Former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony was spotted attending a MAMMOTH WVH concert in Las Vegas, Nevada
Late Friday night (December 8), MAMMOTH WVH‘s frontman, Wolfgang Van Halen, who succeeded Anthony in VAN HALEN, shared a glimpse behind the scenes with a couple of backstage photos featuring himself and Michael at the House Of Blues. Alongside the images, Wolfgang included a heartfelt message which read: “Ran into an old friend at the @mammothwvh show in Vegas tonight. (Love ya, Mikey)”
Over three years ago, Wolfgang disclosed that his father, the late Eddie Van Halen, had considered a comprehensive VAN HALEN tour, often referred to as a “kitchen-sink” tour. This envisioned lineup would have reunited Anthony, with vocal contributions from both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth. There were even discussions about bringing back Gary Cherone, who had previously collaborated with the band on the less well-received 1998 album, “Van Halen III.”
Wolfgang revealed that the original plan involved him personally reaching out to Michael and inviting him back to VAN HALEN. However, circumstances took a different turn when the band’s management contacted Michael before Wolfgang had the opportunity. Despite the altered plan, Wolfgang emphasized his active role in convincing Roth to return to VAN HALEN for a reunion tour in 2007.
In early 2019, rumors circulated about a potential reunion of the classic VAN HALEN lineup for a series of stadium shows during the summer. This would have marked the first time since 1984 that Michael, Eddie, David, and Alex Van Halen would have performed together.
The relationship between VAN HALEN and Michael Anthony had been strained for over a decade, with Anthony not included in the 2007 reunion with Roth. Subsequent tours and the studio album “A Different Kind Of Truth” featured Wolfgang on bass.
In 2004, Anthony took a pay cut and relinquished all rights to the band name and logo to participate in VAN HALEN‘s tour, featuring Sammy Hagar.
Eddie Van Halen passed away in October 2020 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California, succumbing to complications from cancer.
