Wolfgang Van Halen and Michael Anthony celebrated their friendship when they met at Mammoth WVH’s concert in Las Vegas on Friday (Dec. 9).
It was the first time the original Van Halen bassist had met his replacement in two decades, the older man reported afterwards. The lineup change had taken place in 2006, when Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolf was 15.
The pair proved there was no hard feeling when they posed for a picture together, with Van Halen reporting on social media: “Ran into an old friend at the Mammoth WVH show in Vegas tonight. (Love ya, Mikey).”
Anthony wrote: “Went to see Mammoth WVH last night here in Vegas, and they threw it down! Love ya Wolf, so great to see ya! (Proud of you brother!!)” Asked by a follower how long it had been since they’d last met, he replied: “First time in 20 years.”
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In a recent interview Van Halen said he’d been looking forward to the encounter, telling Q104: “I’m gonna be seeing Mike in Vegas, so I’m stoked to give him a hug.” He added that he was “stoked” that Sammy Hagar was planning a 2024 tour featuring Anthony and guitarist Joe Satriani, to include Van Halen music. “Yeah, that’s super cool, man,” the 32-year-old said.
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When Anthony split with Van Halen, some fans reacted angrily to Wolf’s presence. It was later revealed that Eddie Van Halen had been suffering health issues when it came to reactivating the band, and that Wolf had been instrumental in making it happen at all. Eddie had come to feel that he’d be happier on stage if his son was there too. “It was never like I went to my dad and said, ‘I should be playing bass,’” Wolf said. “At that point, I just wanted to keep my dad alive.”
Many fans were delighted to see the reunion picture, with one writing: “This is the best thing I have seen on the internet in recent memory. I’m glad to see there is no bad blood between these two.” Another said: “Mike has always seemed to be a class act. And he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best background vocalist ever in rock.”
Another focused on the fact that former Hagar and Anthony’s friendship had continued from Van Halen into other projects including Chickenfoot and The Circle. ”I’ve always said that if any good came from the wreckage of relationships that this band had, it’s the brotherhood that Sammy and Mike formed and have maintained over the years,” he wrote.
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
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