The classic Van Halen lineup (l. to r.): Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Michael AnthonyWill Van Halen tour
Will Van Halen tour this year with the classic lineup of Eddie and Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, or will they not?
Just days ago, it was heavily suggested that they would. Now there are denials.
Rumors of the long-hoped-for reunion were fueled by none other than Roth, the singer who left the band for a solo career in the mid-’80s, then rejoined in 2007. If Roth is correct, the tour would be the first in more than three decades to include him, the Van Halen brothers and bassist Anthony, who was replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of Eddie, in 2007.
In an interview with Vulture, Roth dropped a hint that interviewer Lane Brown followed up on.
“…My rock band will be playing the same place that the Yankees play. Okay?” Roth said, unprovoked, in the midst of answering a question completely unrelated to the future of the band. When Brown asked him to elaborate, Roth replied, “If I say something on tape here and everybody goes, ‘Oh, this leaked…’ But, the band will be—I can’t say.”
More prodding from the questioner led to this: “Well, I don’t know how far this privacy actually goes. But the band is solvent. And I can say that I contacted colleagues about being part of the show—Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Jason Aldean, the Foo Fighters, Church and Stapleton. And they all said that, if everything happens, they would certainly be involved.”
More to the point regarding the lineup, Roth said, “When we come back through town in the summertime and do the original thing, maybe somewhere sportin’, maybe with somebody famous.” Roth even mentioned Yankee Stadium as a potential venue and fans have ID’d June 5 as the specific date.
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Roth was giving the interview to promote a line of skin-care products intended to keep tattoos from fading.
Radio personality Eddie Trunk acknowledged rumors he’s heard about the possible tour, saying, “The rumors from reliable sources—but still rumors that are unconfirmed—is that the band will tour in 2019 with the original band, which would mean the return of Michael, and that it’s gonna be some sort of stadium package.”
Related: Looking back at the debut Van Halen album
Before VH fans get too excited, Anthony himself threw cold on the hot rumor, telling Premiere Radio Networks: “The only comment I have is that I haven’t spoken to any of the guys since we last played together back in 2004.” Best Classic Bands will continue to follow this story.
And now (Jan. 24), it seems that while the idea has been floated to the musicians, no offers have been extended. According to an article posted on Alternativenation.net, Westwood One podcast host Mitch Lafon said, “Re.: Van Halen. I’ve heard the same rumors about stadium reunion/farewell dates with multiple shows in major cities. But none are verifiable. None appear concrete. None are from solid as a rock trusted sources. So, will they or won’t they? Who knows… Bottoms Up!”
We’ll continue to update this story if and when new information is received.
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1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationIf the band actually did this, they could charge any ticket price they wanted–and they’d get it. The world is hungry for a full blown reunion of VH. However, Eddie and Alex will probably kill the notion. They don’t seem to care what the fans want.