In a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, Van Halen’s Michael Anthony has opened up about Alex Van Halen’s decision to sell his gear and instruments.
During the chat, the bassist was asked if he was still in contact with the drummer or had any idea why he doesn’t want to perform music anymore. He replied by explaining how surprised he was to hear the news:
“I was pretty surprised when I heard about this auction that he’s going to be holding in the beginning of June. Somebody had sent me the link to it, and it appears like he’s selling everything right down to his last drumstick. So, I don’t know. I really couldn’t tell you.”
He added his guess as to why the drummer sold his gear:
“I know that he continues to grieve today over Eddie’s passing. And basically, Eddie was the only person that he actually ever played music with.”
The bassist guessed that since Eddie was gone, Alex no longer wanted to play music without him:
“I never really knew Alex to be a person to go out and jam with other people or other bands. Unless Eddie was a part of it. Maybe he feels that… Since his brother’s gone, he doesn’t feel the desire to go out and play anymore. But I can only speculate. When I found out about this auction and started checking it out, it is pretty sad, because it truly means that it’s the end of anything that could have been as far as tribute-wise, you know?”
What Is Alex Van Halen Selling?
The collection has over 350 lots with various memorabilia including drum kits, snare drums, kick drums, road cases, drumheads, cymbals, gongs, sticks and mallets, personal items, record awards, autographed pieces, and more. Each lot will include a personally signed certificate of authenticity from Alex.
Some of the standouts in the collection include the iconic ‘5150’ tour kit, the 2015 final tour kit, his vintage RIAA record awards, rare rosewood snare drums, gongs, a kick drum from the band’s early days, and even a piano from the Van Halen family home.
The auction opened for bidding on June 1 and will end on June 9.