Mick Mars...

"Happy 60th Birthday"

Mick Mars...

Career...

After his family relocated from Indiana, to California, Robert Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day jobs to make ends meet. After nearly a decade of frustration with the California music scene, Deal reinvented himself, changing his stage name to Mick Mars and dyeing his hair jet black, hoping for a fresh start. In April 1981 he put a want ad in the Los Angeles The Recycler newspaper, describing himself as "a loud, rude, and aggressive guitar player". Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee contacted him and after hearing him play decided he would be their guitarist. Upon Tommy's prodding, they persuaded a former high school friend of Tommy's and local rock and roll singer/frontman Vince Neil to join. It was Mick's suggestion that the band be called Mötley Crüe, a name that had stuck in his head from his days as a member of a band called White Horse. The bassist walked into the room and called them "...a motley-looking crew."

He employs frequent use of a metal slide in his soloing and takes on both the rhythm and lead guitar duties of the band. In the studio and live, Mars frequently tunes his guitar down a whole step to get a stronger and crunchier rhythm sound. The altered tuning also increases string slack to enable his characteristic hammer-on trills, pitch bending, and pinch harmonics during soloing. Mars also introduced the pedal steel guitar to many of Mötley Crüe's later recordings and live sets. Mars has taken a critical role in songwriting for the band, coming up with many of Mötley Crüe's best known riffs.

For the sum of his career with Mötley Crüe, Mars has created the aura of being a somewhat mysterious figure, letting the other members of the band speak for him in public and in print, despite being the eldest and most articulate[citation needed] member of the band. In what public interviews he has conducted, Mars often comes off as a very reserved and somewhat quiet individual, though not shy by any means. A home video made in 1984 and posted publicly on the web by one of his former White Horse bandmates reveals Mars to be a rather jovial, wisecracking, down-to-Earth person.

After an eventual split of Mötley Crüe in 2001, Mars dealt with worsening health problems and depression, he reportedly gave up guitar playing. Mars' situation improved with the reformation of Mötley Crüe, kindling the desire to play again. Mars underwent hip replacement surgery in the autumn of 2004, followed with intensive physical therapy. Despite his precarious health condition, he was able to perform in the Carnival of Sins tour in 2005 and the Route of All Evil Tour with Aerosmith in 2006.

Mars has recently contributed his songwriting skills to John LeCompt, the former member of Evanescence and the other band members of Machina, and to the Swedish band CRASHDÏET. Their second album entitled, The Unattractive Revolution, was released on October 3, 2007 and featured two songs co-written by Mars.

Mars played lead guitar on the title track of Hinder's 2008 album Take It to the Limit, and contributed a guitar solo to the song "Into the Light" by Papa Roach, on their 2009 album Metamorphosis. Mars also contributed a guitar solo to the song "The Question" on Rock Star: Supernova runner-up Dilana's U.S. debut album Inside Out. In 2010 he co-wrote a song with Escape the Fate for their self-titled album which was instead withheld from the album and reserved for a later release.

He has recently been photographed, on his MySpace and Facebook, with the Murderdolls as he will contribute to their upcoming album Women & Children Last whilst recording material for his debut solo album in the same space. Mick Mars has also contributed to the Black Veil Brides album Set the World on Fire.

Family...

Mars is the second of five children of Tina and Frank Deal, and is the older brother of Susie Deal. With his first wife, Sharon, he has two children, Les Paul (1971) and Stormy (1973). He also has one child (estranged), Erik (1976), with a former girlfriend, Marcia. Mars was married to Emi Canyn, who was a Mötley Crüe back-up singer in the "Girls, Girls, Girls" (1987) and "Nasty Habits" tours (1990–1994).

Trivia & Facts...

Birth Name

Robert Alan Deal 

Height

5' 9" (1.75 m) 

Trade Mark

Top hat with a skull on it

Trivia

Guitarist for the heavy metal band Motley Crue.

Mick Mars has two children with ex-wife Sharon. Les Paul Deal (son) and Stormy Deal (daughter) are grown up now and Stormy has made Mars a grandfather three times over before he hit forty.

At 19, Mars was diagnosed with ankylosing spondilytus, a degenerative bone disease which causes the spine to stiffen in between the vertibrae. As a result, Mars quotes he is three inches shorter than he was in high school.

Attended grade school with actor Steve Martin.

Children: Les Paul Deal, born 1971 and Stormy Deal, born September 4 1973. Les was named after the Les Paul guitars and Stormy was named for the song "Stormy" by the Classics IV.

