Some years are busier than others for musicians and 2023 has been very eventful for Wolfgang Van Halen and his band Mammoth WVH so far. They have been following Metallica around the globe, opening for them on their stadium world tour. Also, only a few weeks ago the band released their second LP on August 4th. In between sets for Metallica, the band is playing sold out shows in smaller venues in order to get ready for their own headlining tour that will start in November later this year. We had the opportunity to catch them at the Santa Ana Observatory the night after playing a sold out SoFi Stadium show along with Pantera and James Hetfield’s crew.
Before the doors even opened, a long line was forming outside of the venue. The crowd was a diverse mix of younger concertgoers and people from an older generation rocking Van Halen T-shirts. Prior to launching his own project, Wolfgang played bass in Tremonti, but more notably in Van Halen along his uncle Alex Van Halen, and obviously his guitar hero of a father Eddie Van Halen. The show was set to start at 8pm but was eventually pushed out to 8:30 since there was no opening band. By the time 8:30 hit, the venue was roaring in anticipation.
The band walked on stage and opened with “Mammoth” from their 2021 self-titled album and the energy was incredible. Although Wolfgang recorded every single instrument on both albums, he surrounds himself with experimented musicians and close friends to join him on stage. Garrett Whitlock was the drummer of Tremonti when WVH was in it, playing bass. Ronnie Ficarro on the bass has played in various bands including Falling In Reverse. His energy seemed endless as he kept going from his mic stand at the back of the stage to the front to be close to the crowd. Since leaving his previous bands, Wolfgang gave up on bass and picked up the guitar. It seems that guitar shredding runs in the Van Halen blood. Why have one guitar on stage when you could have three, you ask? The lineup is completed by Frank Sidoris who played with Slash and Jon Jourdan of To Whom It May.
A good portion of the first album was played including the bonus track “Talk & Walk”. Mammoth also showcased some more recent material but everybody in the room was already familiar with the new album. We were able to hear “Miles Above Me” which had only been played live a couple of times until then. Personal favorite “Like a Pastime” from the new record Mammoth II (2023) live rendition was incredible. Even if you spend all your evenings in concert venues, you will rarely have the occasion to see musicians as happy to play and entertain as Mammoth WVH. The dynamic along band members is so enjoyable to witness. Wolfgang and his crew serve you high quality rock with big smiles across their faces. You can tell how much pleasure they take in playing for the crowd.
Walking in the steps of Eddie Van Halen must not be an easy task but Wolfgang has developed his own identity and sound. He released two albums in two years and this was his biggest headlining concert to date. There is no doubt that he is making a name for himself and that the only way for Mammoth WVH is up. The first album was released in June 2021, less than a year after the passing of his father but the songs were recorded over a 5-year span. So he had the opportunity to have his father listen to the record. Wolf introduced “Think It Over” as his father’s favorite song. It was followed by “Distance” from the same album, a song about the loss of his father. The band closed their set on a lighter note with “Don’t Back Down” from Mammoth’s first album and lights turned back on around 10pm.
Mammoth WVH will Lee cruising through the US and Canada until December so there will definitely be plenty of opportunities to catch them near you. In the meantime give Mammoth II a listen, it is to date one of the best rock album released in 2023.
MAMMOTH WVH
Photos + Review by Manuel Gay | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!