Jason Newsted revealed that he was approached six months ago by drummer Alex Van Halen about joining a potential Van Halen tribute tour that would have also featured guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani.
The former Metallica member shared the surprising tidbit in an extensive interview with The Palm Beach Post. The bassist said he agreed to head to California for a jam session, but had second thoughts when weighing the tour against Van Halen’s legacy.
“How could you?” Newsted 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.”
A possible Van Halen tribute show or tour has been a frequent source of rumors since the passing of Eddie Van Halen. His son, Wolfgang Van Halen, said that a tribute concert “definitely should happen” but that it was “not in the immediate plans” due to logistical hurdles.
Elsewhere in the interview, Newsted added that he would definitely answer “the call” from Metallica if ever offered his old job back.
“Absolutely man,” the bassist said when asked if he would go back to Metallica. “I was all the way committed to that. I could not have been more devoted to that band.”
Despite the drama surrounding his departure from Metallica — as seen in the documentary Some Kind of Monster — it appears Newsted and his former band are now on solid terms. Newsted previously hosted a lengthy unboxing video for Metallica’s “Black Album” super deluxe set, a video that was shared on the band’s official channels.
For now, Newsted’s group The Chophouse Band are set to perform a show at the Maltz Jupiter Theater on April 23rd. All proceeds will benefit the theater’s new Goldner Conservatory.