Watch Foo Fighters and Wolfgang Van Halen prank fans with 'Eruption' performance

They pulled a fast one in Florida

Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Wolfgang Van Halen
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 13th May 2024

Foo Fighters recruited Wolfgang Van Halen to pull a prank on fans watching their headline set at Welcome to Rockville in Florida on Saturday night (11th May).

After performing their covers medley of ‘Sabotage’, ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ and ‘March of the Pig’, Foo Fighters lynchpin Dave Grohl told the vast crowd: “You know who never gets a f---in’ (guitar) solo? Me, goddammit, I never get a f---in’ solo!

“So, since this is the last f---n’ night of our (US) tour, I’m gonna do a f---in’ solo. How about that? … You may think, ‘That guy can’t play a f---in’ solo.’ You wanna see me do a guitar solo right now?”

Grohl then appeared to effortlessly launch into Eddie Van Halen’s iconic and complex guitar solo on ‘Eruption’, however the solo kept on playing when Grohl lifted his arms in the air.

The cameras then panned to Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen, who was tearing through ‘Eruption’ at the back of the stage.

“Dude, I told you to keep that cool, Wolfie! What the f--- you doin’ right now?” quipped perennial mirth-maker Grohl, before adding, “Everybody, give it up for Wolfgang Van Halen.”

Van Halen then proceeded to launch into a rendition of ‘Hot for Teacher’, with Grohl exclaiming “That part was not planned.”

Later in the night, Grohl dedicated ‘My Hero’ to Wolfgang and his late date Eddie Van Halen, saying: “Since Wolfie f---in’ took all that time to pull off that joke with us, I’m gonna dedicate this one to him.

“Let’s sing this one for him, and let’s sing this one for his f---in’ dad too.”

Sharing a video of the prank on social media, Wolfgang Van Halen wrote: “Pulled a prank on the @RockvilleFest crowd with Dave and the Foos last night. Good times. Stoked to rock some shows with them this summer!”

Foo Fighters’ gig in Charlotte, North Carolina last Thursday (9th May) saw Dave Grohl dedicate ‘My Hero’ to Steve Albini, who helmed Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ album.

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73) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’ (1987)

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72) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Estranged’ (1991)

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71) Bon Jovi – ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ (1986)

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70) Iron Maiden – ‘Powerslave’ (1984)

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69) UFO – ‘Lights Out’ (1977)

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68) Neil Young – ‘Like a Hurricane’ (1977)

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67) Judas Priest – ‘Beyond The Realms of Death’ (1978)

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66) Free – ‘All Right Now’ (1970)

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65) Extreme – ‘Play With Me’(1989)

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64) AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1981)

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63) UFO – ‘Love To Love’ (1977)

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60) Stevie Ray Vaughn – ‘Little Wing’ (1984, released posthumously in 1991)

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59) Pearl Jam – ‘Alive’ (1991)

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55) Thin Lizzy – ‘Emerald’ (1976)

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53) Steve Vai – ‘For the Love of God’ (1990)

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52) Deep Purple – ‘Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming’ (1996)

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51) AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’ (1990)

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50) Rainbow – ‘Gates of Babylon’ (1977)

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49) Metallica – ‘The Unforgiven’ (1991)

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48) Rush – ‘La Villa Strangiato’ (1978)

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47) Pantera – ‘Cemetery Gates’ (1990)

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46) Pink Floyd – ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ (1975)

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45) Dire Straits – ‘Telegraph Road’ (1982)

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44) Peter Frampton – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (2003)

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43) Slash – ‘Anastasia’ (2012)

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42) The Beatles – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (1968)

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41) Pink Floyd – ‘Time’ (1973)

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40) Genesis – ‘Firth of Fifth’ (1973)

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39) Deep Purple – ‘Smoke on the Water’ (1972)

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38) AC/DC – ‘Let There Be Rock’ (1977)

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37) Megadeth – ‘Tornado of Souls’ (1990)

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36) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘No More Tears’ (1991)

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35) Metallica – ‘Fade To Black’ (1984)

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33) Joe Bonamassa – ‘India / Mountain Time’ (2008)

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32) Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Crazy Train’ (1980)

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30) AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)

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29) Led Zeppelin – ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ (1970)

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28) Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’ (1974)

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27) Metallica – ‘One’ (1989)

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19) Gary Moore – ‘Still Got The Blues (For You)’ (1990)

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18) Prince - ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)

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16) Bon Jovi – ‘Dry County’ (1992)

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10) Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975)

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9) Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)

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8) Guns N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child ‘O Mine’ (1987)

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7) Van Halen – ‘Eruption’ (1978)

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6) Guns N’ Roses – ‘November Rain’ (1991)

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5) Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)

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