Azoff Confirms Van Halen was to reunite with Michael Anthony

[Dave's Dreidel]

Not that it matters, but I haven't read anywhere, including the Azoff piece, in which Sam was involved. Maybe he was, but I think the 2019 tour was intended to be just the original lineup.

[Little Dreamer]

My feeling with Azoff is that when he saw the old grudges and bitter feelings involved, he decided to not touch that with a 10 foot pole. So much so that even when the guys were at their most belligerent, the band members never blamed anything on Azoff. Totally different situation than when RD was managing. So it was up to Ed to decide who was in the band, and Azoff just went along with whatever was decided. If Sam only reconnected in December 2019, then he was probably not involved in the summer 2019 tentative tour.

[VHKC1984]

THIS little bombshell is heartbreaking. That we were so close to the original four again.

[Little Dreamer]

I thought the real bombshell was in the Nuno tribute. He clearly confirms the intention of bringing Mike back. This is from his last encounter with EVH, a few months before the covid thing:

"What’s cool though, was the last thing Eddie talked about.
He said he was super excited about reaching out to Michael Anthony to finally put the original VH lineup back together. Saying that he wanted to do one final tour and have Van Halen go out the way they came in . Together... Guns Blazing!
Finally as Eddie said his goodbye, he asked about the new Extreme album that we were recording up in the house.
As we hugged, he says: “I’ll be back to listen to it when you’re done, and with a sinister raspy laugh , adds “it better be good “.
Finished it. Then. PANDEMIC."

[xk319]

I thought the real bombshell was in the Nuno tribute. He clearly confirms the intention of bringing Mike back. This is from his last encounter with EVH, a few months before the covid thing:

"What’s cool though, was the last thing Eddie talked about.
He said he was super excited about reaching out to Michael Anthony to finally put the original VH lineup back together. Saying that he wanted to do one final tour and have Van Halen go out the way they came in . Together... Guns Blazing!
Finally as Eddie said his goodbye, he asked about the new Extreme album that we were recording up in the house.
As we hugged, he says: “I’ll be back to listen to it when you’re done, and with a sinister raspy laugh , adds “it better be good “.
Finished it. Then. PANDEMIC."

I clicked one of the thread links at the bottom of the page, about Anthony and Azoff talking. It's sorta heart wrenching to read some of the things put forth by forum members as to why it didn't happen (usually very blametastic)....knowing that at that time the reason was Ed's cancer.

[Get The Show On The Road]

I clicked one of the thread links at the bottom of the page, about Anthony and Azoff talking. It's sorta heart wrenching to read some of the things put forth by forum members as to why it didn't happen (usually very blametastic)....knowing that at that time the reason was Ed's cancer.

I think it has become pretty clear that he was sicker than we were lead to believe for a longer time than we thought and he probably had intermittent times where he was in reasonably good health that allowed him to tour. I think that would explain the lack of activity over the last decade more than him just being a lazy ass that didn't want to work, or that he and Dave couldn't get along well enough to get things done. There was probably some of that involved, but probably not to the extent that a lot of people think IMO.

[JUNGLE DRUMMER]

I clicked one of the thread links at the bottom of the page, about Anthony and Azoff talking. It's sorta heart wrenching to read some of the things put forth by forum members as to why it didn't happen (usually very blametastic)....knowing that at that time the reason was Ed's cancer.

And people mocked the band for thinking they could do any stadiums or that bands like the Foos or Metallica would ever open for them. I dont think people realized that if it was the original band and it truly was a farewell because Ed's health wasn't going to allow him to keep touring in the future, then those bands wouldve considered it an honor to open for the Mighty Van Halen as they said goodbye and went off into the sunset in a blaze of glory. Just wasn't meant to be. Fuckin cancer.