Michael Anthony is the only member of Van Halen’s original classic lineup still out there touring, and this is both surprising and a bit of a reality check for the bassist. In a new interview with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, the Van Halen bassist admitted that he didn’t realize it until one of his friends pointed it out.
“I don’t really think about it consciously that I’m the only person,” he explained. “I’m the only one from the original band left out here doing this. And I thought, ‘Whoa, that’s a trip.’ I never thought about it.”
“I always thought that it would have been either him and Alex or whatever that would have carried on after everybody was gone or everyone broke up or everyone stopped getting along. And here I am, I’m the guy,” Anthony added.
It looks like the other original members of Van Halen are done with touring for good. Singer David Lee Roth last performed in 2020 and announced his retirement in 2022. His planned Las Vegas farewell show got canceled before it even started.
Drummer Alex Van Halen has kept a low profile since his brother’s death. He also sold most of his instruments and gear this year.
“I tried to get ahold of him on his birthday in May. I did not hear back from him,” he revealed in a previous interview. “So, I don’t know. I didn’t want to push it or keep trying to get ahold of him or whatever.”
A Van Halen reunion seems unlikely, but Anthony is still on the road with Sammy Hagar for the Best of All Worlds Tour. They will visit Japan in September and have three shows from September 20 to September 23.