It always comes down to that.
Van Hagar wants and needs your money.
Everyone knows the fanbase is split worse than any other in the history of music.
Off the top of my head I'd say 40% EVH, 40% Roth and 20% Sammy.
So a VHIII gig gets you 40% of the audience and cancelled shows, a Spammy gig gets you 60% and half empty venues. Van Halen in any guise are a nostalgia act and without Roth, a half assed one.
The money men must be worried.
That's why there is silence on the singer thing because they want YOUR money and they're scrabbling about trying to come up with a deal to get it.
Say they bring out BOVII with the 2000 songs Roth did assuming they are releasable. Hagar won't like that so they need to throw him the bone of singing on a couple of new ones. Even worse they know the demographic of the audience. The money is in touring now for bands like Van Halen or the Stones. The album has become just a flag to rally around when they know that the old trick of just sticking a couple of new tracks on a best of album is circumnavigated by the internet.
Tour with just Spammy. Hmmm haunting memories of Hagar in Europe with Bon Jovi or the VHIII tour.
People they're sitting trying to cut a deal just now.
And before anyone says that the Van Halens don't need the money then that's beside the point because they need the success. Playiing to half or 3/4 empty gigs is not good for the ego and when the egos get damaged the fights start.
Roth with the biggest ego in the world has got used to it and has always had much more positive attitude about touring.
Interesting times.
Well for Van Halen internet geeks anyhoo...
Cheers!