Wolfgang Van Halen has opened up about his decision to play Van Halen songs at the two tribute concerts to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The son of late Eddie Van Halen previously said he wasn’t interested in performing Van Halen tunes, but he made an exception in honor of Hawkins. However, as Wolf tells Guitar World, the decision wasn’t an easy one though he did get some help from Dave Grohl.
“I didn’t even know if I could do it,” Wolf shares. “I had a lot of conversations with Dave. What a kind sweetheart of a man he is. We talked a lot about [it].”
“Initially [Grohl] was like, ‘What do you think? Would you be comfortable doing this?'” Wolf recalls. “Initially, I didn’t wanna disappoint Dave Grohl. And I was like, ‘Sure.'”
As Wolf continued to consider Grohl’s proposal, he realized he could do it if the Foo frontman was onstage with him.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know if I could do this, but if I do I need your support. I need you up there with me,'” Wolf recalls telling Grohl. “I was like, ‘Whatever the incarnation of what it becomes, I need you there with me,’ and he was like, ‘Absolutely.'”
For both concerts, which took place in London and Los Angeles, Wolf was joined by Grohl on bass, acclaimed session drummer Josh Freese and The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. They played “On Fire” in London, “Panama” in Los Angeles and “Hot for Teacher” at both shows.
“It was really special, man,” Wolf says. “I’m super happy and proud with how everything came to be.”
Today, October 6, marks the two-year anniversary of Eddie’s death.
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