AVH Autobiography 'Brothers' Due In October

[Vinnie Velvet]

It'd be of some interest to know if the Van Halens had Mike sign an NDA at some point either during the 1984 contract renegotiation or any alterations of Mike's contract subsequent to the intial 1984 one.

I say that because I can't understand why Mike hasn't really proffered much by way of venting or defending himself or an explanation in terms of what went down with him and the Van Halens, even if were only concentrating on the years after Cherone left the band in 1999. It's not as if Mike hasn't been asked about that stuff multiple times in interviews over the last twenty years. Mike HAS commented here and there about specifics (the circumstances behind his leaving Van Halen) when asked, but only when asked and it's always been with this neutral tone.

I mean, from what I can suss out, it seems like Eddie and Alex just stopped contacting Mike and playing with him shortly after the demo sessions with Roth in 2000 ended. Which was well before Eddie's mother died (calling bullshit on the 'Mike was chucked out of the band specifically because he missed Eddie's Mom's funeral' theory) or before Hagar formed Chickenfoot or the Circle. Reportedly, Sammy had to say to Ed and Alex in the fall of 2003 that he wouldn't do a Van Hagar reunion if Mike wasn't part of the band, so clearly Mike had been out of the band as far as the Van Halens were concerned prior to the fall of 2003 at the latest. Most likely as far back as early 2001 after the second attempt at a Roth reunion failed to get off the ground.

With Mike Anthony, to me it comes off like Eddie and Alex ultimately ended up being dicks to the one guy out of anybody they played with in Van Halen who was easily the most loyal to the Van Halens. The flip side being Mike Anthony willingly let the Van Halens whittle down his percentage and willingly signed away more and more of his rights from 1984 to 2004...Mike let the Van Halens treat him like the hired help rather than stand up for himself and take a hike. I mean, I get it in that staying in Van Halen even at a reduced percentage was the safer route than standing up for himself and probably being chucked out of the band as a result: it wasn't a great choice (maybe not much of a choice at all, really) but he was free to have left at any time. He chose to stay. The Van Halens ended up treating him exactly like what he allowed himself to be treated, which was the disposable hired help. It isn't to say Mike deserved said treatment, but after twenty years of it he'd have to have been an idiot to be surprised at the way he was dumped.

If I can remember the timeline.... the Van Halens were well aware Mike playing (he guested on some gigs) with Sammy on the Sam and Dave tour. In fact we know Mike approaching Dave to do the same - simply go on stage with him and play a few songs. Dave as we know nixed that idea and told Mike that "it wasn't the right time". Maybe Dave knew it would've created a bigger wedge with the brothers or he was holding out on a true CVH reunion.

Whatever the case, in 2002, Mike still wasn't a member of Sammy's band at that point. So perhaps the very notion of him playing with Sam for even a few gigs is what started the rift with the brothers. Hence them not wanting him to even be part of the Van Hagar 2004 tour.

It will be interesting to see if Alex sheds any light on this period and their dealings with Mike in the book.

[DLR Bridge]

I partly assumed Mike made out well during the Ed leffler Van Hagar years and figured he was set. Like you said, making a hassle over the money in the later years was only going to lead him out the door, which is where he found himself anyway. I think Dave even did better during the Ed leffler years.

[Never was]

A tour with Vai, Al and Dave starting in October would be a good promotion for the book and a fuck you to those who want VH to be never heard again. Just a thought

[DLR Bridge]

A tour with Vai, Al and Dave starting in October would be a good promotion for the book and a fuck you to those who want VH to be never heard again. Just a thought

I like the idea, but guys like Phil X and Pete Thorn are remarkable Ed mimics. With Vai, you get his style and sound.

[Nitro Express]

It's just a person who can organize time lines accurately and has the ability to convey a spoken story into coherent words and paragraphs that make sense to a general audience. A good co-writer would have to spend a lot of time listening and gathering details rather than just making shit up.

Ghost writers are a thing. You want a really good audiobook these days. People don’t read as much as used to.

