David Lee Roth has twisted the knife on an already painful 2020, telling the New York Times that he is uncertain that Van Halen guitarist and co-founder Eddie Van Halen will ever tour again.
The singer had already cast doubt in the heart of Van Halen fans over the last year, alluding to the idea to that the revolutionary guitar player is “not doing well.” He even went so far as to say, “I think Van Halen’s finished” amid rumors of a reunion, either with Roth or erstwhile frontman Sammy Hagar, the latter of whom still thinks a reformation could possibly be a go.
Roth spent much of his time discussing his other creative outlet — painting — while laying low as lockdown measures have fallen into place as the coronavirus pandemic rages worldwide and, in particular, the United States, keeping working bands off the road indefinitely.
Considering himself to be in the “high risk” category in relation to the virus, the Van Halen frontman offered his reasons as to why he believes so, stating, “The road will deteriorate you from the beginning or it will keep you alive forever. When we go out, we wear ourselves to a nubbin. I just had a lower back surgery. It was a spinal fusion where they take a chip from somebody else. I’m actually taller now. Do I seem taller? I mean, over the phone?”
Venturing out on the road as a solo act, Roth has a Las Vegas residency booked this year and was featured as the opening act on the latest leg of KISS‘ ongoing farewell tour. But it’s been five years since the singer performed with Van Halen and he didn’t paint an optimistic picture that fans would soon see the legendary group back in action.
“I don’t know that Eddie [Van Halen] is ever really going to rally for the rigors of the road again,” confessed Roth. “I don’t even want to say I’ve waited – I’ve supported for five years,” he continued, “Because what I do is physical as well as musical and spiritual – you can’t take five years off from the ring. But I did. And I do not regret a second of it. He’s a bandmate. We had a colleague down. And he’s down now for enough time that I don’t know that he’s going to be coming back out on the road. You want to hear the classics? You’re talking to him.”
Read the full interview here.
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