Sammy Hagar has confirmed that bassist Michael Anthony has been contacted by Van Halen’s management about his possible involvement in a reunion tour with his former band.
As rumors about such a trek continue to surface following comments made by David Lee Roth last December in a series of interviews promoting his tattoo skin care line INK The Original, Hagar shared his thoughts and some news regarding the situation in a recent interview on Eddie Trunk’s SiriusXM show “Trunk Nation.”
"As usual, Mike's hearing about it through the news, just like the way he heard about when Wolfie replaced him [in 2007]," Hagar tells Trunk. "It was, like, 'Oh, I guess I'm not in Van Halen anymore.' He read about it instead of these knuckleheads giving him a call and just being straight upfront with him. So Mikey's still sitting in that same position again to where all these rumors are going around.
“And I’m sure they are trying to put something together,” continued the Red Rocker about his longtime friend who has joined him in supergroups Chickenfoot and The Circle. “Whether or not it's gonna materialize, I wouldn't have a clue; it's nothing to do with me, but I told Mike, 'If this happens, you freakin' have my blessings. You go do this. You're a founding member in that band.'”
“And for the fans, he needs to do it. He is the missing element right now. If you want my opinion, without Mike, it just doesn't seem quite the same. Mikey, he's the flag bearer – he walks out there with the flag, the VH flag. He holds it high, like the guy in the cavalry. And he's a special guy and he has my blessings. And when they're done, [The Circle will] go back out – if they do it; if it happens."
Hagar also commented on rumors that Anthony would somehow split stage time with Wolfgang on a reunion tour.
"The things I've been reading, it ain’t gonna happen," says Hagar. "They think Mikey's gonna come out and do his bass solo with the Jack Daniel's bass and say goodbye and stand on the side of the stage and watch Wolfie play his songs all night. I mean, I don't think the fans are gonna go for that either. That'd be real hard on little Wolf – he don't deserve that. So I don't know what to think. Maybe it's just a rumor. Who knows? Those guys, they don't tell me nothing, 'cause I don't wanna know. But you'd think they'd at least tell Mike."
In terms of Anthony’s availability for a Van Halen reunion series, the bassist – as part of The Circle – is already committed to a spring US tour with the group in support of their forthcoming debut album, “Space Between”, with dates running from late April to early June.
"Mike and I have had the conversation," Hagar revealed. "I'm telling you, Mike don't know s**t. They're gonna have to eventually… Somebody's gonna have to give the guy a call. I mean, he got a call six months ago from [Van Halen's] management saying, 'Are you interested?' And he said, 'Yeah. I'm doing a record with Sammy right now. We're booking shows, so you'd have to work around it.' And they said, 'Okay. We'll get back to you.' And that was it. I can tell you that much.
“Mike totally has my blessings. I'm an easygoing guy. First of all, I don't wanna go out and play six months. So [The Circle is] gonna go out and play a couple of months. And if this happens, he can go play with them a couple of months, and then I'll go out in the fall again for a couple of months. I just know that Mike's committed to these shows we've got going on right here. If those guys get it together, a hundred percent he has my blessings. I love the guy. And I think he knows that The Circle is really important for his long-term thing, because Van Halen is so sporadic."
Anthony joined Van Halen in 1974 and appeared on the band’s albums and tours through 2004, when he was removed from the lineup by guitarist Eddie Van Halen because he remained friendly with Hagar after the singer’s stint in the band.
If Anthony were to rejoin Van Halen for a 2019 reunion run, it would mark the first performances by the group’s original lineup since 1984.
See also:
VIDEO: Original David Lee Roth band members reunite at NAMM
Rock News Story Of The Year No. 2: VAN HALEN
Rock News Artist Of The Year No. 10: VAN HALEN
David Lee Roth hints at 2019 return of Van Halen
Search Van Halen at hennemusic
