Wolfgang Van Halen has some choice words for those requesting that his band Mammoth WVH cover Van Halen songs. The son of the late Eddie Van Halen insists that he’s “not f**king playing ‘Panama’ for you guys.”
Mammoth WVH are back opening for Guns N’ Roses after missing a few shows due to a member of the group’s touring personnel (not a band member) testing positive for COVID-19. Wolfgang and company have also been playing headlining dates on GN’R’s off days.
Inevitably, Mammoth WVH’s first tour has been greeted with some fans who apparently don’t realize that the band plays entirely original music, written and recorded by Wolfgang and culled from the outfit’s self-titled debut album. They’re not a Van Halen tribute act.
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One user commented on Wolfgang’s Facebook: “Wolfie, I like your stuff. I just think the time to honor Dad is now. You’ve already shown you can stand on your own!”
Wolfgang replied directly: “I honor my dad by existing and doing what I do everyday. I’m not f**kin’ playing ‘Panama’ for you guys.”
The singer and multi-instrumentalist then took a screenshot of the exchange and posted it to Twitter with the caption: “Y’all are never gonna f**kin stop are ya.”
In the same Twitter thread, Wolfgang quipped, “I’m gonna cover the Bowie/Jagger version of ‘Dancing in the Street’ just to piss y’all off.” He then juxtaposed the criticism he used to get when he played in Van Halen with the new requests to play Van Halen material: “*Plays in band with Dad* ‘That spoiled brat is just riding his daddy’s coattails’ *Plays in own band without covering VH* ‘Yo, why isn’t he riding his daddy’s coattails??’”
Finally, Wolfgang contemplated turning the whole exchange into a T-shirt: “Lol, I should get a shirt that says ‘I’m not f**kin’ playing Panama for you guys’.”
A couple weeks ago, Wolfgang paid tribute to his father with a touching Twitter post that included a series of photos showing the younger Van Halen smiling while an affable Eddie gives him a hug.
“I’ve had so many dreams lately where Pop and I are just doing normal things and then I realize it’s a dream, stop whatever I’m doing and hug him for as long as I can until I wake up,” Wolfgang wrote. “I miss the f**k out of him. I can’t believe he’s not here anymore. I’m doing my best, Pop.”
You can still catch Mammoth WVH opening the remaining dates of Guns N’ Roses’ US tour. Get tickets via Ticketmaster.
See Wolfgang’s tweets below.
Y’all are never gonna fuckin stop are ya pic.twitter.com/dCmKSTMgK3
Advertisement— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) August 23, 2021
Lol I should get a shirt that says “I’m not fuckin’ playing Panama for you guys”
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) August 24, 2021
I’ve had so many dreams lately where Pop and I are just doing normal things and then I realize it’s a dream, stop whatever I’m doing and hug him for as long as I can until I wake up.
I miss the fuck out of him. I can’t believe he’s not here anymore.
I’m doing my best, Pop. pic.twitter.com/uR48YFLrN4
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) August 12, 2021
