Australia’s Triple M recently conducted a short interview with Eddie and Alex Van Halen. Read it below.
Triple M: Eddie is it true your dad gave you a shot of vodka and a cigarette when you were 12-years-old to help combat nerves?
Eddie: Yes, to help calm my nerves. Worked for him and worked for me for a lot of years, but those days are over now. I quit smoking and quit drinking about five or six years ago. There goes the neighborhood.”
Triple M: Alex, you are an ordained minister?
Alex: I don’t promote it but I don’t deny it. I’m in a rock band so you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
Triple M: Van Halen are actually the band KISS without make-up?
Alex: I think we’re much better looking.
Triple M: Of course, Van Halen hit Australia this April with the old dog, David Lee Roth on vocals. Is it good to have Diamond Dave back in the band?
Alex: It’s like you walk into the studio and we haven’t been together for a while and there’s this overwhelming sense of ‘coming home.’ That’s the best way I can describe it.
All the time we were apart was if it hadn’t existed and we picked up the fisti-cuffs right away. It’s like a pair of jeans that just fit right.
Triple M: Eddie’s son Wolfgang has been playing bass in the band for the past seven years, after replacing original bassist Michael Anthony in 2006.
Eddie: Of course it’s exciting, and he keeps us young.
Alex: It’s good to have a different perspective on the music we recorded 35 years ago. We’re really happy the music has stood the test time and I think having a different generation involved with it gives us a different perspective.
source: triplem.com.au
26 Responses
I’m sorry, but without Michael Anthony, this isn’t Van Halen.
Really is his name Mike Van Halen?
Tool
Good one Gerry 😉
Without Wolfgang, there is no VH touring and releasing new music. So I think I can live with it.
Amen
Van Halen is Ed, Al and Dave. I am glad Wolfgang brought them back to life! I do think it would be awesome if Wolf played rhythm guitar and Michael Anthony played bass. From what I hear Wolfgang is a talented guitarist as well. Would be awesome with Ed on lead and Wolf on rhythm, Mike on bass…
True!!! Anyone can play bass, but it was his backing vocals that was huge part of music.
It wasn’t Van Halen with Hagar for sure! Love that Dave is back. Wolfgang has done a great job and earned his spot! Hard rock = Roth… Pop rock = Sammy
I rather see Michael Anthony in the fold!
I have a tat of VH on my arm and without Michael Anthony and or Sammyy in the band, I want to get it removed!
So let me get this straight Jeremy Rindahl, you want the original base player back, but not the original lead singer??? Clearly you got into VH in 1986 didn’t you.
Wolfgang is why VH is back together like it or not and he prefers Dave. Sammy is NOT Van Halen it is Van Hagar. Who knows with Wolf in Tremonti we might get Michael Anthony back before the band retires
I love Van Halen, and enjoyed the music they put out with all three singers. I was disappointed with “Truth”. I mean to rehash old music and write new lyrics? I would love to hear new music, not overly produced. Bring Ted Templeman back in to the fold. Bring that raw Van Halen sound back!!!