- Mark Thwaite
-
Mark Gemini Thwaite 
Mark Gemini Thwaite performing at Peter Murphy gig, HOB Chicago, 2009Background information Birth name Mark Gemini Thwaite Born June 15, 1965
Birmingham, UKGenres Industrial
Alternative metal
GothicInstruments Guitar
bass
KeyboardsLabels Sony Music/Echozone Associated acts The Mission
Tricky
Peter Murphy
Revolting Cocks
Al Jourgensen
Spear of Destiny
Theatre of Hate
Mob ResearchWebsite http://www.markthwaite.com Mark Gemini Thwaite (born Mark Gemini Thwaite in Birmingham, England on 15 June 1965) has been the guitarist for a number of British rock bands and artists over the last two decades, including The Mission, Tricky, Peter Murphy, New Disease, Spear of Destiny, Theatre of Hate, Mob Research (with Paul Raven of Killing Joke), and Canadian band National Velvet plus various guest appearances with Al Jourgensen, Revolting Cocks, Gary Numan, Roger Daltrey, P.J. Harvey, Grand Theft Audio, Alanis Morissette, German band Dead Guitars and Combichrist.
Contents
Early years
Thwaite's first school band formed in 1980 included fellow school-mate Steve Ellett on drums (later known as Steve Danger from British metal band Wolfsbane. Thwaite later formed Lichfield UK based rock band Monteagle with local musicians including Dave Pearson, later known as Computerchemist.[1] Thwaite spent part of 1985 living in Toronto, Canada, joining Gothic rock band National Velvet, before returning to the UK in 1986.[2] After forming a few bands in the Birmingham area, he relocated to London in 1989.[2]
In 1989 Thwaite joined London-based Gothic group The Children (featuring Dave Roberts of Sex Gang Children on vocals), and performed on the 12" single Never Get Out Alive released in 1990.[3] During this time Thwaite was introduced to Kirk Brandon, founder member and vocalist for Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate. This began a 3-year collaboration between Thwaite and Brandon.
Thwaite performed live with Spear of Destiny in 1990,[2] and replaced original Theatre of Hate guitarist Billy Duffy on the 10th anniversary Theatre of Hate UK tour in 1991. Thwaite continued as a member of Spear of Destiny, contributing to their 1992 album Sod's Law[4] and the subsequent tour.
The Mission, 1992-1996
In 1992, Thwaite joined the recently-reformed UK Gothic rock band The Mission.[5] During this period, Thwaite also collaborated with Roger Daltrey[6] of The Who on a BBC radio play titled A Fake’s Progress, based on the life of Twiggy's manager Justin de Villeneuve.[7] Thwaite also contributed guitars to a remix for Situation 2 release Salvation (SIT 98) by UK band Terminal Power Company[8]
Thwaite featured on two studio albums with The Mission, Neverland and Blue, and a compilation album, Sum and Substance, before they disbanded in 1996.[9]
Tricky
In 1998, Thwaite was invited to join Tricky's live band for his upcoming world tour to promote studio album Angels with Dirty Faces. Thwaite continued to work with Tricky, contributing to three studio albums[10] and performing with Tricky and P.J. Harvey on the David Letterman show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.[11] He also performed with Tricky on UK show Later With Jools Holland.[12] He also performed guitar on Tricky's remix of MethodMan's Judgement Day single.[13]
The Mission, 1999 and onwards
The Mission re-formed once again in 1999, with Thwaite rejoining the band to tour the USA and Europe.[14] Following the success of the tour, the band continued, undertaking a world tour in 2000 and releasing a live CD, entitled Ever After. Thwaite remained with the band to record their next studio album, Aura (2001).[9]
During the same period, Thwaite also recorded guitars for Tricky's Mission Accomplished EP - his first for Epitaph records, released in 2000, followed by Blowback, an album which included collaborations between Thwaite and Alanis Morissette, Flea, Anthony Keidis and John Frusciante.[15][16]
