Wolfgang Van Halen has hit back at online trolls who criticize his role in Van Halen’s David Lee Roth–era reunion and says their actions only tarnish the legacy they claim they want to protect.
In a new interview with Billy Corgan on The Magnificent Others podcast, Wolfgang says he's bewildered by backlash from Van Halen fans.
“[My dad] enjoyed playing with me, that was one of his favorite things,” he tells Corgan. “It was a big reason why the years of Van Halen where I was involved happened at all.”
Although it's been nearly 20 years since Wolfgang made his debut in the band, some fans apparently haven't lost their unhappiness over Van Halen's decision to carry on without long-time bass player Michael Anthony when they regrouped in 2006.
Although original lead singer David Lee Roth had launched a successful solo career with the help of some hot-shot shredders during his time away, he returned to Van Halen. However, Anthony was not invited. And when Wolfgang turned up as the group's new bassist, it raised eyebrows.
Wolfgang elaborated on that decision back in 2021, telling Spin his father “wasn’t going through a good time” when the group reunited, a reference to Eddie's fight with sobriety. While Eddie and Alex Van Halen felt Anthony had gone against them by joining forces with former VH singer Sammy Hagar, Wolfgang said Anthony was having a good time in his new role. “[Anthony] really wasn’t part of it anymore,” Wolfgang told Spin. “I completely understand that he wouldn’t want to be around my dad when he was like that.”
Wolfgang also elaborated with Corgan on his decision not to ride his father's coattails. Since 2015, he's forged a career of his own with his band Mammoth WVH., preferring to do his own thing and not cash in on his family name.
He recalls performing a pair of Van Halen songs at the 2022 tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins as an opportunity to demonstrate his decision.
“I think when I did the Taylor Hawkins tribute where I played those two Van Halen songs for Taylor and my dad," he tells Corgan, "it was a big moment for me. Because it was, one, proving that I could do it, and two, showing that I choose not to [make a career of it].
“My dad actually had a quote when they ended up doing a lot of cover songs on Diver Down,” Wolfgang, adds, referring the 1982 Van Halen album Diver Down, which was heavy on cover songs. "There was a lot specifically on that album, and he said, ‘I’d rather bomb with my own material that succeed with someone else’s,’ and I feel very much that way.
“I could very easily shack up and do ‘Wolf does Van Halen’ and probably make a decent living from it. It’s very hollow and astoundingly creatively unfulfilling. I feel like it’s kind of selling out, and I could never do that; that’s not satisfying to me. I would rather bomb on my own than succeed with what my dad laid before me.
“It’s a funny thing,” he wraps up, “when you see the people who are the strongest Van Halen fans outwardly acting in a way that my dad would be disgusted with. And they don’t see that.”
Last year, Wolfgang recalled the key thing his father taught him about guitar solos that has empowered his career since.
Meanwhile, Michael Anthony has said that Wolfgang is sitting on an archive of unreleased Van Halen demos, who seemingly has the final say on whether or not they’ll see the light of day.
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