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Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'No easy task, but it was a joy": Mastodon's Brent Hinds sub Ben Eller thanks fans and bandmates
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mastodon seem to have ridden out the crisis of Brent Hinds' sudden departure in some style, with his replacement, YouTuber guitarist Ben Eller, doing a great job by all accounts at the band's slot at the Tool In The Sand festival last weekend. Eller seemed to have a good time, too, based on the Instagram post he put out on Tuesday. 'What an incredible weekend playing with @mastodonrocks as a part of @toolinthesand,' Eller wrote. 'You guys who have followed me for a while know how much I love this music, so to be asked to play alongside the band is a TRUE honor.' He continued: 'I've seen your kind and supportive words for me out there, and it means the world to me! My inbox is so stuffed, there's no way I can respond to every single thing, but know how much I appreciate yall. Thank you all, and thank you to @billy_butterslax , @creamale , and Troy for trusting me to get the job done. Playing the parts of one of my favorite guitarists ever is no easy task, but it was a joy. Cheers, everyone!' You may recall that Eller was drafted into the line-up at the last minute after it was announced that Hinds and the band had "mutually decided to part ways' after 25 years. He was an astute choice. Eller has made his name analysing Mastodon's music – videos like 'Stuff Mastodon does' (with over a million views) and 'What I Learned from Mastodon' have made him known in fan circles. He's got the chops, too, as you can see from his guitar lesson series 'This is Why You Suck at Guitar' on his YouTube channel. So learning 17 Mastodon songs overnight wouldn't and indeed didn't prove a problem for Eller. Which still leaves the question of what happens next? Is Eller a full-time replacement for Hinds? The band have a full touring itinerary ahead of them, including the Infinite Arc co-headlining US tour with Coheed And Cambria. That starts 10 May. Will Eller swap the cushy life of a YouTuber to play lead with bandmates who are much older than him and have all known each other for 25 years? Can he forge a creative understanding with rhythm player Bill Kelliher, and put his own creative stamp on their music in the same way Hinds did? All will no doubt be revealed in the coming weeks and months...
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
YouTube Guitarist Ben Eller on Performing with Mastodon: 'To Play Alongside the Band Is a TRUE Honor'
The post YouTube Guitarist Ben Eller on Performing with Mastodon: 'To Play Alongside the Band Is a TRUE Honor' appeared first on Consequence. The announcement that Brent Hinds was leaving Mastodon came just days before the band was set to perform at the Tool in the Sand music festival this past Sunday (March 9th). Filling in for Hinds, the band's guitarist of 25 years, would prove no small task, considering the career-spanning festival setlist would include 17 songs. But YouTube axeman Ben Eller was up to it, performing admirably alongside the metal vets on what appeared to be short notice. Get Mastodon Tickets Here Eller took to Instagram to reflect on the weekend and respond to the many fans who've blown up his inbox since the Mastodon performance. He also shared a YouTube short of the show. 'What an incredible weekend playing with @mastodonrocks as a part of @toolinthesand,' Eller wrote. 'You guys who have followed me for a while know how much I love this music, so to be asked to play alongside the band is a TRUE honor.' He continued: 'I've seen your kind and supportive words for me out there, and it means the world to me! My inbox is so stuffed, there's no way I can respond to every single thing, but know how much I appreciate yall. Thank you all, and thank you to @billy_butterslax , @creamale , and Troy for trusting me to get the job done. Playing the parts of one of my favorite guitarists ever is no easy task, but it was a joy. Cheers, everyone!' It remains to be seen whether Eller will continue as a replacement for Hinds, as Mastodon have a busy itinerary on the horizon, including a major US co-headlining tour with Coheed and Cambria (get tickets here). Eller has more than a half-million YouTube subscribers and is well-versed in Mastodon's material, with videos like 'Stuff Mastodon Does' (nearly 1 million views) and the more recent 'What I Learned from Mastodon.' He also displays his skills on his YouTube channel via his long-running guitar lesson series 'This Is Why You Suck at Guitar.' Additionally, he has provided session work for bands like Whitechapel and performed with other acts such as the hair metal tribute Skankbanger and the Southern blues-rock outfit the Kennedy Wood Band. Below you can see Eller's Instagram post, as well as his YouTube short and original 'Stuff Mastodon Does' YouTube video. YouTube Guitarist Ben Eller on Performing with Mastodon: 'To Play Alongside the Band Is a TRUE Honor' Jon Hadusek Popular Posts Tool Apparently Booed for Disappointing Set at Their Own Festival Dead Kennedys Legend Jello Biafra Joins Cavalera Onstage for "Nazi Trumps F**k Off": Watch Lady Gaga on Meeting Trent Reznor: "I Black Out Every Time I'm in His Presence" Gene Hackman and Wife's Causes of Death Revealed Monty Python and the Holy Grail Returning to Theaters for 50th Anniversary Gene Simmons Charging $12,500 To Be His Personal Assistant and Roadie for One Day Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
