Wolfgang Van Halen joined MR. BUNGLE on stage earlier today (Saturday, June 22) at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium to perform a cover of VAN HALEN‘s “Loss of Control”.
The Mike Patton-fronted outfit shared video of Wolfgang‘s appearance and wrote in an accompanying caption: “Had a special guest join us for ‘Loss Of Control’ today @graspopmetalmeeting. Thanks @wolfvanhalen!” Wolf respond in the comments: “Thanks for having me, dudes!!!!”
Last year, Wolfgangwho played three VAN HALEN classics during the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in September 2022, stressed the importance of establishing himself as a musician in his own right rather than trying to gain recognition by merely playing other artists’ music. I have told the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast about the experience of playing VAN HALEN songs with FOO FIGHTERS‘ Dave Grohl and Josh Freeseand THE DARKNESS‘s Justin Hawkins: “It was wonderful. It was the exception where it was, like, ‘This would be the time to do it.’ Taylor was such a huge fan and to get my own satisfaction by doing a direct VAN HALEN tribute for Dad, it felt like the right thing to do at that moment. I’m really proud of it.”
He added: “I’m happy to be able to provide myself. The important key distinction is that I’m not doing what my dad did, I’m my own person, I’m my own musician… It’s why I don’ don’t play any VAN HALEN music or have a plan to play VAN HALEN music during my sets.
“Even my dad hated doing covers back in the day. His quote resonates with me all the time when he says, ‘I’d rather bomb with my own music than succeed with someone else’s.’ And that’s exactly how I feel about playing VAN HALEN music. I’d much rather fail on my own than succeed heartlessly by playing ‘Panama’“
MR. BUNGLE‘s current dates once again feature the lineup of Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Trey Spruance, Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo.
MR. BUNGLE released “The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo” in 2020, an album that saw the Eureka, California-born band record songs from their 1986 cassette only demo. The collection’s release was preceded by seven February 2020 shows (Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York). The newly revamped version of the seminal band sees Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton and Trey Spruance joined by Scott Ian (ANTHRAX, S.O.D.) and Dave Lombardo (DEAD CROSSex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES). Rolling Stone dubbed the album “a feast of ingenious riffs… and pure manic energy,” Stereogum said “MR. BUNGLE are reliving their very earliest days and kicking a whole lot of ass in the process,” and Decibel declared it “one of the best thrash records of the year.”
MR. BUNGLE was formed in an impoverished lumber and fishing town by a trio of curious, volatile teenagers. Trey Spruance, Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn beget the amorphous “band” in 1985 up in Humboldt County, California, sifting through a variety of members until around 1989 when they settled on a lineup that managed to get signed to Warner Bros. Records. No one really knows how this happened and it remains a complete mystery that even the algorithms of the Internet can’t decode. Up until 2000, they released three albums (“Mr. Bungle” in 1991, “Flying Disc” in 1995 and “California” in 1999), toured a good portion of the Western hemisphere and avoided any sort of critical acclaim. Some argue that the band subsequently broke up but there is also no proof of this. What is true is that they took 20 years off from performing under said moniker while they pursued various other music that, in contrast, paid the rent.
