Even with his band Mammoth WVH firing on all cylinders, Wolfgang Van Halen still constantly hears calls to play Van Halen material.“I guarantee you there’s at least 20% of every crowd at our show that leaves disappointed Ididn’t play ‘Panama,’” Wolfgang noted during a recent appearance on The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan, adding that Van Halen’s famous 1984 track was a “great song, [but] not a Mammoth song.”Corgan expressed solidarity with Van Halen, having been in a similar situation himself. The rocker recalled how fans would vocally demand Smashing Pumpkins material when he was touring behind his debut solo album in 2005.READ MORE: Wolfgang Van Halen: Eddie ‘Ruined the Landscape’ of ’80s RockIn Wolfgang’s case, wisdom handed down by his famous father has helped keep things in perspective.“My dad actually had a quote when [Van Halen] ended up doing a lot of cover songs,” the rocker recalled. “It was on Diver Down, there was a lot specifically on that album. He said, ‘I’d rather bomb with my own material than succeed with someone else’s.’ And I feel very much that way.”Wolfgang Van Halen Says He’d Be ‘Selling Out’ if He Played Van Halen“I could very easily shack up and do ‘Wolf Does Van Halen’ and do that and probably make a decent living at it,” he further acknowledged. “It’s very hollow and astoundingly creatively unfulfilling so I just can’t. I feel like it’s kind of selling out and I could never do that. That’s not satisfying to me. I would rather bomb on my own than succeed with what my dad laid before me.”READ MORE: Top 10 Eddie Van Halen Guitar SolosWolfgang further noted that he’ll never be able to please everyone, especially the legions of fans who remain eternally beholden to his father and Van Halen. Still, the Mammoth WVH frontman sees a certain level of irony in the hatred that comes his way.“It’s a funny thing when you see the people who are the strongest Van Halen fans outwardly acting in a way that my dad would be disgusted with.”Van Halen Lineup ChangesThree different singers and two different bassists joined the Van Halen brothers over the years.
