MICHAEL ANTHONY Comments On VAN HALEN Concert Postponements

May 23, 2012

Earlier today (Wednesday, May 23),American Rock Scene conducted an interview with former VAN HALEN and current CHICKENFOOT bassist Michael Anthony. You can now listen to the first part of the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow.

On the 2004 VAN HALEN tour, where Anthony reportedly had to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the VAN HALEN name and logo in order to participate in the trek:

Anthony: "Let's just say that I had to give up quite a bit to do [the tour] and the reason that I did it — because I didn't need the money or anything — was that was to be the last VAN HALEN tour, which, for me, it ended up being the last one that I would do. I wanted to go out for the fans one more time and do it."

On VAN HALEN's recent concert postponements and whether he thinks the VH bandmembers are really getting as well as they say they are:

Anthony: "I don't know. Everyone's got their own opinion as to what happened. I don't really care to comment on that. I've got my own theories on it. To me, it just sounds kind of interesting that if you're saying you're tired, or whatever, you wanna recharge your batteries, you don't go and put 30 shows on sale. If I were a fan, I'd be saying, 'Well, then why do you go and put 30 shows on sale?' If I were a fan, I'd be going, 'Wow, that just seems kind of odd.' [But] I wish them well. They put out a great album and they are a great live album, always have been. I heard that [Eddie Van Halen's] been sober, and that's great. A talent like that… I've seen too many great talents — all the way back to Hendrix — it's a waste to see something like that happen."

On whether he would ever consider playing with VAN HALEN again if the opportunity arose:

Anthony: "I don't know. As time goes on now, less and less… I mean, Ed's got his son [Wolfgang] up there with him now. I don't know. I really couldn't say. The circumstances would really have to be right. I was always the 'never-say-never' guy in the band. But as time goes on, I don't think about it, really, anymore. If it's gonna happen, it'll happen. I'm having a great time in my life doing what I'm doing now. That's what's important to me. My wife and I just bought a house, I have a daughter that's [getting] married this year, I have CHICKENFOOT. My relationship with those guys and everything is great."

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