Michael Anthony reconnects with Van Halen and admits he's open to a reunion

32 years after he joined the legendary rock outfit, Michael was replaced by Eddie Van Halen’s 15-year-old son Wolfgang in 2006 and he later claimed he found out about his axing “on the internet just like everyone else.”

Speaking to Eddie Trunk over the weekend, Michael said he rekindled his relationship with Alex Van Halen after being connected by a former roadie.

“This was this past May (that we spoke), and I hadn’t spoken to Alex in like 10, 11 years,” Michael said.

“We talked for about 20 minutes and had a great conversation just about life in general and getting older and what’s going on around us in the music industry. And it was actually really great talking to him.”

Pushed as to whether he’d jump back aboard the good ship Van Halen for a reunion with Alex, Eddie and Dave, Michael said: “You know what? In some ways I’m kind of over it, only because you can only hold your breath for so long.

“But it’s kind of interesting that you say ‘any unfinished business.’ It’s like Van Halen, being one of the biggest bands there ever was, it’s kind of sad to see how everything kind of dwindled down like it did, with a whimper. Which this band, if we were gonna go out, should have gone out just killing it all over the world.

“I’m always that never-say-never guy. If the circumstances were right, I’d have no problem (reuniting). I love going out and playing the music. But if we did it, it would have to be none of this four separate planes, and four separate this and that, and you only see them onstage.

“I don’t know if we could ever be a brotherhood like it was before. You know, we used to call it, when Sam was in the band, we used to call ourselves the four-headed monster. But if everybody could get along great, I think it would just be great to do it for the fans.

“And as far as Dave goes, obviously it would have been great to be onstage with Dave again, because I always liked his silliness onstage anyway. It really is kind of comical, you know. But it always made for an interesting show.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Michael reflected on Van Halen’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 when only he and Sammy Hagar showed up to accept the honour.

He said: “I remember sitting there next to Hagar at the table and we’re watching R.E.M. play and I lean over to Sam and I say, ‘God if we all could have been here, we would have kicked ass something that would not have been forgotten for many years.’ It was really sad, you know?

“I’m up there giving my little acceptance speech, and I’m looking on one side of the room, there’s Keith Richards, and I’m looking on the other side, there’s John McEnroe and everybody in between that. And I’m going, Man this is the greatest thing ever! I couldn’t understand why those guys just wouldn’t want to be there.”