The rock band Van Halen officially disbanded after the passing of iconic guitarist Eddie Van Halen in 2020. However, it seems the discord among the remaining members is still very much present.
On a recent Wednesday, David Lee Roth, the band’s vocalist, expressed strong disapproval towards Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son, through a YouTube video. Wolfgang, who was the band’s bassist from 2007 until 2015, is now making waves with his own group, Wolfgang WVH.
In the video, Roth doesn’t hold back, referring to Wolfgang in harsh terms and accusing him of using his family connections to his advantage. He also alleges that Wolfgang mistakenly had an accountant ejected from a backstage area, thinking she was Roth’s girlfriend. There’s been no response from Wolfgang’s team on this matter.
The video starts with Roth staging a sarcastic interview, portraying Wolfgang, who took over the bassist role from Michael Anthony, in a very exaggerated light. He then accuses Wolfgang of feeling overlooked by him during performances and taking out his frustration by having a woman, who was actually the tour’s accountant, removed from two shows. This was under the mistaken belief that she was Roth’s romantic partner, according to Roth.
Despite these accusations, Wolfgang has largely refrained from speaking ill of Roth publicly. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2022, he hinted that Roth might have been a hindering factor in organizing a tribute concert for Eddie Van Halen.
Wolfgang reflected on the challenges and triumphs during his time with Van Halen, emphasizing the remarkable achievements the band managed despite internal difficulties and certain individuals’ egos.
Some people make it very difficult to do anything when it comes to Van Halen,” Wolfgang said, “From my time in Van Halen, there was always some stuff that gets in the way from just making music and having a good time. And, I think that’s what happened…. The fact that in my tenure, in Van Halen, we managed to do three tours, put an album of original material and a live album out is a fucking miracle… Apparently, some people are too full of themselves to let other people have a good time.”
