Mammoth, the hard rock outfit fronted by guitarist/singer Wolfgang Van Halen, have been one of the more promising younger bands in a genre largely still dominated by legacy acts. The group recently released their third full length effort and have been busy on the road as support to icons like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Creed.
Recently, Wolfgang talked about what surprised him about sharing the stage with rock royalty. “We’ve been treated so kindly by all of these incredibly historic artists, and I think it’s just so important that no matter what position you’re in, to just be nice,” he told Full Metal Jackie via KLOS. “I know that’s a really simple thing, but you’d be surprised at how many people just aren’t nice. And so when Metallica just treats you so wonderfully and when every member comes to the dressing room to just say ‘hey’ and give you a hug and just be nice guys, that’s really fricking cool.”
Wolfgang continued: “So I think at the end of the day, just fostering a positive environment, ’cause I think to some people — people don’t realize it. It’s, like, touring, it’s tough. You’re away from family, you’re sleeping on a bus. There’s a lot that you have to mentally make sure you’re ready for every show and physically be able to do it. And so when you foster a positive environment, it’s a pretty fresh thing to be able to be in.”