Motley Crue was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Where Are They Now...

(April 2002) Mötley Crüe guitarist, Mick Mars goes into the studio with band mates Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil to record a new Mötley Crüe album. 

2012 Motley Crue announces world wide tour with KISS.

-Imdb.com

Sebastian Bach...

"Happy 44th Birthday"

Sebastian Bach...

The onetime frontman for hair metal hitmakers Skid Row, singer Sebastian Bach was born Sebastian Bierk in the Bahamas on April 3, 1968. A veteran of short-lived, little-known bands including Herrenvolk, Madame X, V05, and Kid Wikkid, he was living in Canada when in 1987 he received a demo tape from an unknown New Jersey band in search of a lead singer; the group was Skid Row, formed a year earlier by ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo. Signing to Atlantic, Skid Row issued its self-titled debut album in 1989; an opening slot on Bon Jovi's U.S. tour, combined with heavy MTV airplay of the video "Youth Gone Wild," launched the band to stardom, and the singles "18 and Life" and "I Remember You" both reached the Top Ten. Bach, with his wildman persona and photogenic looks, quickly emerged as the focus of fan and media attention, a situation compounded in late 1989 when, during a concert in Springfield, MA, he was hit in the head by a bottle thrown on-stage; the singer proceeded to hurl the bottle back into the crowd, where it hit the face of an innocent girl, before physically assaulting another audience member as well. Sentenced to three years probation. Skid Row's second album, 1991's Slave to the Grind, debuted at number one, although it quickly fell off the charts; in the wake of 1995's disappointing Subhuman Race, Bach was dismissed from the group, briefly forming a band with ex-Breeder Kelley Deal before going solo in 1997. The album Bring 'Em Bach Alive arrived two years later, followed by a live DVD (Forever Wild) in 2004 and Angel Down in 2007. After the release, Bach kept busy touring, and went out on the road opening for Guns N' Roses on their Chinese Democracy tour after repairing his friendship with Axl Rose. In September of 2011, the perennial front man released his fourth solo album, Kicking & Screaming. 

-Cmt.com

This has to be one of my top favs...

Recent Activity...

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the signing of golden-voiced, iconic rock front-man Sebastian Bach to an exclusive worldwide, multi-album recording contract.  Bach will head in to the studio later this month with his new young virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling to record a brand new album.  Producer Bob Marlette (Black Sabbath, Shinedown, Atreyu, Filter) will be at the helm.  The album is tentatively scheduled for a summer, 2011 worldwide release.

Sebastian Bach commented, “I would like to sincerely thank all at Frontiers Records for their support and belief in me, my band and the new tunes.  Expect an album full of high-energy rock n’ roll with kick-ass clean and clear vocals, along with me laying down the craziest screams I have recorded in my life thus far…To all of the rockers of the world, thank you for letting me create killer music for the past two decades, and all I can say is, we are just warming up mothertruckers!”  Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino added, “We are pleased and honored to be at the service of Sebastian Bach!  We look forward to help make his forthcoming album a hard rock milestone!” 

-Wmeentertainment.com

Broadway & other Projects...

In 1996, Bach formed a rock band called The Last Hard Men, with Frogs guitarist Jimmy Flemion, The Breeders lead guitarist Kelley Deal, and Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The group recorded a full-length, self-titled album for Atlantic Records, who then opted not to release it. In 1998 it was released on Kelley Deal's label, Nice Records, with no fanfare and a very limited pressing of 1000 CDs. This run may have been sold via mail order only. The album has since been re-released and can be purchased commercially.

In 2000, Bach began performing in Broadway productions. He made his Broadway debut with the title role in Jekyll & Hyde in April 2000. Although originally only contracted through early September, Bach received good reviews and was asked to extend until October 15. Replacing him was David Hasselhoff, whom Bach mentored slightly during rehearsals. He also appeared as Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show in 2001. On November 28, 2001 Bach appeared at New York Steel, a benefit concert held in response to 9/11. He appeared early in the show, left to perform on Broadway, and returned at the end when all performers gathered for a final song.

In early 2002, he became the host of VH1's Forever Wild. In October that same year, Bach was signed to perform in the national touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, playing the title role alongside JCS veteran Carl Anderson (who reprised his familiar role from Broadway and film of Judas Iscariot). He has said if he ever did the show again, he would like to try the role of Judas next time. A DVD video of live performances called Forever Wild was released in June 2004. That same year, he reprised the title role(s) in another showing of Jekyll and Hyde.

