Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has a new band with Bon Jovi and Aerosmith men

Michael Anthony onstage — (Image credit: Rich Polk)

Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has revealed that he's working on a new project. Anthony broke the news during an interview with broadcaster Eddie Trunk on his on SiriusXM show Trunk Nation.

"I wasn't going to mention anything about it, but there is a little side project thing that I've kind of been speaking to some people and might be doing a couple of things with,” Anthony said. “I don't wanna get ahead of myself and mention too much, but it might involve [Bon Jovi guitarist] Phil X and John Douglas, who you know as the [touring] drummer for Aerosmith right now."

Douglas initially filled in for regular Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer after the latter fell and injured his shoulder during the band's Las Vegas residency in 2019, and was previously a drum tech with Van Halen while Michael Anthony was in the band. Phil X officially replaced Richie Sambora in Bon Jovi in 2016.

Anthony was less forthcoming when it came to revealing who'd be singing with the as-yet-unnamed band.

“I don't wanna mention any names, but a really, really cool singer,” he said. “And we're recording just for fun right now, some stuff. That's all I can say."

Anthony's departure from Van Halen was announced in 2006 after more than three decades in the job, but three years later he returned with Chickenfoot alongside fellow Van Halen alumni Sammy Hagar, guitar wiz Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. More recently, Anthony has been anchoring another Hagar supergroup, The Circle.

Artists

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.