For the first time ever, Wolfgang Van Halen led his Mammoth WVH bandmates onto the stage on Tuesday night (July 27) to perform their debut concert.
The surprise show, which took place at Bottleneck Night Club in Lawrence, Kansas, in front of a sell-out crowd, was announced the day before the event, and saw Wolfgang and co road test the tracks that appeared on his recently released self-titled album.
While the band have already made its live TV debut with a performance of Distance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the Kansas concert is the first time the rock outfit have hit the road and played in front of an audience at a venue.
It will serve as a warm-up to the band’s upcoming debut tour – a four-month stint around the US supporting rock icons Guns N’ Roses, which is set to kick off on July 31.
“Show number one is officially in the books,” wrote Wolfgang on social media. “Thanks so much for coming out and sharing this special night with us, folks. I won’t forget it.”
Kicking things off with the scorching show-opener Don’t Back Down, Mammoth WVH went on to treat those in attendance to live renditions of You’ll Be the One, Mr. Ed and Horribly Right.
The oh-so sweet, ever-so-slightly dissonant strums of Resolve, the modulated main lick from Talk & Walk and the high-gain six-string stabs of Think It Over all cropped up on the setlist, which also featured the gargantuan riffs of Mammoth and the rapid runs of Feel.
Distance, the track that Wolfgang penned in tribute to his late father and electric guitar great Eddie Van Halen, also made its way on to the set list, cropping up as the concert’s encore track. It preceded an as-yet-unheard track that went by the name of As Long as You’re Not You.
For a full list of upcoming Mammoth WVH tour dates, head over to the Guns N' Roses official website.
