Wolfgang Van Halen was one of the most notable absentees from Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s historic farewell show, Back to the Beginning. Now, Nuno Bettencourt has reflected on his absence, and discussed the incomparable pressures that come with performing the band's biggest hits.
Wolfgang was set to feature on a lineup that also boasted the likes of Jake E. Lee, Billy Corgan, Metallica, Halestorm, Tom Morello, Bettencourt and more. However, touring conflicts meant he had to drop out. It turned out Mammoth was kicking off a tour with Creed around the same time, making for a logistical nightmare.
In fact, Wolfgang was on that very tour when the news of Ozzy’s passing broke, resulting in him playing an emotionally charged Mama I’m Coming Home in tribute.
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And while Wolfgang dropped out reluctantly, Bettencourt has suggested it could have all worked out in his favor.
“I got a call [saying] Wolfgang Van Halen just dropped out, and I was like, ‘What are the songs [he was meant to play?’” he says on the Steve and Rik's POTcast.
“I said, ‘Yeah, he’s dropping out because he’s smart! Nobody wants to play those fucking Randy Rhoads or Jake E. Lee solos!’ Nobody wants to do it because if you go down in flames on that stage with Ozzy there and all your peers watching, your career is over!”
It was a pressure Bettencourt knew all too well. He had his work cut out for him at Back to the Beginning. His role during the event certainly wasn't risk-free.
“When I got the call to do that, everybody was playing two songs, and they knew I was able. It's like, ‘Great, I'm on it.’ Then I get a call three or four days later, like, ‘Can we throw three more at you?’...and then another three. I ended up playing 12 fucking songs,” he says.
“Instead of [just] learning them, I was like, ‘Well, I’ve got to own this shit!’ I only learned it was being streamed globally two days before. I'm playing all these other songs I've never played before, on stage with a band that I've never played with before.
“So I was in here for weeks for four or five hours a day, standing up, performing the fuckers. I just wanted to respect the songs, [and] go all in.”
Having said that, Wolfgang himself – who joined Van Halen as a youngster – is certainly no stranger to high-stakes and intense pressure. At Taylor Hawkins' tribute concert, he flawlessly covered two Van Halen classics. In fact, his covers were so good, some people thought he was miming. He probably would have relished the chance to play Sabbath at Back to the Beginning.
Elsewhere, Bettencourt has launched his own guitar brand, confirming the identity of the mystery guitar he played in Birmingham.
