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.
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.
Content shared from consequence.net.