Interview: Mammal Chat Their Upcoming Halloween Hysteria Show

You’ll be playing Halloween Hysteria in October in Brisbane. What’s your favourite thing about playing up in Queensland?

Hailing from Victoria, it always feels so good to get off the plane and feel the warmth! Plus, the crowd always seems to bring an extra little bit of crazy in QLD, which is fun! Zane (drums) and I always try to find a pool or beach for a swim, and treating our touring as a holiday puts us in the best frame of mind to be relaxed and perform at our peak.

With the way the world is, these moments to connect with a live audience are so few and far between. How important is this to you to be able to play these kinds of shows and get a chance to bring a community together to celebrate art?

We believe music can heal, and the world needs a lot of healing right now. The power and energy we bring to the stage with the energy from the crowd make it special. Sure, you could go for a run to get endorphins, but if you jump around at a Mammal show with heaps of like-minded people to super loud rock-n-roll and flashing lights, then it hypes up all your senses: the ultimate high, the ultimate mental recharge and boost.

Throughout your substantial careers, what would you say has to be the greatest collective tour memory for Mammal?

We have had big ups and downs. The biggest thing for me was being able to claw back from our breakup, heal and get on with the business of crushing live stages. When you are down, you can never imagine getting the show back on the road, but when we did our comeback show, the chant from the crowd as we were about to walk back on stage together made it all possible. Mammal, Mammal, Mammal, Mammal…

Are there any bands you are excited to see or reconnect with in particular at Halloween Hysteria?

I am super keen to see King Parrot and Clowns as I have followed them from really early days. Ultimately, if I discover a few new bands, it always inspires me; it’s great to see the passion in younger players as they start their journey.

How do you prepare for Halloween Hysteria, and what experience would you hope to bring to a first-time attendee of a Mammal gig?

Unfortunately, our July tour has been moved to just before Halloween Hysteria due to the restrictions. The positive is that this means we will be fully warmed up and firing on all cylinders by the time we get to QLD. Our hope is that if you haven’t seen our band live before that, you walk away a new fan and wonder why you have been missing out all these years. The final crowd, “HELL YEAH!” is always the winner.