Ex-Van Halen Bassist Michael Anthony Spoke With Alex Van Halen For First Time in a Decade, Has ‘No Problem’ Reuniting
The internal workings of the Van Halen camp are nothing short of tumultuous, with the current status of the band uncertain. Longtime bassist Michael Anthony has been out of the band for 10 years now, though, when guesting on Eddie Trunk's Trunk Nation show (audio below), the four-stringer revealed he spoke with drummer Alex Van Halen for the first time in a decade, also stating he's open to a reunion.
Anthony detailed the lines of communication opened in May earlier this year (transcription from Guitar World), where the two "talked for about 20 minutes and had a great conversation just about life in general and getting older and what’s going on around us in the music industry," adding, "and it was actually really great talking to him.”
When Trunk asked if the bassist is eyeing a return to Van Halen, Anthony said, “You know what? In some ways I’m kind of over it, only because you can only hold your breath for so long." However, Trunk's notion of "unfinished business" piqued Anthony's interest and he continued, "It’s like Van Halen, being one of the biggest bands there ever was, it’s kind of sad to see how everything kind of dwindled down like it did, with a whimper. Which this band, if we were gonna go out, should have gone out just killing it all over the world."
"If the circumstances were right, I’d have no problem [reuniting]. I love going out and playing the music," Anthony stated, adding an element of caution when explaining, "But if we did it, it would have to be none of this four separate planes, and four separate this and that, and you only see them onstage. I don’t know if we could ever be a brotherhood like it was before."
Eddie Van Halen has previously expressed a desire to return to the studio to head up a new album, but the question everyone has is "who will be singing for the band?" In late May earlier this year, David Lee Roth said he had a "sense" the band would hit the road and the studio again, presumably with him up front. Amidst this, Sammy Hagar has worked to repair his relationship with the Van Halen brothers, stating in August, "I’m sorry of anything I said bad" about the two, but has been adamant that the move was more made to mend the bond than it was a move toward rejoining the group.
Michael Anthony on Eddie Trunk's Trunk Nation
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