Recent MA interview

[vandeleur]

http://www.americanrockscene.com/201...rse-van-halen/

Probs a dup but hey ho

The American Rock Scene got a chance to talk via phone today with the hot-sauce makin’, hot-rod buildin’, hot-bass playin’ Michael Anthony from Chickenfoot and once upon a time, Van Halen. Most of the interview is about Chickenfoot and some of his passions away from the music. We’ve got the little bit of Van Halen talk transcribed right here:

Compare playing with Joe [Satriani] vs. playing with Eddie [Van Halen]:
They’re both amazing guitar players in their own right but the styles are different so I wouldn’t do a direct comparison. There’s a big difference between the two. Joe doesn’t do the hammer-ons that Eddie does for the most part. I guess if I had to compare them; Ed’s more of a fly by the seat of your pants type of guitar player. Ed’s had some formal training but a lot how he feels whereas Joe explains the whole theory behind it, the chord structure, everything you know. They are both amazing guitar players.

Did you see the last video that David Lee Roth put out?
The black and white video in the woods with his dog, talking about the postponements? Yeah, I watched itand yeah, that’s Dave. He hasn’t changed a bit. Who Knows? Only the band really knows what is going on. I don’t really care to comment on that. I have my own theories on it. To me it sounds kinda interesting that if you are tired and need to re-charge your batteries, you don’t go put 30 shows on sale. [VHND notes that the 30 shows were announced, but most weren't on sale yet]. If I were a fan, I would think that a little odd, to pull the plug on it. It could be the sales, you just don’t know.
I wish them well. They put out a great album, and they’re a great live band… always have been.
Absolutely. Edward looks healthy now.
I heard Eddie’s sober and that’s great.

Would you ever share the stage with Van Halen again?
I don’t know. As time goes on, less and less. Ed’s got his son up there with him now. He’s having a great time with that. I don’t know. I really couldn’t say.The circumstances would really have to be right. I was always the”never say never” guy in the band. As time goes on, I don’t think about it any more. If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen. I’m not going to be the one to instigate anything. I’m having a great time in my life doing what I’m doing right now.

[Dave's Bitch]

Anyone else skip straight to the Van Halen question?

[mohican]

The Desk did:

The American Rock Scene got a chance to talk via phone today with the hot-sauce makin’, hot-rod buildin’, hot-bass playin’ Michael Anthony from Chickenfoot and once upon a time, Van Halen. Most of the interview is about Chickenfoot and some of his passions away from the music. We’ve got the little bit of Van Halen talk transcribed right here:

Compare playing with Joe [Satriani] vs. playing with Eddie [Van Halen]:

They’re both amazing guitar players in their own right but the styles are different so I wouldn’t do a direct comparison. There’s a big difference between the two. Joe doesn’t do the hammer-ons that Eddie does for the most part. I guess if I had to compare them; Ed’s more of a fly by the seat of your pants type of guitar player. Ed’s had some formal training but a lot how he feels whereas Joe explains the whole theory behind it, the chord structure, everything you know. They are both amazing guitar players.

Did you see the last video that David Lee Roth put out?

The black and white video in the woods with his dog, talking about the postponements? Yeah, I watched it and yeah, that’s Dave. He hasn’t changed a bit. Who Knows? Only the band really knows what is going on. I don’t really care to comment on that. I have my own theories on it. To me it sounds kinda interesting that if you are tired and need to re-charge your batteries, you don’t go put 30 shows on sale. [VHND notes that the 30 shows were announced, but most weren't on sale yet]. If I were a fan, I would think that a little odd, to pull the plug on it. It could be the sales, you just don’t know.

I wish them well. They put out a great album, and they’re a great live band… always have been.

Absolutely. Edward looks healthy now.

I heard Eddie’s sober and that’s great.

Would you ever share the stage with Van Halen again?

I don’t know. As time goes on, less and less. Ed’s got his son up there with him now. He’s having a great time with that. I don’t know. I really couldn’t say. The circumstances would really have to be right. I was always the”never say never” guy in the band. As time goes on, I don’t think about it any more. If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen. I’m not going to be the one to instigate anything. I’m having a great time in my life doing what I’m doing right now.

[vandeleur]

Cheers dude , mare to do this with iPhone and Stella on board

[mohican]

Didn't mean to post a duplicate. Using my Subway sandwich sized netbook with wi-fi. Takes a while for content to show.

