Mastodon have paid tribute to their former guitarist, Brent Hinds, at their first show since his passing, with drummer Brann Dailor praising his talents and the legacy he’s left behind.
The guitarist, who in March parted from the band he co-founded 25 years ago, died in a motorcycle accident last week, sending shockwaves through the rock world. He was 51.
“We lost someone very special to us, one of the most beautiful, creative people that we've ever come across,” Dailor told the crowd at the Alaska State Fair on Friday, August 22, with an image of Hinds displayed on a screen above him. “We loved him so, so, very much. We had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship. It's not always perfect, it’s not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end.”
There had been animosity over the nature of the split, with Hinds saying he was forced out of the band only a few weeks ago. Youtuber and Mastodon fanatic Ben Eller took Hinds' place for the band's show at the Tool in the Sand festival, just days after his departure was confirmed. Since then, prog fusion maestro Nick Johnston has assumed his role.
But during his speech, Dailor focused on the group’s relationship with Hinds, and, with his voice breaking several times, it’s clear how much his death has shaken the Mastodon camp.
“We really loved each other, and we made a lot, a lot of very beautiful music together,” Dailor continues. “I think that that’s gonna stand the test of time, evidenced by you people here tonight. So, we will continue to play Brent’s beautiful, beautiful music that he helped us make.”
Several Hinds-written songs, including Ghost of Karelia and Steambreather, littered the band's 16-song setlist. It ended with a cover of Black Sabbath’s Supernaut in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.
“We formed this band together and traveled the world together, slept in a van together, laid our heads down on beds of fucking kitty litter. [We] got way too drunk to remember anything the next day about a thousand, million times over and over again with the love that we shared and the beauty, all the audiences that we played for, all the stages we stepped on.
“I don't know,” Dailor then said. “We're just at a loss for words. We're absolutely devastated and crushed to lose him and to be able to never have him back again. But you guys made it okay for us to come on stage and do this tonight. So that was for fucking Brent, okay? Thank you guys so much.”
In the wake of his passing, the band said they were “heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many.”
On Monday, August 25, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher offered up his own statement on Instagram, writing, “It’s been hard to get a grip on my emotions this week. We had our good and bad times just like in any relationship. All that we accomplished after that first fistfight in the van 25 years ago.
“I didn’t think you’d be taken from us like this, absolute loss of a true one of a kind guitar wizard extraordinaire. Keeping up with you taught me a lot. You were a brother, we were a family, you were a wild man not to be tamed, you could f*ck up bowling ball with a feather.
“You weren’t perfect but you were always dirty-b!! Your vagabond/gypsy/wild child lives on through your music, I will miss your crazy ass Manimal.”
Tributes have also come pouring in from elsewhere, showing the mark he left on the people he met, and those who fell in love with his music and virtuosic, one-of-a-kind guitar playing.
Lamb of God's Mark Morton described him as “a bottle rocket of creative spirit and emotion” in a wounded, heartfelt post, and Marcus King asked St Pete not to judge him too hard as “his heart was golden.” Meanwhile, actor Norman Reedus revealed the pair had gotten matching Lemmy tattoos on the day the Motörhead maverick died as he reflected on their longtime friendship.
The guitar world has lost one of its most authentic, wildly unique, and inimitable spirits.
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