Michael Anthony talks Van Halen Rumours, Hot Sauce, New Circle Album and Much More | Interview 2022 

I met Mike at The Los Angeles Boat show about 30 years ago no one recognized him, but being a huge VH fan I knew who he was! we talked about boats!!! no music just boats!! a super down to earth guy. towards the end of our talk I asked him about any upcoming VH tours, and he laughed and said "shit you know who I am!" he shook my hand and said Thanks Bro!!! I will never forget that!!!!

Michael Anthony!!! Such a great guy, through all the years and all the drama he rose above it all!!!!👍😊🤘🤘🤘

I'll tell ya what Mike, you were one of the nicest rock stars I ever met. In 1982, I was in a band played at the Marriott in Worcester Mass. You guys were playing several nights at the Centrum there. In October 1982, you guys were staying in the same Hotel we were playing at, and you sat in with us. We did a couple of Mothers Finest songs and you got up on stage with us and sang them. It was a great time and I have several photos of it. You guys gave us tickets to your show, and it was awesome, as was the after show party at the hotel. You and Alex were super nice to us at the party. Dave I saw but never talked to. The night before I played some space invader with Eddie, he was very cool. I remember him and his wife Valerie sitting in a front row table when you were on stage with us. I don't tell this story much, because people don't believe it, but have the photos to prove it, which you can't post on YT.

Class act. He represents the best of VH.

MICHAEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT GUY, VERY RESPECTFUL THROUGH EVERYTHING..

If Michael is involved with Dave and Alex on a tour, I would buy a ticket.

Michael Anthony very underrated bass player and a huge part of VH's signature sound with the incredible backing vocals. Also from all the stories I've read, interviews and videos (such as this one) seems to be a genuinely decent guy.

I don't think there's an interview I enjoy more than the Michael Anthony interviews. I could listen to him all day about both Van Halen eras, his hot sauce, himself, etc.

Always Humble in his interviews and happy Michael Anthony Class act

Nice job Van Halen made albums Van Hagar made singles Van Halen was a hard rockin band Van Hagar was a rock band Michael Anthony always provided the great harmony.

Michael Anthony is the musical anchor of Van Halen. They wouldn't have made it to the top without him.

Love Micheal Anthony!!! Through all the stuff the van halen brothers put him through he never ever retaliated!! True class act and one of the best bass players of all time!!!

Mikey will always be my favorite member of van halen.down to earth.no ego.

If there is a better guy in music than Mike, I don't have any idea who it would be.

Wow, so Alex, Dave and Michael all spoke to one another! We never got a proper reunion/farewell tour from these guys, so hopefully the three of them can end it the right way.

Always a breath of fresh air to spend time with Michael Anthony. One of the true gentlemen in the music business.

What a great guy, and to still speak nicely about those people who possibly didn't treat him the best ...

Hey Mike. How about letting Dweezil Zappa sit in for Eddie for the VH tribute show? He grew up next door to Eddie and Eddie personally gave him lessons and taught him every Van Halen song Dweezil wanted to learn. He even still has two guitars Eddie gave him.

The Circle is a serious All-Star band.Hagar loves this band

Jeremy this is absolutely phenomenal! Even with internet issues, you and Mitch made this informative and fun to listen to. Thank you! Now please get Sammy on!! Cheers - R

Love hearing the musicians themselves talking about what went into the album, cause you're getting it from the horses mouth. And I respect that Anthony did it while not putting anyone down.

Interesting how he glosses over the producer for VH3 - picking a guy who had never produced a rock album wasn't exactly a recipe for success. A particularly odd choice considering Glen Ballard knocked it out of the park with the two new tunes on the previous Greatest Hits set. And I agree with their comments about Live Without A Net - I wore that VHS tape out!

I can’t skip watching an interview with Michael Anthony.

Awesome interview Mike. Thanks for putting me there in the studio with you guys all the way back.👍

Mikey's the BEST! Such a great guy and so humble. If there ever was a Van Halen tour again I hope they look at Phil X for guitar, he's basically an Eddie clone.

just do it. Let his brother get his grief addressed. Help him to accept Eddie being gone. It can only help. Let Sammy show up, and Michael too! Do it right. And the singer from Extreme too!!

He looks really good for his age!

Mike Anthony always such a cool guy. Like,forever he has been since the seventies.