What to make of MA's comments or leading questions about the postponement??

[Northern Girl]

He was decent enough, but really who gives a fuck? Nice to know Sam and Mike follow Van Halen's every little move. Do you think any of them give a rats ass or even know what Sam and Mike are doing? Kind of like an old girlfriend who can't let go while the guy has moved on to six other women since. Just makes me chuckle.

[Matt White]

Glad to actually hear that Mike "...is moving on."

He's always going to be the guy who played BASS on the 6-pack...the GREATEST body of work by any AMERICAN hard rock band..............

Wish he wasn't hanging with the Spamman........

ah well..............maybe they'll pull him on stage at some point.......close that chapter with some class & style

[VHscraps]

Mike plays a pretty straight bat, to use the cricketing parlance - a diplomatic guy.

I tend to believe that he really does think ADKOT was a great album, as he says - even if the way he feels is probably tinged with a bit of regret for what might've been. He was in that band, and he knows when they are cookin'. He must know it betters anything he did with Hagar in the band.

As for the Eddie vs. Joe comparisons ... I've never, ever, ever, thought that technical ability and knowing the 'theory' behind everything you are doing, or really over thinking it in advance, was what rock'n'roll was about. It's about FEEL, for me, and Ed - unlike most who he opened doors for, including Satch and Vai - lack that essential rock'n'roll feel thing.

Aside from that, Ed's best work is just way more memorable.

[VHscraps]

Cheers dude , mare to do this with iPhone and Stella on board

Hey, man - do you mean the "Stella" that the sneaky brewers have recently watered down - from 5.2% to 5.0% abv, then to 4.8%abv??

[Northern Girl]

Glad to actually hear that Mike "...is moving on."

Saying it and actually doing it are two different things. Seems he and Sam follow all the band's moves. Even if it is shoved in their face for reaction, they make a choice...

[VHscraps]

Mike mentions the Dave vid with Russel the Dog in the woods, so he obviously checks up on the VHND, and maybe other fan sites. He must pick up on how Hagar's inability to shut-up are coming across to the fans. You gotta think at some point he'd be thinking - why don't you just STFU, Sammy. 'Cos his association with the Crimson Clown will, by and by, diminish Mike's standing amongst the fans as well.

The way I see it is that I think Hagar is always gleefully shooting his mouth off about Van Halen, but MA is more likely to be just kinda responding to the questions he always gets asked.

[Yount]

The way I see it is that I think Hagar is always gleefully shooting his mouth off about Van Halen, but MA is more likely to be just kinda responding to the questions he always gets asked.

Right on man!

[Guitar Shark]

I love the contrast between these two statements:

Who Knows? Only the band really knows what is going on. I don’t really care to comment on that.

followed immediately by:

I have my own theories on it. To me it sounds kinda interesting that if you are tired and need to re-charge your batteries, you don’t go put 30 shows on sale. [VHND notes that the 30 shows were announced, but most weren't on sale yet]. If I were a fan, I would think that a little odd, to pull the plug on it. It could be the sales, you just don’t know.

[SNIPER]

How could it be sales Mike? Tickets were not on sale for most of it. Same old Dave he says? I am not sure where he was going with that.

[hambon4lif]

I don't care what he may say, and I could give a shit less about the theories of which of the six albums he actually played on. He is the original bass player of my all-time favorite band, so I'm always going to take the high road and refuse to take a swipe at him.
When I saw CVH live back in the day, Mike was always there. and if it wasn't for the brothers blind anger, Sam wouldn't have manipulated them with it by walking away with a hostage.

To me, a band has always been a brotherhood, thick as thieves, and against the entire rest of the motherfucking world, and whether anyone wants to admit it to themselves or not, Mike was a part of that.

Nothing against Wolfie at all (over the last two tours, he's made a believer out of me), but Classic Van Halen is Dave, Eddie, Mike , and Alex. Anyone that tries to say anything otherwise is just rationalizing. If they brought Mike onstage as a surprise for a song or two, I would freak the fuck out, and all would be right with the world. Sammy would no longer have any leverage, and his meal ticket would be stripped from him....which is as it should be.

Ultimately, Mike gets a pass. After 22 long motherfucking years, we never thought they'd come to their senses and get their rightful singer back either, so who's to say what the hell can happen with this band?

[VHscraps]

I'm with you on that, hambon.

