Mr. Bungle welcomed a special guest for a cover of Van Halen’s “Loss of Control” at the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium on Saturday (June 22nd). None other than Wolfgang Van Halen joined Mike Patton and company for a rousing version of the tune off 1980’s Women and Children First.
“Loss of Control” has made its way into Mr. Bungle’s setlist several times over the past few years. Shortly after the passing of Eddie Van Halen, Patton told Heavy Consequence that he was a big fan of Van Halen, and that Women and Children First had a profound impact on his musical sensibilities.
“I remember getting that fucking record and hugging it when I got home and listening to it,” Patton recalled. “Actually, it was a cassette. Yeah, I hugged a cassette!”
Mr. Bungle shared footage of the Graspop performance on Instagram, writing, “Had a special guest join us for ‘Loss of Control’ today @graspopmetalmeeting. Thanks @wolfvanhalen!”
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The video shows Patton introducing Wolfgang, who proceeds to play “Tora! Tora!,” the track that leads into “Loss of Control” on Women and Children First. The whole band jumps in for an electrifying performance of “Loss of Control,” as Wolfgang shreds his guitar alongside Scott Ian while Dave Lombardo pounds away at the drums and Patton handles lead vocals.
In a comment on the Instagram post, Wolfgang wrote, “Thanks for having me, dudes!!!”
Mr. Bungle have just a few more European festival appearances on their schedule, but fans can catch Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn on tour this summer with Melvins’ Buzz Osborne as part of the “King Dunn Tour,” an extensive US outing that kicks off in early August (tickets available here).
Wolfgang, meanwhile, will be on the road with his band Mammoth WVH supporting Metallica, Foo Fighters, and Creed throughout the rest of the year. Pick up tickets to Mammoth WVH’s upcoming tour dates here.
Watch Wolfgang Van Halen perform with Mr. Bungle in the YouTube and Instagram clips below.