Wolfgang Van Halen led his band Mammoth WVH through its first public performance when it played “Distance” on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night.

You can see the video below.

It was an emotional moment for Van Halen, who wrote the song as a tribute to his father, Eddie Van Halen, and released it following his death in October.

He acknowledged fans’ reaction to last night's performance by tweeting: “Thanks so much for the kind words. It means the world.”

Mammoth WVH’s self-titled debut album will be released on June 11. The group's name is a reference to the early years of the Van Halen band. “Growing up, my dad would tell me the story that [Van Halen was once] called Mammoth," he said previously.

"And I just thought that it was so cool that, one, Dad was singing. And two, it was an awesome band name. So, growing up I was like, 'Whenever I have my own band, I want to call it Mammoth.'"

In December, he admitted he had “concerns” about playing “Distance” live because of its meaning. “It’s kind of a wound that can never really close, but I’m astounded with how positive everybody has been, considering that it’s a … softer song that doesn’t sound like Van Halen,” he said. “I always expect the worst … but I’ve been blown away by the response.”

He added: “A lot of people got to experience my father like he was to me. ... But then a lot of people can relate it to their lives. ... So many comments I’ve seen – ‘Wow, that was heavy; I’m gonna go call my dad right now.’ Knowing that there’s probably a wave of sons and daughters calling their dads just to say ‘I love you’ in the past month makes me feel really great.”

 

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