Sometime in 2003, Bach tried out for Velvet Revolver before the band found Scott Weiland, but was turned down because, according to Slash, "We sounded like Skid Roses!"

From 2003 to 2007, Bach had a recurring role on the WB television show Gilmore Girls as "Gil", the lead guitarist in Lane Kim's band, Hep Alien.

Members of Bach Tight Five (a project initiated by Bach in 2004, but shortly dissolved thereafter) lived with Bach and his family as documented on VH1's I Married ...Sebastian Bach, one of the "I Married ..." series. Stars also included Dee Snider, of the rock band Twisted Sister.

In 2005, Bach cooperated with Henning Pauly to be the singer on the Frameshift album called An Absence of Empathy, which was released in April 2005.

On May 12 and May 14, 2006 at the Guns N' Roses' warmup show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, Bach joined Axl Rose on stage for the song "My Michelle"..... He joined Rose and gang for a third time the following night (May 15) to sing "My Michelle" once again. He also joined them for their Pre-Download Festival show in the Apollo Hammersmith, London, singing My Michelle. Rose introduced Bach by saying that the two had rekindled their friendship in the previous week after 13 years of not speaking. On June 4, 9 & 11 he again joined Rose on stage at the 2006 Gods of Metal Festival (Milan), Download Festival in RDS Dublin and in Donington, respectively. He also appeared on several other tour dates during GN'R's European tour. On September 23, 2006, he joined Axl on stage once again at KROQ-FM's Inland Invasion festival in California for a rendition of "My Michelle". On July 30, 2006, Bach filled in for an ailing Axl Rose for “Nightrain” and the encore “Paradise City". 

SuperGroup & Angel Down ...

Sebastian Bach live at Norway Rock Festival in 2010

Bach starred with Ted Nugent, Evan Seinfeld, Jason Bonham and Scott Ian on the VH1 show Supergroup in May 2006. The musicians formed a band called Damnocracy for the reality show, during which they lived in a mansion in Las Vegas for twelve days and created music.

Bach announced a partnership record label with EMI to jointly create a label owned by Bach, including his album Angel Down, which was released on November 20, 2007. Bach also recorded backing vocals for the track "Sorry" on Guns N' Roses' long-delayed Chinese Democracy, which was released on November 23, 2008.

He spent the summer of 2008 playing with Poison and Dokken. He also did a solo Australian tour in May & has been working on new songs with Jamey Jasta from HATEBREED, for the follow-up to his Angel Down CD.

Sebastian Bach was the winner of the second season of the CMT reality show, Gone Country." 

Personal life...

Bach lived in Lincroft, New Jersey. In December 2010 Bach filed for divorce. In August 2011 his New Jersey home was damaged by Hurricane Irene and declared uninhabitable. Several Kiss and Skid Row artifacts, including Skid Row master tapes, were destroyed but his father's art, comic books, and the KISS gargoyles from their 1979 tour were salvaged. Legal troubles

In November 2010, Bach was arrested in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, for assault and marijuana possession after biting a bar owner of the local pub 'Riley's' who was trying to keep Bach from leaving the bar.

On May 10, 2011, Bach was arrested in Monmouth County, New Jersey, for marijuana possession after he was pulled over for "failing to keep right" and less than 50 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia were found in his car. Bach was taken to a local jail but eventually released. 

-Wikipedia.com

Some Trivia & Facts...

Raised in Canada

Former lead singer of the metal band Skid Row

Brother of actress Dylan Bierk

Brother Zac Bierk is a professional goaltender and has played in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Minnesota Wild.

His father is David Bierk, a founding member and the Director of Peterborough's Artspace (1974-1987) and artist.

Used to be a choir boy.

Skid Row's 1991 album, "Slave to the Grind", debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. It was the first metal album to do so. It sparked more metal albums to debut at #1, including Guns N' Roses "Use Your Illusion" albums.

He got into trouble after wearing a T-shirt that read, "AIDS Kills Fags Dead". He later apologized on MTV for wearing the shirt and showing poor judgment.

Wrote the lyrics for the Skid Row song "Wasted Time" about his friend Steven Adler, who was the original drummer for Guns N' Roses.

Ted Nugent led an intervention on the VH1 reality show "Supergroup" (2006) and Bach gave up alcohol. Nugent promised to "kick the shit out of" him if he ever drank again. Later during the finale of the show Sebastian brought out a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey and began guzzling it. Then he put some of the drink on Nugent's face and it was revealed that the bottle was filled with iced tea. Sebastian had done this as a joke.

