Wolfgang Van Halen believes his famous father, Eddie Van Halen, “ruined the musical landscape” of the ‘80s.
When Van Halen exploded to mainstream success, Eddie was quickly hailed as rock’s newest guitar god. His distinctive style of playing was soon copied by musicians around the globe, as everyone looked to emulate his ax-wielding exploits.
During an appearance on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Wolfgang explained why the endless array of Eddie Van Halen copycats had a negative impact on music.
“In a way, Dad kind of ruined the musical landscape [of ‘80s rock],” the Mammoth WVH frontman explained. “Because instead of everybody wanting to find out who they are, they just wanted to be [Eddie].”
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Interestingly, Wolfgang also claimed that his father’s shredding overshadowed his bigger contributions to Van Halen.
“I think people focus on the guitar playing, but overall it was the fact that Dad is a great songwriter,” the rocker explained. “And that’s what I shoot for too.”
Wolfgang Van Halen: ‘It Fucking Kills Me That Dad Can Never Come to a Mammoth Show’
Mammoth WVH has been playing massive stadiums while opening for Metallica this summer. It’s the latest achievement for Wolfgang, as his band continues to grow in popularity.
During the conversation with Maron, Wolfgang admitted success is bittersweet, since his father, who died in 2020, isn’t around to see it.
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“It fucking kills me that Dad can never come to a Mammoth show,” the rocker confessed. “I was having dinner after a Metallica show. They do like these dinners. And I was hanging out with James [Hetfield] and he was wearing his son’s band shirt. I saw that and I was like, fuck. Dad would be stoked to wear a Mammoth shirt.”
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Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff