Eddie Van Halen and his bassist son Wolfgang have bonded on the road over their shared pre-show anxiety.

The legendary guitarist has recruited his 21-year-old son to play bass on his band Van Halen's latest tour, and reveals they both suffer from extreme jitters before every concert.

Wolfgang handles his nerves by practising incessantly backstage, while his dad rushes to the toilet to vomit.

Eddie tells the USA Today newspaper, "Really. I did it (threw up) just before the show last night. Then I don't eat, so by the time I get offstage, I'm cooked... I don't know what I'm afraid of. I guess I always thought I entered the wrong business."

Wolfgang adds, "It's a Van Halen thing. We get that anxiety where you think you're going to die, but really nothing's going to happen to you."

The father/son duo won't have to battle with the stress much longer - Van Halen has pulled the plug on their summer tour due to exhaustion. The band will wrap up its current trek following a show in Louisiana on 26 June. (PAW/U/CL)