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From the Rolling Stone Archive April 20, 2020
Eddie van Halen is dead. On this occasion: an anecdote from the life of the exceptional.
Eddie van Halen and Fred Durst apparently had a pretty bad relationship with each other in the early 2000s. In fact, the Van-Halen guitarist is said to have kept so little of the LIMP Bizkit singer that he is said to have even threatened him with a gun in front of his skin door.
This incident is described in Andrew Bennett’s newly published illustrated book “Eruption in the Canyon: 212 Days & Nights with the Genius of Eddie van Halen”, which documents his time together with van Halen. Bennett had spent the majority from 2004 to 2006 to collect film and photo material for a planned documentary. However, this was never completed, since van Halen was dissatisfied with the collected material, which subsequently led to a legal dispute between Bennett and the band about the distribution of the material.
Van Halen about Limp Bizkit: “Like the kindergarten children”
According to the book, the incident between Van Halen and Fred Durst in 2001 is said to have occurred. At that time, the singer was introduced to the guitarist at a party, shortly after Limp-Bizkit guitarist Wes Bordland got out of the band. When a music manager suggested that they should work together, Durst said: “That would be hilarious. The best guitarist ever plays with the worst band ever”. Van Halen would get involved in the spontaneous jam session with Limp Bizkit-but this decision quickly regret. “Like a scholar among kindergarten children”, the then 46-year-old is said to have occurred among the smoked colleagues.
Van Halen left Freddurt’s house in Beverly Hills in angered manner and also left his equipment behind. When he wanted to get them the next day, the situation between the two should be completely escalated. After thirsty did not respond to his calls all day, the guitarist said that he had bought into a military vehicle that he had bought during a military auction and drove to his house. Apparently Van Halen was afraid of never seeing his instruments again. He is said to have had a gun.
Bennett quotes Van Halen when he confronted Fred Durst: “The asshole went to the door. I focused my weapon on his stupid red cap and said: ‘Where is my shit, asshole? This Scheifkerl turned to one of his employees and started to shout at him that he should pack my shit’. Eddie van Halen would have directed the weapon on Fred Durf’s head until all of his amplifiers and guitars were invited to the vehicle.