MICHAEL IS THE BEST IF THERES NO MICHAEL, I WONT BE SEEING ANY VH TRIBUTE SOOOOO AWESOME SAMMY AND MICHAEL ARE STILL TIGHT

Love Michael, a talent and class act...Gob bless him

Very cool that you leave the comments open! It would be criminal not to have founding member Michael Anthony.🤘

Micheal is the most happy, at peace of all the boys…

I miss the original line up when Dave could still sing. It’s a shame Michael was never appreciated until all these years later. Sammy got lucky becoming friends with Michael !!

Whether they do it or not I just want to say thank you Edward Van Halen for all the beautiful music you left us rest in peace fly with the angels

Nothing wrong with holding a tribute show or even tribute tour for EVH to celebrate the music. I won’t hold my breathe though. Just glad to hear MA was going to be involved. I was pissed when I thought they only talked to Newsted and not MA. Anyway, great interview as always you guys. I get the sense he really likes talking to you guys and wants to say more (though he’s too smart and too classy to trash anybody or say too much). You guys are able to get more out of him than most. I would give anything to read a book by him on the VH days but doubt he will ever do it.

I wonder if Michael truly knows he was apart of the greatest rock band of all time! Nothing but respect

Mitch LaFon, who once said he "didn't get" the Original VAN HALEN. Tool on an A+++ level.

My all time favorite bass guitarist that deserves so much damn credit it’s the truth Michael is a killer player one of the best ever

'Live Without A Net' needs to be released on CD. They also need to release a Van Hagar era box set on vinyl & CD, including live, outtakes, whatever. Thanks for the interviews guys, excellent. Michael is such a great guy, humble and never get bored of him. Greetings from Australia.

Awesome! Hey dudes!

Michael, saw you in Indy a few weeks ago, YOU ROCKED and so did Sammy!

Blood is thicker that water,Alex was just water to the brothers.

He's twenty five percent of van Halen. Remarkable backing vocals

MA is a legend bass & vocalist of the classic rock & musical world forever ... their albums history shows the quality of their legacy: VH

Thank you so much for asking about the VH vaults and bootleg recordings! I’m not optimistic a release will ever materialize, 🤞🏼🤞🏼but I’d be the first in line to get it…or preorder in 2022😂 I think we all know there is killer material from all eras out there. Mikey gives further confirmation with the “duffel bag” statement..👌🏼👌🏼

Live from Fresno, Paris, France circa 1977-78 bootlegs are Epic.

Fantastic interview, thank you 🙏🏻

Michael anthony, what great guy! Loved the van halen stories man

Van Halen is not anything I have had an interest in without Michael. Previously and moving forward. Great kid Wolfgang is. But M.A. is the classic and signature background voice of the band. And a great bass player that was tailor made for the band.

I love Mike, such a great guy and great performer. Poor guy was always loyal to the band but still got shit on by the VH brothers. Eddie is gone though, they should just let Van Halen fade into memory.

Mike is the most awesome guy in the whole world!

37:15 that can't be the explanation for why they didn't record a live album with Dave. Cuz Zeppelin released a live album The Song Remains The Same in 1976, and if Alex was such a big fan of LZ, he surely would have known about it. I think it's probably more the cost of recording a show back then on tape with the truck outside and everything.

The first 6 albums especially have some of the best bass playing of all time.

Mike is the best!

Great interview guys, I met Mike at NAMM he’s such a cool guy. Only question I had hoped you asked or wished had come up was the 3 videos from that Oakland show. So this is Love, unchained, hear about it later. Question is where’s the rest of that show? Was it only the 3 songs they filmed? If so what a waste

Thank You very much!! 🙋🏻‍♂️

Yes ✊🏼 let's talk about Mad Anthony's hot sauce ‼️

Good job grabbing Mike, watching now

I’m going to be the lone voice of dissent here. Mike can’t help making subtle digs at Dave - for a so-called ‘class act’, he just can’t seem to help himself. Meanwhile, it was a 40+ minute Circle jerk (see what I did there? 😔) as they elevated Hagar to heights unbefitting his talents.

I bought a 3 pack of MA hot sauces and it was amazing. It was actually a mild, a hot and a hot mustard and the mustard was like hot lava. SO GOOD!

I think those "cheap, crappy" reproduction back stage passes were the ones that Def Leppard did for their Vault project. I remember a lot of people complaining about those. Great Interview guys!

