i'm sort of surprised that higher quality live mammatus does not exist online. they're obscure. sure. but, they're also incredible live. the two vids i could find do not do them justice. they opened up for the acid mothers on this tour and completely ripped them to shreds. tiny little pieces.
the acid mothers shouldn't feel bad; the mammatus set was probably the best set i've ever seen. the drummer was completely on fire, sounding like some kind of hideous hybrid between billy cobham and dave grohl, just nailing everything perfectly with pinpoint precision. the amps were stupidly loud, and on the floor, allowing for a more intimate experience. and the guitars? oh, they soared, through every decibel of distortion. gloriously.
i've had difficulty getting people into this and i don't get it. it's as dark and heavy as the best drone, as intense as the best post-rock and as trippy as the best psych. what the hell else do peeople want? their two records are both masterpieces.
i've only been to a handful of shows that have affected me like this. from what i can tell, they may never make it out of san francisco again. but, blowing away the acid mothers is a solid entry on any resume. if they do get another record out and they do manage to tour and you do like guitar rock......well, you'd simply be daft to skip them.
as for the acid mothers, i find this band sort of....well, considerably, actually....ok, incredibly aimless. maybe it's 'cause i wasn't on drugs? i need more than this.