After a triumphant reunion show in October, Mammal return with another run of live dates just in time for Christmas.
Mammal’s October show in Melbourne was their first performance in eight years since their acrimonious split back in 2009. Lead singer and frontman Ezekiel Ox says the reunion show was a cathartic experience for the band and fans alike. “It was what you would expect,” Ezekiel says.
“Mammal is its own personality and entity.”
“There was a lot of pent-up emotion, a lot of people that simply wanted to hear the songs again, so it was a very unique experience – you can only do it once and now it’s on with the job really.
“It was fantastic for the punters and it was great to see people flying in from Queensland, Perth and Sydney, and it was just a really exciting night. It’s like riding a bike – a really sexy, expensive, fast bike.”
Established in 2006 and comprised of Ezekiel, guitarist Pete Williamson, bassist Nick Adams and drummer Zane Rosanoski, Mammal released their self-titled EP that same year followed by their debut live album ‘Vol. 1: The Aural Underground’ in 2007 and their debut studio album ‘The Majority’ in 2008.
The band’s success saw them undertake extensive global touring, including opening for KISS at their Brisbane show in 2008. However, in 2009 it all came to a crashing halt with the announcement Mammal were disbanding under a cloud of personal and creative differences.
This time around, Ezekiel is adamant the band won’t repeat the mistakes of their past. “We’ve got a few things to do [to] straighten out the structure of how the band is going to run and getting to a point where what happened last time doesn’t happen again,” he says.
“That’s the most important thing for me anyway, is to make sure if we’re going to bother [that] it’s actually fun and that it’s stronger than it was before and we have more of a solid base than we did before.
“We have a lot of old friends onboard, which is very exciting and you’ve got to be careful you don’t slip back into old patterns because the end of Mammal was an extremely difficult time for all of us.”
As a new chapter for Mammal unfolds with great promise, the band play three shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne just before Christmas and Ezekiel has high expectations for what looks to be a brief, yet brutal tour. “It’s a good time for Mammal as well,” he says.
“We’re looking at evolving every part of the show, so you’re going to get the best live show going around; you’re going to get some serious punk-rock aesthetic and edge.
“You’re not going to get any f@#$ing click tracks; you’re not going to get any edits. You’re going to get a really raw, live punk experience that is probably at a slightly higher level than most punk music.
"Mammal is a very exciting vehicle and it is its own personality and entity, so we’re looking forward to seeing what it’s like to hang out with it again.”
Mammal Tour Dates
Thu 21 Dec - The Zoo (Brisbane)Fri 22 Dec - The Factory Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 23 Dec - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
