Wolfgang Van Halen recently talked about his fears regarding performing Van Halen songs live.
Wolfgang Van Halen was under pressure
In an interview with Louder Sound, the musician discussed the pressure he felt when considering performing Van Halen material at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in 2022.
Wolfgang Van Halen said, “I was like, ‘This is either going to be a nice coda to Van Halen or it’s going to ruin my life.’”
He said he feels heavy pressure from critics who insist he must play Van Halen to stay relevant. He explained that if he had performed a Van Halen song and messed it up, it would have felt life-ruining, so he approached it with extreme seriousness. Wolfgang continued,
“I don’t think I would have ever been able to live it down – with how many people who hate me and say, ‘You’ll never be good enough and you have to play Van Halen to be relevant’ – if the one time I played Van Halen on my own, I ruined it and messed up. In my mind, it would have ruined my life had I messed up. I took it very seriously.”
Wolfgang’s concerns stem from years of facing criticism from Van Halen fans who have questioned his place in the band’s legacy. His fears about performing the band’s material reflect deeper issues he has encountered throughout his career.
Wolfgang has previously addressed backlash from some Van Halen fans, particularly regarding his role replacing longtime bassist Michael Anthony in the band’s 2006 reunion. He emphasized that his father, Eddie Van Halen, enjoyed playing with him. This was a major reason the reunion happened at all.
