Joe Satriani sat down with Eddie Trunk for a new interview and discussed playing in a band where he can protect Eddie Van Halen’s legacy.
During the conversation, the guitarist shared his gratitude for not being involved in the family issues and the drama between Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth.
“I haven’t spoken to Dave for quite a while until I guess it was just about that week. I have spoken to Alex a few times but not recently, not since the tour really got up and running. We’ve just been inundated with doing the shows, doing all the press that comes with it and everything.”
Satriani went on to explain his part in the band:
“The bittersweet part of this whole thing was that I was not ever in the band Van Halen, I was never part of the family, I was never friends with anyone other than Mike and Sam. There are some issues that they have in that camp. I’ve got nothing to do with it and I really don’t wanna get involved in it whatever it might be. I’m here just like the fans. I just wanna sell this music, I just wanna do it right, I’m gonna give it a 100% every night I walk on stage and all the rest of that stuff’s got nothing to do with me. I am here to celebrate and respect Eddie’s legacy as best I can.”
DLR’s Words On The Van Halen Drama
Roth recently talked about the drama between the two brothers and him. He revealed that it has been the same ever since the 80s:
“It’s early in the morning. Not for me, I haven’t been to sleep since the late 80s, which is a very Dutch thing to say. Okay, that kind of sense of humor is Jan Van Halen, Mr. Van Halen. The brothers and I never got along.”
The singer explained the arguments and the issues in the band:
“The sparks from that collision, [imitates an explosion]. That kind of thing, that’s running with the devil. ‘No you, you man, how could you? You should have… [explosion].’ ‘I Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love’ [explosion]. ‘Look at her, she’s f*cking crying again.’ But Jamie’s always cried [explosion]. ‘You’re late.’ ‘I’m not late. I’m early!’ ‘But you [explosion].’ That’s Van Halen.”
Satriani Was Offered A Reunion With Alex And DLR
Eddie Van Halen fought cancer until he passed away from a stroke on October 6, 2020. After his death, his son Wolfgang Van Halen announced that the band was breaking up because they couldn’t continue without Eddie. Fans had hoped for another tour or album with the classic lineup, but that never happened.
Back in a 2022 interview, Satriani confirmed there was a plan for shows with Van Halen and Roth, but nothing was certain. He said the offer was both exciting and terrifying because no one could replace Eddie, but he was ready to take on the challenge. He said:
“Yeah, it is true. I was contacted by Alex Van Halen and Dave and had some conversations a little less than a year ago about putting together a full tour to celebrate Eddie and the Van Halen legacy. Yeah, it’s terrifying. I mean, I heard myself saying, ‘Yes,’ and then the other part of my brain said, ‘Did you say yes? Are you nuts?’ I remember telling them that any sane guitar player would turn around and start running away as fast as possible because you can’t measure up to Eddie.”
He added:
“We were not supposed to talk about it because it may never happen, and obviously, Sammy Hagar and Mike Anthony were contacted, but I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes there. I can’t say I know what’s going on. I know that Jason Newsted was called at one point, and he was told, like I was, to not talk about it because it may never happen.”
You can listen to the interview here.