VAN HALEN To Tour Australia Early Next Year?

According to Australia's long-running rock station Triple M, there are rumblings of a VAN HALEN headlining tour of Australia taking place early next year.

Triple M music reporter Nui Te Koha told the Hot Breakfast two promoters have gone in and spoken to VAN HALEN management following last week's cancelation of the Soundwave Revolution festival, which VAN HALEN was set to co-headline.

"This will be an arena tour," he revealed. "VAN HALEN has got an album coming out really soon. Two promoters have gone in and said, 'This Soundwave Revolution thing was a debacle. We want to tour the band and it will happen early next year.'"

VAN HALEN was supposed to play five shows in Australia in late September and early October as part of the Soundwave Revolution festival, but the entire event was abruptly scrapped by the promoters, who cited the exit of a second, unnamed headliner and low ticket sales as the reasons for the plug being pulled.

The festival's lineup also included ALICE COOPER, HELLYEAH, HOLE, BAD RELIGION, ALTER BRIDGE and PANIC! AT THE DISCO, among others.

Australia's Triple M Radio reported that AEROSMITH was the second headliner that promoters were trying to secure, but were unable to do so.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, one theory suggested that the cancellation was the fault of another act rumored to be on the bill, LIMP BIZKIT. But singer Fred Durst was quick to shoot that down, saying online, "We were never on the bill to play any festival down under. So it looks like VAN HALEN cancels and we get thrown into the mix."

There was in fact a lot of speculation that VAN HALEN itself pulled out of the festival, but the Van Halen News Desk reported adamantly that the band had nothing to do with the cancellation of the event.

The Australian shows would have been VAN HALEN's first since its reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth wrapped up in the summer of 2008.