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Michael Anthony Downplays Van Halen Reunion Rumors

Michael Anthony Downplays Van Halen Reunion Rumors

Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony is throwing some ice water onto rumors that he's rejoining the iconic band he helped build for a reunion tour next summer.

On the heels of David Lee Roth's comments about playing Yankee Stadium in 2019, Eddie Trunk related additional speculation that Alex and Eddie Van Halen were interested in again working with their former bassist.

Premiere Radio Networks, a division of iHeartRadio, reached out to Anthony on Wednesday as the rumors caught on. Van Halen fans aren't going to like what he said.

"The only comment I have is that I haven't spoken to any of the guys since we last played together back in 2004," Anthony told Premiere. 

He added that while he did run into Alex Van Halen "a few years back," the two didn't get into anything more than small talk.

Anthony last performed with Van Halen in 2004. He was replaced in the band by Eddie's son Wolfgang in 2006. 

Trunk made it clear that what he related on his radio show was merely a rumor, but he added that it was from a source within the music industry. 

"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 there is gonna be some sort of stadium package," Trunk said at the time.

Van Halen last toured in 2015. Trunk says that there have been unfounded rumors of a new tour each year since then. While he acknowledged that what he's heard this year seems more credible than what he's heard in the past, he did not dive into why the Van Halens might be considering bringing back Anthony.

Since leaving Van Halen, Anthony has been busy collaborating with Sammy Hagar on a number of projects, including Chickenfoot and the pair's latest band, Sammy Hagar & The Circle, which will release its debut album, Space Between, in January. 

Hagar lobbied for a Van Halen reunion including himself, Anthony and Roth for years. He said last year, however, that he had given up trying to communicate with the Van Halen brothers after they didn't reach out to him on his 70th birthday


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