The original guys went through it all together before fame and glory. It's a unique bond, no matter what they might feel about each other later.

One of the most striking things about the aftermath of the 1996 clusterfck at MTV was how you could actually find Dave sticking up for Eddie - at a film premiere soon afterwards, he was out front with the TV cameras and with Howard Stern and Tonny Bennett (it's on youtube) and Stern is goading the audience into chanting 'Eddie sucks, Eddie sucks', and DLR grabs the mic from Stern says to all these people: 'Hang on a minute, hang on ... Eddie doesn't suck'.

It was no surprise that around that time he also said something like, 'That was my team, and I helped build it up - and I don't like to hear anybody tearin' it down'.

[SunisinuS]

How could it be sales Mike? Tickets were not on sale for most of it. Same old Dave he says? I am not sure where he was going with that.

Passive-aggressive Back handed swipe.

[sadaist]

Uh....the "same old Dave" is EXACTLY what we want....and are willing to pay dearly for & drive hundreds upon hundreds of miles with toothpicks holding our eyelids open and a beer can between the legs. yes, the "same old Dave" is what sells tickets, makes fans happy, and makes the music magic.

Ticket sales...sheesh. More people took a pee during Alex's solo than were at the last Chickenface show.

[sadaist]

Dear Mike....


Go away.


Signed,

everyone. (even Sammy signed this)

[hambon4lif]

I'm with you on that, hambon.

The original guys went through it all together before fame and glory. It's a unique bond, no matter what they might feel about each other later.

Exactly! Maybe I'm just in a rare nostalgic mood, but I've been listening to and/or watching the Pasadena Civic show, The US Festival, Largo, and Montreal '84 and thinking "Damn! If I had found the same perfect combination they did, the whole world would kissing MY ass, too!!"
All the other shit, to me, is just for the benefit of the media. Onstage, those four kicked your ass into the back of your skull, bar none.

[sadaist]

Funny that Michael already saw the Dave press release. So from that we can gather that he sits around watching all the VH videos crying into his hot sauce bottles......hey, maybe I'm on to something here.


Coming soon from Sauce Sobelewski (previously from the famous rock band Van Halen).....




Tastes superb on your grouper soup.

[DONNIEP]

"Same old Dave"... And I wouldn't have it any other way

[SNIPER]

Yes, I would have it no other way either! But "same old Dave" coming from Mike was not meant as positive I don't think. ...Don't forget Mike would also say "who the fuck is this guy on stage with me trying to act like my friend"

[SNIPER]

Nice guy or not. Original member forever indeed, but I don't trust the guy anymore.

[sadaist]

Yes, I would have it no other way either! But "same old Dave" coming from Mike was not meant as positive I don't think. ...Don't forget Mike would also say "who the fuck is this guy on stage with me trying to act like my friend"

While the other side of his mouth he says he knows when on stage you put on an act/show for the audience so they don't see the internal strife. Fucking more I hear from this guy the bigger asshole he is. Good riddance.

[chi-town324]

What I gathered is that Mike would be back in if they asked .. which could be a song or 2 sometime or never but he'd come running if asked.. U never know

[hambon4lif]

Funny that Michael already saw the Dave press release. So from that we can gather that he sits around watching all the VH videos crying into his hot sauce bottles......hey, maybe I'm on to something here.

Yeah, you're definitely onto something. Especially given your stance on Motley Crue, when you know deep down in your soul that the Motley album with Corabi fucking CRUSHES anything they did with D.U.I., yet you're gonna sit here on this board and talk shit about how D.U.I is the shit, and can't be replaced?
Are you onto some kind of actual logic here? Or are you onto the deeper side of raw irony?

It's a chess game, dude....every move is critical.

[Romeo Delight]

Does this really sound like a guy living his life and has no axe to grind? Seems like alot of attention and thought put to this. Why the conjecture when he doesn't know anything? And if he does know something why say anything at all? Weak...

"The black and white video in the woods with his dog, talking about the postponements? Yeah, I watched itand yeah, that’s Dave. He hasn’t changed a bit. Who Knows? Only the band really knows what is going on. I don’t really care to comment on that. I have my own theories on it. To me it sounds kinda interesting that if you are tired and need to re-charge your batteries, you don’t go put 30 shows on sale. [VHND notes that the 30 shows were announced, but most weren't on sale yet]. If I were a fan, I would think that a little odd, to pull the plug on it. It could be the sales, you just don’t know.

