Wolfgang Van Halen: Better To Fail With Your Own Music Than Success Through Panama

Wolfgang Van Halen (Instagram @wolfvanhalen)

JAKARTA - Wolfgang Van Halen explained why he would not cover his father's band songs live.

The musician who played under the Mammoth WVH project brought On Fire, Hot For Teachers, and Panama to Taylor Hawkins' tribute concert last year.

He performed the songs with frontman The Darkness, Justin Hawkins on vocals, Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters on bass, and Josh Freese on drums in two concerts in honor of the late drummer.

"It's so beautiful. It's an exception, it's the right time to do it," he recalled on the Talk Is total podcast, hosted by Fozzy vocalist Chris totaled.

Taylor is a big fan of Van Halen and to get my own satisfaction by paying a direct tribute to Van Halen's father, it felt like it was the right thing to do at the time. I'm very proud of that," Wolfie told Metal Hammer.

He then explained why the show was an exception to the usual rules, where he did not include his father's songs into his own performances.

I'm happy to be able to prove myself, he told mine. The important main difference is that I don't do what my father did, I am myself, I am a musician for myself... that's why I don't play Van Halen music or have plans to play Van Halen music in my concert. "

Even my dad hated to cover at that time, his quote always resonated in my mind when he said 'I'd rather look stunning with my own music than be successful with other people's music', and that's what I actually felt when I played Van Halen's music. I prefer to fail with my own music rather than be successful through Panama."

Wolfgang previously received the spotlight from critics for failing to respect his father by not playing his songs live.