DAVID LEE ROTH Says He Would Come Out Of Retirement For VAN HALEN Tribute Shows

David Lee Roth

After originally announcing in October 2021 that he’d be throwing in the towel following his run of now-cancelled shows in Las Vegas, which were to come to an end in 2022, Eddie Van Halen now drops a hint that he might be out of retirement very soon.

Questioned by Fox News while leaving Los Angeles International Airport about whether he’d be returning to the stage, Roth responded, “I’m only in the middle of my first retirement.”

Asked if he was going back on the road any time soon, David said: “There’s always a tomorrow for a singer, not so much for a trombone player these days.

“How many times did Rocky retire? Seven. I think number three was my favourite? How many times did Rambo have to come out of retirement in order to make the sequel?”

On whether he would be involved in any tribute projects with VAN HALEN (following the death of Eddie Van Halen in 2020), he said: “Ya, I wrote the songs… I was the one who named the band,” adding, “Yes absolutely, like I said, I’m only in the middle of my first retirement.”

Joe Satriani previously confirmed that he has been in discussions with Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth about taking part in VAN HALEN tribute shows.

This past April, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed that he almost joined an all-star VAN HALEN tribute project eight months ago.

Newsted said that VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen already recruited Joe Satriani to play guitar, and the two were searching for a bass player for a possible VAN HALEN tour.

Newsted said he agreed to go to California to jam with the guys and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN‘s legacy.

“How could you?” Jason said. “There’s nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn’t want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled.”

Satriani was asked about Newsted‘s comments in a recent interview with the “Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen” classic rock show.

Joe said: “I’ve been talking with Alex and Dave for about a year about doing something — a tour, something like that — that was gonna be a true tribute to [late VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie [Van Halen] and the VAN HALEN legacy.

“For me, it was a terrifying prospect of doing something like that, but I realized that it was something that would be a real labor of love for me. I was just so honored to take on the challenge.

“It’s very complicated. And all I can really say about it is that if it does happen, I know we’ll make it the greatest thing ever for the fans and we’ll all celebrate together not only the great Eddie Van Halen but the legacy that that band created, the amazing amount of music and the goodwill and good vibes they created as a band.”