Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony once again talked about hypothetical plans to organize a tribute show in honor of legendary Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in October 2020 after a long battle with cancer.
Michael Anthony said he would support a tribute to Eddie Van Halen that involved former Van Halen members. He explained that while he has no interest in a full tour, he would be open to participating in a few large tribute shows celebrating Eddie’s legacy and his revolutionary impact on guitar playing.
“Yeah, any guitar player or musician could put together a tribute to Eddie, but it would be great, ’cause the rest of us are still here, if anything could happen with us all being involved too, being we were all in the band. But who knows? I mean, I’m not gonna sit there and knock on the door all day long, but if somebody knocks on my door and it’s something that sounds like it could be very cool… Like I’ve said in interviews, not a tour, whatever, [but] a couple of giant shows maybe, or maybe one on the East Coast, one on the West Coast, whatever, and just a full-on tribute and thank you to the guy who fricking opened up guitar and took it to the next level.”
Michael added: “I guarantee any guitar player who’s any guitar player would wanna come and be a part of it, and I think that would really be the amazing thing right there. ‘Cause I, obviously, know plenty of guitar players … and they all would be chomping at the bit to come up and jam, do a couple of songs.”
After “Trunk Nation” host Eddie Trunk noted that a hypothetical Eddie Van Halen tribute concert “should happen sooner than later” but that there isn’t “a timetable on it”, Anthony concurred. “Obviously it can be done, but time’s not running out yet, but it’s getting thin for all of us other members to be involved actively in doing something,” he said. “Because I definitely would love to be part of something like that.”
Michael Anthony agreed that an Eddie Van Halen tribute concert should happen sooner rather than later, noting that time is becoming limited for the surviving Van Halen members to actively participate. He added that he would “definitely” love to be involved in a tribute honoring Eddie’s legacy.