Has 2 sons, Paris Francis Muir Bach (born March 4, 1988) and London Siddhartha Halford Bach (born January 17, 1994), and a daughter, Sebastiana Maria Chantal Bach (born July 15, 2007) with Maria Bierk.

Personal Quotes

If I ever grow up, I don't want to be around for it. 

-Imdb.com

David Robinson...

"Happy 63rd Birthday"

 David Robinson 

Short Bio:

David was a drummer for the 1970-1980s new wave band "The Cars".

He also drummed for The Modern Lovers

Born April 2, 1949, Woburn, Massachusetts

He has retired from music and owns a restaurant. -Mp3.com

The five Cars came together after a few years of trial and error, playing together in different combinations. And it didn’t hurt that unlike their previous outfits, the Cars were a band with five distinct personalities. “Ric was the James Bond type, the tall guy with the sunglasses whop kept in the shadows. Ben was the good looking guy, the rock star of the band. Elliot (guitarist Elliot Easton) was the rock guy—He was the one who knew about all the records, who played what, and what equipment they used. And David (drummer David Robinson) was the arty guy, the one with the sense of style.” Hawkes himself was more the mad scientist, a fitting role for a synthesizer player. “I was the geeky smart aleck with the glasses. That fit my personality pretty well because I was a big comic book guy, and I loved video games. I was always a big fan of the old Atari games and Pac Man.” 

But if one thing got their career underway, it was a cheap studio session in Boston. They recorded a couple of songs, including live favorites “Just What I Needed” and "Your all I'v got tonight" and sent them off to the local radio stations. Radio playlists were a lot looser in 1978; and it happened that one DJ at Boston’s major rock station WBCN liked “Just What I Needed” enough to put it into heavy rotation—even though it wasn’t released yet and nobody could buy it. That large bit of hometown success helped the Cars get signed; and it made them pros by the time they officially hit the studio. -Rockband.com

One of my favs...

Redlight King...

Redlight King - 

Bullet In My Hand

Video for Today...

Lyrics~

I've got a fast life and

A slow cuttin' knife

I've been drinkin' at a poisoned well

No home and a bag of bones

And nothin' else left to sell

I know why I'm in this hell

I just don't wanna believe

Past that line you just can't tell

But right now

There's someone lookin' out for me

I came out of the darkness

With a bullet in my hand

I got one more shot at livin'

I'm lucky that I can

Cause I got a little roughed up

Yeah I really got fucked up

I came out of the darkness

With a bullet in my hand

I got a cold stare, the wound's still there

But there ain't much left to bleed

A short fuse that I still use

I'm my own worst enemy

Stare at the faces I once knew lined up just to bury me

There's a long black car that's waitin' to leave

But right now

There's someone looking out for me

I came out of the darkness

With a bullet in my hand

I got one more shot at livin'

I'm lucky that I can

Cause I got a little roughed up

Yeah I really got fucked up

I came out of the darkness

With a bullet in my hand

Cause I got a little roughed up

With a bullet in my hand

Yeah I really got fucked up

With a bullet in my hand

Can you see the light?

Can you see the light?

Can you see the light?

I can see the light

I can see the light

There's someone looking out for me

I came out of the darkness

With a bullet in my hand

I got one more shot at livin'

I'm lucky that I can

Cause I got a little roughed up

Yeah I really got fucked up

I came out of the darkness

With a bullet in my hand

Facts~

Redlight King is a contemporary Rock Band lead by Canadian singer/songwriter Mark "Kaz" Kasprzyk. The singer penned this song during a bleak period in his life, when he was struggling with substance abuse. "Most of it was written while the feelings were still there," he told Noisecreep. "My songs are written about real issues, real experiences. I like to bring listeners in deep, and give them time to look around."

"You know why it's happening," Kaz recalled of his struggles. "You don't know where the end is, you've lost all rationality. You're borderline insane. But in the end, you make a decision to start again, and the only way was to forgive myself for my mistakes."

The video was shot in the Hamilton Warplane Museum, which is located in Kaz's hometown. -Songfacts.com

Perry Farrell...

"Happy 53rd Birthday"

Perry Farrell...