I always liked Mike. Great bassist, and iconic backing vocalist.

I Thank That Van Halen Is In Everybody’s Heart An On There Mind An Will Always Be There No Matter What An The Loss Of EVH The Worlds Greatest Guitarists Ever Will Be Missed An If There Is A Reunion Do For The Fans All Over The World An I Agree About Wolfgang Wanting To Do His Own Thing I Would Do The Same Thing An Plus Not Seeing His Father On Stage An Someone Else Instead An I Hope If A Reunion Happens I Hope Alex An Sammy Is Included An Definitely Micheal Cause He Was There Since Day One Thanks

I wish Dave, Alex, and Michael would be back on stage as Van Halen, just like Pantera recently had a concert with Zakk Wylde on guitar.

Good luck to the Circle on tour- they’re playing xfinity center in Ma.- 17k seats and 3000 sold.

Yeah Michael 🎶🎶🎶☮️🔊🔊

Hi Mikey 😊

Greg Renoff sent me here

Jeremy, are you able to get JAke E Lee on the show?

VH Tribute Tour Is A Go!!! I heard it's gonna be Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Kirk from Metallica, Wolf Van Halen, Zak Wylde, Dave Grohl, Steve Morse, Vivian Campbell, Brad Gillis, Sammy Hagar, Jimmy Page, Steve Lukather. Neal Schon, Richie Blackmore, every guitarist from every Van Halen tribute band in America, plus a hologram of Eddie Van Halen on stage at all times. Like a, "We Are The World," of guitars. Plus, Michael Anthony, Rob Trujillo, Pino Pallidino, Billy Sheehan, Flea and every bass player from every VH cover band in America on bass. David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, Nino Bettencourt, Pink, Glenn Huges, Ian Gillian, Ozzy Osbourne, Vince Neil, and Paul Stanley (lip synching) on vocals=all singing at the same time. Alex Van Halen isn't available so they will be playing to a click track. I read online that's what it's gonna be. Irving Azoff is preparing the contracts. Tickets on sale June 23rd. Feel free to print this story and make a RU-vid video breaking the news.

Great interview! When he's promoting the newest Circle album, ask him about the follow up recording to VH3, an album that Eddie Trunk claimed he had heard. Just curious if Mike was happy/not happy with that album and ( maybe ) why it never saw the light of day ( yet ).

I remember in mid eighty's when I was living in Austin Texas Van Halen was playing with Sammy Hagar. David Lee Roth was playing his own gig we had really good seats and Anthony look at me right in the eye and gave me a thumbs up I always like Anthony the best class Number 1

Hot Sauce Bass coming next for Mikey!

The Circle is cool but what I want to know is will there ever be another Chickenfoot album and actual tour?

Michael Anthony Is a living legend!! Him and Alex have been the strongest tightest live RYTHM SECTION Intergalactic Im sure theres others in some other galaxy? But here it was those 2!!!and lets be honest That guy can probably sing better and In my perspective has a better voice than every van halen singer that has sang for that band!

"Year to the Day, one of the greatest songs ever" LOL

Michael anthony awesome bass player and great voice their should be a tribute to edward and I hope alex makes it happen miss edward terribly r.i.p. edward .

Great interview gents! Did Mike have a secret delay/buffering button answering some of those great questions you asked? LOL. He'd start sharing some interesting info then delay spin/pixelization.... Anyway Michael is really a great guy and player, he still seems so hesitant to talk about VH the latter years/craziness (1997-04)... almost like he'd be sued by Wolf/AL for libel (defamation)! But that would be impossible (thrown out) if what he stated or wrote was fact. (Mike should do a tell all book, what insight) After what the VH brothers did to him, very underhanded, but that's why they were musicians and not very good business people.

Mike is the man!

Great interview. Michael Anthony is a class act. This so called VH tour just seems like a cash grab and not a tribute. But having Michael on board gives it credibility. Satriani is a great guitarist but to me you gotta have Wolfgang playing lead somehow. And you gotta bring Sammy along too. But that will never happen. Dave & Sammy don’t get along. Would be nice for the fans though.

Mikey, time to release a solo album man

Why, why were the brothers jerks with this guy?😎

C'mon Mitch, the song is called Humans Being!