[Nitro Express]

I partly assumed Mike made out well during the Ed leffler Van Hagar years and figured he was set. Like you said, making a hassle over the money in the later years was only going to lead him out the door, which is where he found himself anyway. I think Dave even did better during the Ed leffler years.

Dave wrote all the lyrics and helped organize the music. Dave got more publishing points. Mike ain’t hurting. He’s living on the marina in Newport Beach and has a warehouse full of cool cars. You can always analyze things and go oh I could have made more there but making a lot is still good. Alex needed money so they shook Mike down but what would Mike being doing if the Van Halen’s didn’t snag him?

[Nitro Express]

Van Halen had a good seven year run. That’s actually good for a drug/alcohol infused rock band with personality clashes.

[DLR Bridge]

Only half way through, but there’s a good interview with Greg Renoff and Chris Gill out.

[twonabomber]

on Youtube?

[ZahZoo]

If I can remember the timeline.... the Van Halens were well aware Mike playing (he guested on some gigs) with Sammy on the Sam and Dave tour. In fact we know Mike approaching Dave to do the same - simply go on stage with him and play a few songs. Dave as we know nixed that idea and told Mike that "it wasn't the right time". Maybe Dave knew it would've created a bigger wedge with the brothers or he was holding out on a true CVH reunion.

Whatever the case, in 2002, Mike still wasn't a member of Sammy's band at that point. So perhaps the very notion of him playing with Sam for even a few gigs is what started the rift with the brothers. Hence them not wanting him to even be part of the Van Hagar 2004 tour.

It will be interesting to see if Alex sheds any light on this period and their dealings with Mike in the book.

Somewhere in October 2001 Valerie and Edward separated primarily due to Ed's alcoholism and drug use. Also remember Edward was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2000 and claimed to be cancer free in 2002. But Ed's way of dealing with both his separation and cancer battle threw him even deeper into the depths of his substance abuse issues.

The substance abuse progressed as witnessed in the 2004 tour. Valerie eventually filed for divorce in 2005 and it was finalized in 2007.

During 2000 through 2003 Michael Anthony was just sitting on the sidelines while Edward was perfecting his death spiral and Alex most likely didn't know what to do to save his brother. There wasn't any productive band business during this period because Ed was too fucked up to function... Mike kept near the phone and more or less tried to keep a positive front from a band perspective during all the shit storms Ed was stirring up.

Edward and Alex just blew Mike off and didn't have the decency to at least act like adults and let him know where things were heading... Mike learned his fate along with us via the internet. Total asshole move made by the Van Halens...

[DLR Bridge]

on Youtube?

Ahh, now I got it.

[DLR Bridge]

Edward and Alex just blew Mike off and didn't have the decency to at least act like adults and let him know where things were heading... Mike learned his fate along with us via the internet. Total asshole move made by the Van Halens...

It was an asshole move for the ages, but one thing I learned from the Tonechaser book was how much Ed loathed Mike’s lack of a work ethic. I think Ed wanted the guy to WANT to be in the trenches with him and his brother. He certainly couldn’t make Mike want that. I don’t want to misquote, but it drove Ed nuts how he’d leave sessions early, hang out at Disneyland and contribute nothing to the creative process. It was around ‘81 in the book where he expressed his frustrations. I recall him saying, “at least Dave pulls his weight.”

[Seshmeister]

I really don't see anything that wrong with taking Mike's writing royalties when he wasn't writing.

Kicking him out the band and replacing him with your fat 16 year old kid though is pretty unforgivable and if nothing else, incredibly disrespectful.

[Nickdfresh]

I really don't see anything that wrong with taking Mike's writing royalties when he wasn't writing.

Kicking him out the band and replacing him with your fat 16 year old kid though is pretty unforgivable and if nothing else, incredibly disrespectful.

Well, how fucking much did Alex write?

[Nitro Express]

I think Ed was jealous of Mike because Mike actually had what Ed wanted. Ed hated the fame and just wanted to be a musician. Mike wasn’t the guitar God. He was making a great living being a musician and he was happy and had a great marriage. Ed had all the attention on him. Had the pressure of maintaining his status and was married to Val. Just being married to Val would drive me to the meth laced coke and Smoking Loon.