Jason Newsted has blamed the media for his leaking the news about the idea of a Van Halen tribute tour being put together by Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth.
The ex-Metallica bassist tells West Palm Beach, Florida radio station Gater 98.7 that he only really agreed to speak with the Palm Beach Post to promote a benefit show he was doing with his Chophouse Band to benefit the Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts.
He said, "I don't do very many interviews anymore, you know. I agreed to do that to promote the show for the kids. We do benefit shows to put paintbrushes and guitars in kids' hands. That's what I'm doing now!...
Newsted added, "I go to talk about that and I mention two little things about the calls that I've received in the past 20 years from whoever it is, Alex, Aerosmith, whatever it was. I was just listing a list of calls that I received over time that never went anywhere...”
He also said, "So that really rubbed me wrong... Right here, this is real stuff, I know better. I know what's going to happen here. I know this is respect. I don't know what interviews I'll do again; I'm not sure." Newsted made the revelation when mentioning that he had been contacted by Alex to join he and Joe Satriani in a Van Halen tribute show.
Alex has offered up a "no comment," but Satriani has gone public with the news, and so has David Lee Roth, who said he envisions a tribute tour also including original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, and Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]