As Van Halen Turns

The Van Halen saga continues. Earlier this year David Lee Roth said a reunion was "up to" Eddie and Alex Van Halen. But now, in an interview with Guitar World, Eddie says it's up to Dave. "I'm telling Dave, 'Dude, get your ass up here and sing, bitch! Come on!' As it stands right now, the ball is in Dave's court. Whether he wants to rise to the occasion is entirely up to him, but we're ready to go." The we is Eddie, Alex and Eddie's 15-year-old son Wolfgang, which means Michael Anthony is indeed out. "Wolfgang breathes new life into what we're doing," Eddie says. "He's only been playing bass for three months, but it's spooky. He's locked tight and puts an incredible spin on our stuff. The kid is kicking my ass! He's spanking me now, even though I never spanked him. To have my son follow in my footsteps on his own, without me pushing him into it, is the greatest feeling in the world." A spokesman for Van Halen had no comment, and Roth's spokeswoman tells us, "I am aware of the Van Halen news. Dave will not be able to comment until after the holidays." Van Halen last toured in 2004 with Roth's replacement, Sammy Hagar. (Premiere)