Satriani would be cool, BUT the only thing missing (that people forget) is how solid a backing vocalist Eddie was!! Michael gets all the credit for the high harmonies, but Eddie did an outstanding job on those LOW harmonies. His guitar prowess always overshadowed that fact. Whoever fills his shoes needs to have excellent vocal chops as well. Satriani can't sing.

Don't forget, Alex and Eddie were always known to be nothing less than brothers, in every single way. Them against the world, and no one.... NO ONE, was or is allowed in that club. They did what they wanted to do, random, sporadic, spontaneous... and they had their own secret plans together. In no way am I saying this is a bad thing, it's just natural for them and, if you were invited as a guest, or wanted to be a part, you had to do it all fully realizing and knowing, and understanding this, and always be ready for a sudden change up from left field, at any second. 🤷 You have to be a le to quickly adapt. The negative impacts on others were of no concern to them I love their music, but I never liked that way about them, and I figured it out early on.

👍👍Thank you

Think Concert For George (2002). He was gone but music's best came out to show respect. Let's stop the infighting and accord Ed's memory the same.

Your videos are really good .👍 I Subscribed you just now🙂

It all sounds good, but without EDWARD VAN HALEN 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 it's just gonna be another band playing VH tunes, which is killer always, but it will never be the same, don't get me wrong ,I love Alex, he's the greatest. Their is simply no one on this planet to take the place of THE GOAT......

⚘🤟

Michael/Alex/DLR might have been talking with Irving Azoff a year ago about a VH Tribute band; but David Lee Roth announced his retirement, since then, due to physical/health issues (and Dave's voice is shot/not up to par). And there is no discussion or rehearsing. (What are they waiting for?) A: It's NOT gonna happen. I wish the speculation would end. Again, there is NOT gonna be a VH Tribute band with Satriani as being milked in the press.

And without the paradise part as well. Unless your idea of paradise is Vegas.

Love Michael, but in my opinion I always thought you can always hear his bass especially on VH1 to Diver Down, F.U.C.K maybe be more loud, but his other VH stuff wasn't like Newsted on Justice for all haha

Mike I want a pick from Japan

I would bet the conversation with Newsted was about a tribute concert because if Mike agreed to do the tour, why would you need another bass player ?

There is no Van Halen without Eddie

Michael anthony is such a good guy, I am not sure what Ed's beef was with MA it is too bad they did not pathc things up. Of course Ed had some weird hang ups I mean we all remember that horrible interview he gave after Randy Rhoads died exposing his insecurities.

LOVE ORIGINAL V.H. ,BUT THERE HAS GOT TO BE DEEPER ISSUES WITH MIKE ,HE ALWAYS HAS TO THROW DAVE UNDER THE BUS ,AND EDDIE NEVER MADE AMENDS WITH MIKE (WHY) ,FOR MIKE TO ACT LIKE DAVE JUST RODE HIS HORSE IN A PARADE AND COLLECTED A PAYCHECK IS NONSENSE, DAVE'S LYRICAL CONTENT WAS PERFECT FOR EDDIES FEROCIOUS GUITAR ABILITY IN EARLY YRS ,I'LL PUT ATOMIC PUNK ,LIGHT UP THE SKY ,ROMEO DELIGHT ,PUSH COMES TO SHOVE AGAINST ANY SAMMY LYRICAL CONTENT HE HAS CONTRIBUTED ,EDDIE AND DAVE WERE THE MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF V.H. , EDDIE ALWAYS SAID DAVE WAS A DIVA BUT CARRIED HIS WEIGHT IN THE BAND , THATS WHY V.H. BROTHERS AND DAVE CUT ROYALTIES FROM MIKE, HE WAS THERE ,BUT DIDNT WRITE ,,IM GOING OFF BECAUSE I LOVE V.H. AND KILLS ME TO HEAR MIKE TALK LIKE THAT ,.NOT SO CLASSY ,.. BY THE WAY NO EDDIE LET IT REST ,

It's quite possible Irving Azoff was covering the bases (no pun intended) by talking to other bass players just in case Michael decided not to do it. Given his loyalty to Sammy I can see where someone would think he might not go on tour with Dave. I think it's a bit sad that Mike would imply Jason would stir up drama involving his former band just to promote something. If anything Jason's never been the type to do shit like that. A big reason why he left Metallica and went out on his own was that he's a principled person.

Van Halen died with Ed. Let it go with dignity and grace, please.