bandmembers if it all felt good and worked out. But perhaps he wanted to try playing the music with outsiders first to see how it felt.
I also wonder what this would have looked like. Sounds like more than a 1-off, but I cannot imagine taking it on the road as a tour. So perhaps multi-night run in theaters in 3 or 4 or 5 cities, sorta like what TTB sometimes does. Or maybe a Vegas residency.
Yeah...thats Dave for you!! Pretty much on par with his sound bites.
I thought the same when I heard Satch and Newsted. Kinda out of left field in a way. Both talented but I do not feel the "VH" vibe with those guys. John 5 was my first thought. Pete Thorn would be good too. Vai, besides his Roth stuff, is not my cup of tea. Talented no doubt.
I wonder what brought Al to Joe and Jason. Does he have relationships with them? Maybe just grasping at whose out there? Recommended by people in a mngt position? Dunno
AVH for most of his life had one musical partner....his brother. He probably spent more time with him than anyone else, except for Val,Wolf,and Janie. I am sure it will be hard for him and I it wont be the same doing those songs without VH. That is a musical bond and chemistry that was uniquely their own.
This whole tribute,celebration of EVH and VH will happen when Al is ready. My opinion on this is just to have Al,Mike,Dave,Sam,Wolfie, Gary (if they felt it was necessary), just do a big one off show to honor EVH and then call it a day. Drop the egos and bull crap and realize why and who they are there for.Without EVH none of any of this would have been possible. Guitarist? A Lot to choose from, just as long as it's tasteful, and as long as I can guest on "Hear About It Later" or "In A Simple Rhyme" I am there!!!
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
New interview with Joe
Excerpt below:
Satriani, who is promoting his newly released solo album "The Elephants Of Mars", was asked about Newsted's comments in a new interview with Andrew Daly of VW Music. He said: "Yeah, it is true. I was contacted by Alex Van Halen and Dave and had some conversations a little less than a year ago about putting together a full tour to celebrate Eddie and the VAN HALEN legacy. And yeah, it's terrifying. I mean, I literally heard myself saying, 'Yes,' and then the other part of my brain said, 'Did you just say yes? Are you nuts?' I think I remember telling them that any sane guitar player would just turn around and start running away as fast as possible because you can't measure up to Eddie. It's like one of those jobs where you just try because you know it's important to you, and a labor of love, but still, people are always going say, 'It doesn't sound like Eddie,' no matter what you do. I took on the challenge that way, and I did say, 'Okay, I'll agree to keep talking about this to see what happens.' But I'm not in the family, and I've never worked with Dave before. I'm just a guy that they called and started the ball rolling."
Satriani once again said that he was surprised to learn that Jason had revealed the project's existence before everything was finalized and an official announcement was made.
"We were not supposed to talk about it, because it may never happen, and obviously, you know, Sammy [Hagar, former VAN HALEN singer] and Mike [Anthony, former VAN HALEN bassist] were contacted, but I don't really know what's going on behind the scenes there," he said. "I can't say I know exactly what's going on. I do know that Jason was called at one point, and he was told — like I was — to not talk about it, because it may never happen. And so we were all shocked when he went public because he certainly wasn't supposed to. And it's only caused grief in the family, which is not nice, you know?"
"So, yeah, that's all I can really say about it," Joe added. "I don't know much more today, to tell you the truth. I do know that for the next year and a half I'm probably on tour starting in September, just doing 'The Elephants Of Mars'/'Shapeshifting' combo tour. So, whatever comes with this, it's sometime in the future. I mean, in a way, now that the cat's out of the bag, at least I don't have to feel like I'm keeping something from people, you know?"
Regarding how he might approach playing Eddie Van Halen's parts, Joe said: "I will say this in regards to Eddie. I think that the other biggest thing that people sometimes miss when they bring up Eddie Van Halen is that his writing was really the biggest expression of his talent. When you start to learn the songs, you start to see the genius of the compositions and the arrangements. Of course, there's the solo or the intro that blows your mind, but it wouldn't be there unless he had written the song. Whether it's 'Hot For Teacher', 'Jump' or something, it's the actual song that then forced him to whip out some crazy solo. The average person is gonna love those songs, whether it was Dave or Sammy singing. It's all in the writing, you know? That's what makes it so much fun and attractive. I guess that's what attracted me to the gig, just the thought that I could go from playing 'Atomic Punk' to 'Unchained' in one show. It's just so much fun. The songs are just fun to play."
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Joe's not being very diplomatic about it getting leaked. Lol. Seems like Newsted is heading toward blackballed status.
Mike Anthony commented on it via this youtube interview:
Joe's not being very diplomatic about it getting leaked. Lol. Seems like Newsted is heading toward blackballed status.
Mike Anthony commented on it via this youtube interview:
I listened to this podcast last night with Mike. It was a good interview and it was nice to her he has had some conversations with Al and Dave. I really would like to see Sam,Mike,Vic and Jason really put out a good release. They have a well respected producer this time around with Dave Cobb.
Its funny through all of this Sammy has not said one thing. He is usually running his mouth.
We all know how this VH train rolls....wait and see.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Michael Anthony has weighed in on reports that he has been in discussions with David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen about taking part in an all-star VAN HALEN tribute project.
The former VAN HALEN bassist addressed the rumor nearly two months after former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by the VAN HALEN drummer about six months earlier about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and legendary guitarist Joe Satriani and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy. "How could you?" Jason said. "There's nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn't want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled."
During an appearance on Thursday's (June 2) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Anthony confirmed that he was involved in some of the early conversations about the VAN HALEN tribute.