[hambon4lif]

I have my own theories on it. To me it sounds kinda interesting that if you are tired and need to re-charge your batteries, you don’t go put 30 shows on sale.
If I were a fan, I would think that a little odd, to pull the plug on it.

Alot of people here thought the same damn thing!! (should I link?)

What the fuck does that have to do with anything?

[VAiN]

I'm with you on that, hambon.

The original guys went through it all together before fame and glory. It's a unique bond, no matter what they might feel about each other later.

One of the most striking things about the aftermath of the 1996 clusterfck at MTV was how you could actually find Dave sticking up for Eddie - at a film premiere soon afterwards, he was out front with the TV cameras and with Howard Stern and Tonny Bennett (it's on youtube) and Stern is goading the audience into chanting 'Eddie sucks, Eddie sucks', and DLR grabs the mic from Stern says to all these people: 'Hang on a minute, hang on ... Eddie doesn't suck'.

It was no surprise that around that time he also said something like, 'That was my team, and I helped build it up - and I don't like to hear anybody tearin' it down'.

I remember watching that and just feeling good about what Dave did and how he handled it. That's class.

[Nickdfresh]

Uh....the "same old Dave" is EXACTLY what we want....and are willing to pay dearly for & drive hundreds upon hundreds of miles with toothpicks holding our eyelids open and a beer can between the legs. yes, the "same old Dave" is what sells tickets, makes fans happy, and makes the music magic.

Ticket sales...sheesh. More people took a pee during Alex's solo than were at the last Chickenface show.

Dave doesn't need Mike to suck his dick...

[sadaist]

Dave doesn't need Mike to suck his dick...

How did you get that out of what I wrote?

No, Dave doesn't need Mike to suck his dick. But Mike could show a little respect to the guy, which the more I read I see he just can't bring himself to do.

[hambon4lif]

I remember watching that and just feeling good about what Dave did and how he handled it. That's class.

I thought that also. Dave knew Ray Daniels was a fucking piece of shit, and he knew in time, the rest of the world would figure that out, too.

(the '96 VMA's was, to date, the very last time I saw my favorite band together onstage. It obviously means fuck-all to alot of folks, but it means alot to me.)

[Hardrock69]

Lol at Scraps....."The Crimson Clown".

[VAiN]

(the '96 VMA's was, to date, the very last time I saw my favorite band together onstage. It obviously means fuck-all to alot of folks, but it means alot to me.)

Agree. Watching that was mind blowing and the following week or so afterwards it felt like all was right in the world. I'll never forget that feeling.

[sadaist]

Agree. Watching that was mind blowing and the following week or so afterwards it felt like all was right in the world. I'll never forget that feeling.

But with all we know I have a hard time watching that moment without giving the 3 others the stink eye. Dave stated Alex was telling him to "ham it up Dave" and egging him on. And you can tell Mike knows the whole thing is a sham the way he is giggling along with Alex behind Dave. And Eddie grabs Dave & moves him away from them?

Fuck those guys at that time. They shit on Dave. they shit on the fans.


But yeah...at the time it was incredible. I was ready to rent an RV and follow them around on tour.

[loucap81]

Am I the only one who shrugs his shoulders at this? MA was asked questions, he threw in his two cents, he didn't say anything particularly interesting, and that's that. I don't read much more into it than that. Yeah he'd probably like to play for VH again but if you were in his shoes, wouldn't you? Also without the Ched Rocker he'd really be out of options musically speaking.

[TwoFoolsAMinute]

Am I the only one who shrugs his shoulders at this? MA was asked questions, he threw in his two cents, he didn't say anything particularly interesting, and that's that. I don't read much more into it than that. Yeah he'd probably like to play for VH again but if you were in his shoes, wouldn't you? Also without the Ched Rocker he'd really be out of options musically speaking.

Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with his answers, and when it came to slamming VH, he said he didn't want to talk about it. Fair enough.

[gbranton]

Tastes superb on your grouper soup.

LOL, it amuses me every time you make a grouper soup comment.

[Romeo Delight]

Alot of people here thought the same damn thing!! (should I link?)

What the fuck does that have to do with anything?

He is Michael Anthony, not Tom Schmuck - blog writer to the Stars. I expect better. "I don't want to comment..." But then he goes ahead and does exactly that.

I am not impressed