Mike Mangini interview

Roadrunner Records: Do you tailor your sets for festivals?

Mike Mangini: Yes. Our normal show is three hours long and it’s like one large song; everything is set to video, and so the three hours is almost linked together as one giant thing. So for us to play a festival that’s only 65 minutes, I don’t even know if we’re gonna be warmed up in 65 minutes! But we’re changing the songs; we have to.

RR: Do you have a favorite festival moment?

MM: I don’t know that I have a personal favorite one, but I remember a couple that stand out. One of them was probably here when I first started touring, just being able to smoke a cigar and do an interview and be in the band, just like, “Yeah!” [pretends to blow cigar smoke] It was just a great feeling. And I have a fond memory of Eindhoven in 1993 with Annihilator. That was the first time I’d ever experienced anything like that, and playing heavy metal with people doing this. [imitates fans headbanging] That’ll stay with me forever; a lot of fun.

RR: If you could pick three headlining bands, who would you want to see?

MM: Oh my gosh! I don’t know – you got me! I’m fans of so many bands. I can’t choose one over the other I can’t do that. I’m sorry! [laughs]

RR: Have you played any odd festivals?

MM: As far as odd festivals, there’s just odd situations. For example, at the end of my first tour with the band, we were in Prague, and it was just pouring rain and muddy and gross, and it was the first time I had experienced not being able to get to my drums to check anything. That’s when I realized how great this crew is. I didn’t have to move a thing. That was really impressive and important to me. So out of an odd thing came a great thing.

RR: If you could see one album played in full, what would it be?

MM: Houses of the Holy. I don’t know, that just came out. Second one might be Farewell to Kings by Rush. I would lose my mind; I would hit things. It’d be really fun.