A new rumor has suggested that the original Van Halen lineup, including bassist Michael Anthony, who has not played with the band since 2004, will reunite in 2019 for a stadium tour. If the rumors prove true, this would be the first time that the four founding members of the band, including singer David Lee Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen, perform together since 1984.
The rumors stem from a recent interview Roth did, as well as a report from radio personality Eddie Trunk. Roth hinted to Vulture that the band would “come back through town in the summertime and do the original thing, maybe somewhere sportin’, maybe with somebody famous . . . next time my rock band will be playing the same place that the Yankees play.”
Meanwhile, on his SiriusXM show, Trunk said that he heard from reliable sources that the band would tour in 2019 with Anthony back in the fold. He explained, “Every year there’s some rumor about Van Halen about to do something or announce something, and ultimately it just doesn’t happen. But, a little more so than normal as we close out 2018, I’m starting to hear some rumblings.”
He went on to say, “The rumors from reliable sources — but still rumors that are unconfirmed — is that the band will tour in 2019 with the original band, which would mean the return of Michael, and that it’s gonna be some sort of stadium package.”
Van Halen and Anthony have not been on good terms for more than a decade, with Anthony not invited to join the reunion with Roth that began in 2007. The subsequent two tours and studio album, A Different Kind Of Truth, featured Eddie’s son Wolfgang on bass.