Biography:

Perry Farrell is quite simply, one of the most important and original musical figures of the '90s. Born Perry Bernstein in New York City on March 29, 1959, Perry moved with his family to Miami, FL as a youngster, and eventually wound up in Los Angeles, CA, where he discovered the liberating punk rock movement. By the early '80s, goth rock was sweeping across L.A. -- as a result, Perry changed his name to Perry Farrell ("peripheral") and formed the goth-alternative band, Psi Com. While the group was an important musical stepping stone for Perry (his trademark heavily effected vocal style, ethereal music, etc.), the band eventually fell apart before they could sign to a major label. Years later, in 1994, Triple X Records would issue a self-titled, five-track Psi Com compilation. Undeterred, Farrell put together what would become one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Jane's Addiction. He hooked up with a pair of young metalheads, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro, plus alternative fan Eric Avery on bass. The quartet was harder rocking than Farrell's previous outfit, and injected their rock with unpredictability -- unafraid to touch upon other non-rock musical styles and making great use of dynamics. 

The band was also different in that it was against the testosterone-heavy image of other rockers at the time, the bandmembers would often kiss each other on-stage and Farrell would sometimes dress in drag. All of the hoopla paid off for the band as they became an instant favorite on the L.A. club scene, issuing their self-titled debut on Triple X in 1987. Like its music, the band's audience was varied -- metalheads, punkers, and goths all worshiped them. A huge bidding war ensued, with Warner Bros. eventually signing the up-and-coming band. Although Jane's Addiction would only be together for two more albums, 1988's Nothing's Shocking and 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual (both platinum-certified), they were a major reason for alternative rock's eventual mainstream acceptance and success. 

Both albums are widely considered classics, proving to be incredibly influential on the '90s alt rock scene. Eventually, drug-fueled bickering helped break up the group, but not before they would headline the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in 1991 (Farrell was the founder of the eventual annual tour). Perry also tried his hand at filmmaking around this time, with the hard-to-decipher Gift. 

Perry went straight into his next project, Porno for Pyros, which included ex-Jane's drummer Perkins, as well as guitarist Peter DiStefano and bassist Martyn LeNoble. While the new outfit contained some of the same musical trademarks as J.A., it proved to be not as musically adventurous or abstract. A pair of underrated albums were issued, 1993's self-titled debut, and 1996's Good God's Urge, and while the band was a popular concert attraction, Farrell split the band up in 1997, shortly after an appearance on the Private Parts soundtrack and a performance at the movie's premier. Later in 1997, Farrell did a brief reunion tour with Jane's Addiction (Eric Avery, who refused the invitation, was replaced by Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea on bass), releasing a spotty live/outtakes collection, Kettle Whistle, the same year. A year later, Farrell became a father and swore off drugs and drink for good -- focusing on a new project, dubbed Gobalee. 

Before the new project could get off the ground, Farrell abruptly abandoned it, concentrating on recording his first solo album, which featured contributions by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. In November of 1999, the retrospective Rev was issued, containing hits and rarities from both Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros, as well as a pair of solo tracks. In 2001, Farrell's solo album Song Yet to Be Sung arrived, marking his first new material in five years, as well as a more global, spiritual approach to his music. -Starpulse.com

Perry lived Miami,as a child, then later ended up in Los Angeles, where he became the lead singer of "Jane's Addiction". Perry also founded "Lollapalooza" in 1991.


Trivia:
Released the album 'Song Yet to be Sung' in 2001.


Is an avid surfer.


Designed and made all the cover art for all of Jane's Addiction's albums.


Frequently writes songs about women. Dated and lived with Casey Niccoli for nearly ten years. She was the inspiration for many classic Jane's Addiction songs (including "Classic Girl" and "Been Caught Stealing"). The song "Three Days" was about the last weekend the couple spent with another girl (and lover) called Xiola Bleu, who later died of a heroin overdose. The song "Then She Did..." is about Xiola and his late mother.


His favourite place to relax is the beach.


His mother comitted suicide when he was four years old.


Is a vegetarian and a supporter of the "Free Tibet" campaign (and various other human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the 3rd world "Drop The Debt" campaign.)


Named his post-Jane's Addiction band "Porno For Pyros" after watching the LA riots on TV.


Named his traveling alternative music and arts festival "Lollapalooza" after a make of Italian icecream he saw advertised on late-night cable TV.


Reformed Jane's Addiction in 2001 (minus original bass player Eric Avery.) An album of all-new Jane's material is expected in late summer 2002 and will co-incide with the bands first international live dates in nearly 12 years. -Imdb.com