For nearly 50 years, Van Halen thrilled fans all over the world with hit songs like “Hot for Teacher”, “Jump”, and “Runnin’ With the Devil.” Throughout their years on the stage, the band went through numerous lineup changes to include stars like Sammy Hager, Michael Anthony, and David Lee Roth. Selling over 80 million albums worldwide, the band landed on VH1’s 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists and even gained entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Currently preparing for their Best of All Worlds tour, Anthony and Hager will join forces for a string of shows that are promoted as being “totally live.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Over the last few years, many classic rock bands looked to keep the good times rolling with more tours. But given the years on stage, the time seemed to catch up with them. Not able to move and keep the same tune, some have reverted to using backing tracks and technology to help bring back the glory days. But for fans paying to see these iconic bands live, they have consistently voiced their disdain for backing tracks. Listening to the fans, Anthony promised a live show.
Michael Anthony Shares Details About Upcoming Tour
Speaking on Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, Anthony insisted on giving fans a true show. “We’re going to play totally live.” Wanting to address backing tracks, he added, “There will be no tapes, no piped in vocals, nothing.”
While sharing what is in store for fans, Anthony continued, “This is going to be 100%. We might even have another person with us to play keyboards… which we are going to do because we do want to keep it 100% live.”
Although the tour will feature several hit songs from Van Halen, Anthony explained how the concerts will showcase a wide range of music. “We’re mixing it up. It’s more than a tribute tour. Sammy had summed it up good. We’re kind of calling this a thank you tour. Thank you to all the fans.” the bassist confirmed, “There’s going to be a few [Van Halen songs] that we haven’t done in quite some time. We’re going to throw all of it in there.”
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