"I haven't spoken to him in a little while, but I have spoken with Alex on occasion," Michael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And for the most part, we don't even speak that much about music — more about just family, how we're doing and stuff like that. I know it still pains him a lot as far as Eddie [Van Halen; late VAN HALEN guitarist and Alex's brother] goes and will probably for the rest of his life. But I spoke with him and Dave last year about a possible something, but Dave just starts going [talking really fast] And I'm, like, 'Okay.' And we basically just had kind of a conference call about having a conference call to discuss it, and then that other call didn't happen for whatever reason on their end. I told them that I'd obviously be interested. And it would be more like a celebration of the music rather than putting together something and calling it VAN HALEN because that just wouldn't be right at this point."
Anthony went on to say that he hadn't been aware Newsted was involved in the discussions until Jason disclosed it in The Palm Beach Post interview. "That's the first that I'd even heard about anything like that," Michael said. "And it was kind of interesting because he said he spoke to [Dave and Alex] about a year ago, and that's about the time I was speaking with them. So I don't know. I'm gonna have to call Jason and ask him. [Laughs]"
When host Eddie Trunk noted that Roth said in his comment about the VAN HALEN tribute that "two of us" would be required "for every position" in the project's lineup, possibly suggesting that more than one guitarist and more than one bassist would be involved in the show, Anthony said: "I was kind of thinking along those lines also, but then one thing made me kind of change my mind and make me think, 'Well, Dave's just kind of being Dave,' and maybe he's just saying that it would take at least two people to be able to duplicate what one person in this band did, and the reason I thought of that was all of a sudden he brought up the name Pink. He was saying that Pink would have to be one of the David Lee Roth characters, or singers, and I'm, like, 'Huh.' That just sounded a little too 'Dave' to me.
"But I don't know," Anthony quickly clarified. "At this point, I've gotta tell you, I don't know if anything will ever happen. 'Cause Alex is — he's really hurting. Him and Edward were so close on all levels — musical levels and personally and whatever. It just seems to me like it might be really hard for Alex to even enter into something to bring back all those memories. I don't know. I could be wrong. I'm the guy that always says, 'Never say never.'"
According to Anthony, the proposed VAN HALEN tribute would likely take the form of a single concert rather than a full-fledged tour.
"What was being talked about was not actually doing a tour," he said. "You take something like this on tour and people are gonna think it's a cashgrab. I'd rather have something, like a memorial-type thing, done at a venue. And there were actually a couple of venues discussed. But do it that way instead of taking it on the road. And make it just a real celebration of the music…
"I actually would not be up for doing a tour right off the bat," Michael continued. "I think holding a celebration of Eddie and the music and the whole VAN HALEN legacy is great. And let's face it — none of us need the money. I don't need the money. I'd rather take the money and throw it in a charity."
Michael once again reiterated that he has no concrete idea whether any VAN HALEN tribute concert will take place. "I think it all really hinges upon Alex," he said. "And he's gotta be the person, really, that wants to do this and give his blessing to the whole thing for it to move forward. And like I said, when we speak, we really don't even speak about doing anything like that at this point. He's still healing. And if it gets to that point, I'm sure Alex will be the first one that'll wanna do something like that."
Asked whether there has been any bad blood between him and Alex and Dave in recent years, Anthony said: "Not at all. I only spoke to Dave that one conversation we had last year and I couldn't hardly get a word in edgewise, which is… that's typical Dave. But I have spoken to Alex on occasion, and it's great. We'll speak for, like, 45 minutes, an hour. And probably about the first 20 minutes is Alex, sometimes he'll vent to me a bit about all the circumstances around how everything happened with Eddie. But we basically just talk about family and we actually bring up some of the old times on the road, to lighten things up a bit."
Last June, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen, who joined his father in VAN HALEN for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Anthony, told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" it would be "great" to eventually organize an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. "It's not in the immediate plans, 'cause that's a lot of moving parts that you've gotta corral to get that to happen. But I definitely think it should happen. Absolutely," he said.
Asked how he envisions the tribute concert taking place in terms of which musicians should be involved, Wolfgang said: "I have no idea. All I know is that the focus should a hundred percent be on Pop. While it could be a celebration of VAN HALEN and the band's history, I think more than anything, it should be focused on him… It's a tall ask and a big thing to figure out. But I do think it should happen at some point."
In November 2020, Wolfgang told Entertainment Tonight that proceeds from any tribute show in honor of his father will go toward Eddie's favorite charity, Mr. Holland's Opus, which helps underprivileged students access musical instruments. Proceeds from the debut solo single from Wolfgang's solo band MAMMOTH WVH, "Distance", are also benefiting Mr. Holland's Opus.
In February 2021, former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar told Kyle Meredith that he will make every effort to take part in the Eddie Van Halen tribute concert.
"I have nothing to do with the [Eddie Van Halen] legacy," he said. "That's their business — that's Wolfie, Alex Van Halen; they're family members. Whoever wants to call me up and say, 'Here's the date,' I will be there. I don't care where I am. I'll cancel a [solo] show [if I need to]. [Laughs] [That's] something VAN HALEN would never do. I always make that joke — canceling a show was [out of the question with] VAN HALEN. I went out sick without being able to sing, Eddie went out with a crutch, Alex went out with a fucking neck brace — we wouldn't cancel shows. But I will cancel my show for a tribute to Eddieany day."
Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2000 and had tongue surgery. He later battled lung cancer and had been receiving radiation treatment in Germany. Things took a turn for the worse in early 2019 when Eddie got in a motorcycle accident. He was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
@jszfunk Here is the new Van Halen! Eruption and Ain't Talking About Love and double tappin' This is it!! A Pearl Van Jam Halen tearing up and laying: it down on an electric guitar!!!
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
@jszfunk DLR needs to hire this guy and make him wear a mask like the Lone Ranger. It would drive the crowds crazy. WHO IS THAT PLAYING JUST LIKE EDDIE!!!????
