Young Guns Tour- MAMMOTH WVH & DIRTY HONEY - Plus New Song!

[James in New York]

Lou Brutus talks about The Young Guns Tour with Wolfgang Van Halen of Mammoth WVH and Dirty Honey's Marc LaBelle!

[James in New York]

The bands are locked and loaded for the upcoming 'Young Guns Tour' featuring Mammoth WVH and Dirty Honey. In this interview, both lead vocalists share their admiration for each other and what fans can expect from this co-headlining tour of the United States!

[jimmy812]

I wonder if this will coincide with the upcoming Young Guns III film.

[James in New York]

I think I saw a release date for the movie around August 2022

[Raldo]

Looking forward to seeing the 'Young Guns' tour in New Halen....Haven.

[James in New York]

[James in New York]

Wolfgang Van Halen says rock is 'on its way back' as he launches tour with Dirty Honey

Melissa Ruggieri
USA TODAY

The odds of two burgeoning rock bands colliding at the same time are miniscule.

But the pairing of Mammoth WVH, led by Wolfgang Van Halen, and Los Angeles-reared quartet Dirty Honey is an opportune match.

Both released self-titled debut albums last year and hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart (“Distance” for Mammoth WVH and “When I’m Gone” for Dirty Honey). Both also burst onto the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart – a No. 1 bow for Mammoth WVH with Dirty Honey at No. 2.

Now, the two bands will tackle the road on their co-headlining Young Guns tour, launching Sunday in Denver after a monthlong COVID-cautious delay. They’ll crisscross the U.S. through May before heading overseas.

While Van Halen, son of the late pioneering guitar mastermind Eddie Van Halen and actress-author Valerie Bertinelli, handled all of the musicianship on the Mammoth WVH album himself, he’ll be joined live by guitarists Frank Sidoris and Jon Jourdan, bassist Ronnie Ficarro and drummer Garrett Whitlock.

Along with frontman Marc LaBelle, Dirty Honey will rock with guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone.

Mammoth WVH and Dirty Honey plan to give fans a dose of old-fashioned rock 'n' roll on their "Young Guns" tour that kicks off Jan. 21, 2022.
Van Halen, 30, has an additional reason for a promising 2022: He’s nominated for a best rock song Grammy Award (“Distance”) in a category that features Weezer, Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters and Paul McCartney.

The two musicians – Van Halen, from Los Angeles, and LaBelle, from nearby Venice – talked with USA TODAY about keeping rock ‘n’ roll prominent, touring with The Black Crowes and Guns N’ Roses and the “dumpster fire” that is social media.


Question: It feels like there haven’t been too many young, mainstream rock bands carrying the genre forward lately. Do you feel that responsibility?

Wolfgang Van Halen: I know there are a lot of people putting that responsibility on our shoulders. But the important thing is not to focus on that. With both of us, this is the kind of music we enjoy making and it comes from the heart. It’s just what we do and if people happen to dig it, so be it. I think guitar-oriented music has been on the decline, but I think it’s on its way back.


Marc LaBelle: Staying authentic to what you’re passionate about is the most important thing. I’m so sick of seeing three pop artists on a song on the charts – a diva, a rapper, some instrumentalist – and they’re trying to have a hit. You get away from a lot of times what you’re trying to do, which is express yourself.


Q: You guys were on tour last summer with The Black Crowes (Dirty Honey) and Guns N’ Roses (Mammoth WVH). What do you learn from being around those veterans?

LaBelle: The big takeaway for me from (Black Crowes singer) Chris Robinson was his personality. I’m attracted to people who are saying something with their art and are unique artists and that’s what you should be striving to be. Showing up every single night and being amazing is what gives you longevity in this business.

Van Halen: It’s important to deliver every night and excel. Just by being there, it was such an overwhelming time for me. To be doing shows, and to be playing material I’ve been sitting on so long, and then to be doing it with Guns N’ Roses.

Wolfgang Van Halen and his band Mammoth WVH hit the road Feb 20, 2022 with Dirty Honey for the co-headlining Young Guns tour.

Q: It seems like this was a fast friendship. You guys talked about doing a tour after playing just one show together. What was it about each other that gave you the feeling that this could work well?

Van Halen: I knew of Dirty Honey, this unsigned band, and when I signed with my agent, he’s managing them as well. It was kind of in the stars.

LaBelle: I’ve been watching (Wolfgang). I saw him play with Van Halen many years ago. I think he’s a great musician and I’m truly a fan of what he’s doing musically. Once we saw him play at (Philadelphia rock radio station festival) MMRBQ. That was the first time we did a gig together and watched each other and I thought, this guy is a bada--. I’m definitely looking forward to this tour.


Q: Marc, you’ve got one of those potent rock voices. Who were some of your inspirations?

LaBelle: Literally any classic rockers into the ‘90s guys. Steven Tyler, Robert Plant, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Chris Robinson, Chris Cornell. I love B.B. King and Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. Those were some phenomenal soul and R&B artists I really loved. When you listen to Steven Tyler, he’s doing a little James Brown.


Q: Wolfgang, congrats on the Grammy nomination. What was your reaction to being in a category with Paul McCartney?

Van Halen: The fact that I’m there, I’m cool. That McCartney is, too, is just insane. It’s ridiculous and an unbelievable honor. I was the most surprised anyone can be. It’s an honor to be the youngest guy in the category and be this fresh blood in there. And personally, to have struggled with a fan base who expects me to go in one direction and to be doing my own thing and the reassurance of what I’m doing on my own is worth a (damn).

Q: You also don’t suffer any fools on social media. Do you ever get to the point where you think, why waste my time?

Van Halen: I pick my battles. I’ve been on a social media break these past few months and it’s been nice. It’s important to take sanity breaks. Social media as a whole and the state of the internet recently, it’s a dumpster fire. It’s the worst thing for us as humans possible, yet it’s a thing that is kind of embedded into what we are and in terms of my job, engagement is an important thing with what we do. It’s a necessary evil in that regard.

LaBelle: You have to be on it to promote and it’s nice to engage with people. But it’s ruining society in a way. Even if 15-20 minutes go by that I’m mindlessly scrolling, I could have learned a new song or practiced guitar. It’s not an efficient use of time.

[James in New York]

New MAMMOTH WVH song

I Don't Know it All





Alice in Chains cover, Them Bones

[JMJ]

Where’s Sidoris?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jedi McFly]

Where’s Sidoris?

On tour with Slash.

[Dave's Dreidel]

Q: Wolfgang, congrats on the Grammy nomination. What was your reaction to being in a category with Paul McCartney?

Van Halen: The fact that I’m there, I’m cool. That McCartney is, too, is just insane. It’s ridiculous and an unbelievable honor. I was the most surprised anyone can be. It’s an honor to be the youngest guy in the category and be this fresh blood in there. And personally, to have struggled with a fan base who expects me to go in one direction and to be doing my own thing and the reassurance of what I’m doing on my own is worth a (damn).

Man, he doesn't ever let anything go does he?

He's all Van Halen, that's for sure.

[Raldo]

Digging that new tune!!

[TJENZ]

I like the Alice In Chains cover. New song ain't half bad.

[James in New York]

Digging that new tune!!

Me too, Raldo!



The full set

[Dave not David]

I'm going to assume they're great live and not watch those videos. I am looking forward to seeing them in April and am trying not to spoil myself with a setlist