Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has reiterated his enthusiasm for a potential Eddie Van Halen tribute concert. He emphasized the urgency of involving the surviving original band members while they’re still able to participate actively.
During an appearance on Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, Anthony expressed his willingness to be part of such a project. However, he made clear he won’t independently push for it to happen. “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,” Anthony said.
The bassist outlined his vision for what such a tribute could look like. He suggested it wouldn’t necessarily require a full tour. “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,” he explained.
Anthony also highlighted the potential for other musicians to participate in such a tribute. “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,” he added.
Anthony stressed that time is of the essence for the surviving members to be actively involved. “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. Because I definitely would love to be part of something like that,” he concluded.
Anthony’s comments reflect an ongoing conversation within the Van Halen community about honoring Eddie’s legacy. Blabbermouth reported that no concrete progress has been made on a possible Van Halen tribute concert since April 2022. At that time, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted revealed discussions about the concept. Despite years of speculation and interest from band members, the project remains hypothetical. Various logistical and personal factors have prevented it from moving forward.
The lack of progress hasn’t diminished Anthony’s interest in the idea. Ultimate Metal noted that Anthony has consistently expressed his willingness to participate in such a tribute. His latest comments are part of a pattern of support for the concept that has persisted over several years.
While a dedicated Eddie Van Halen tribute concert remains unrealized, the Van Halen legacy continues to be explored in other ways. Van Halen News Desk documented that in 2024, Joe Satriani joined Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony on a tour celebrating Hagar’s decade as Van Halen’s frontman. This tour demonstrated that collaborative tributes and celebrations of the band’s history remain viable. It showed that surviving members and notable musicians are willing to come together to honor the band’s contributions to rock music.
Additionally, work continues on other Van Halen-related projects. Guitar World reported that a new Van Halen album is being worked on by Alex Van Halen and Steve Lukather. Michael Anthony has shared his perspective on how the project should be handled. These ongoing efforts suggest that while a full tribute concert may not yet be realized, the Van Halen legacy remains an active focus for those involved with the band’s history.