Owing to touring commitments with Tricky, Thwaite was unable to play on The Mission's next tour, and officially left the band in September 2001. He toured the United States with Tricky,[15] as special guests of rock band Tool in 2001[17] While continuing to work with Tricky, Thwaite also collaborated with Gary Numan on heavy industrial metal reworkings of Are 'Friends' Electric? and This Wreckage for Numan's RIP single (released in 2002) and Hybrid album (2003).[18]
New Disease
In 2003 Thwaite formed UK based rock band New Disease.[2] After signing to Universal records and releasing the single Like Rain[19] produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill, and the EP Axiomatic,[20] co-produced by John Fryer, the band were later dropped by Universal during a restructure, and Thwaite relocated to the USA in 2005.[21]
Peter Murphy
Thwaite toured the USA and Europe in summer 2005 with Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy to promote Murphy's album Unshattered.[22] During this period, Wayne Hussey invited Thwaite to rejoin The Mission for shows in South Africa in July 2005; Thwaite agreed, and played shows in South Africa followed by an extensive Europe-wide tour later that year.[23]
In 2006 Thwaite joined New York based singer songwriter Sarah Fimm for a concert supporting British goth pioneers Bauhaus in Buffalo, NY, which is followed by a week of recording sessions in Woodstock, NY[24] featuring session drummer Josh Freese, who is best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and Devo plus Tony Levin on bass, known for his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel. Peter Murphy also makes a guest appearance on vocals on some songs.
Mob Research
In March 2007 Thwaite formed a studio-based project Mob Research with Killing Joke / Ministry bassist Paul Raven and Warrior Soul vocalist Kory Clarke.[25] Work on the band's debut album, Holy City Zoo, was halted by Raven's sudden death in October 2007: the remaining band members decided to complete the album in honour of Raven. The album was finally released by Echozone Records in 2009.<[6]
In 2007, Mark worked with Peter Murphy on new songs and performed shows in Portugal and Spain with Murphy in late 2007, followed by a major Retrospective US tour in 2008. Thwaite's ongoing collaboration with Tricky also continued, with contributions to 2008 studio album Knowle West Boy: he also continued as a member of The Mission, contributing to their 2007 album God is a Bullet,[9] and playing live with them,[26] first to promote the GIAB album and then for their four-show "farewell" event at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London.[27]
In 2008, Thwaite contributed lead guitar to Pristine, the opening track from German based band Dead Guitars' on their 2008 album Flags.[28]
In October 2008, Thwaite joined Peter Murphy to begin recording material for a new album, expected to be released in 2010. Also in 2008, Thwaite joined Murphy's touring band for their Retrospective South American tour, continuing with the band for their 2009 Secret Cover tour of the US and Europe.
Al Jourgensen
During 2009, Thwaite collaborated with Al Jourgensen of Ministry and Revolting Cocks on It's Always Christmas Time,[29] a Christmas-themed single released in November 2009. In December 2009 Thwaite joined Jourgensen in his recording studio in El Paso, Texas to write and record material for a forthcoming solo project by Jourgensen.[5] The Mission released the live video of the Farewell shows recorded in 2008 on the Final ChapterDVD box set,[9] which reached No.6 in the UK Music DVD chart.[30]
Thwaite continued to work with Jourgensen, playing lead guitar on the track Filthy Senoritas, from the Revolting Cocks 2010 album Got Cock? released in April 2010.[31] He also played on Voices in My Head,[32] a song by Jourgensen which was made available as a bonus download to those who purchased the 'Got Cock?' RevCo album. Works also commences on a Jourgensen 'solo' album with Thwaite, Mike Scaccia and Tony Campos of Ministry.[33]
SPV records released Dum Dum Bullet by The Mission in June 2010, a companion CD to The Mission's swansong album God Is A Bullet released in 2007. The compilation features various B-sides, outtakes and remixes. Thwaite performs as guitarist and co-writer on several songs. The CD also includes Thwaite’s seven-and-a-half-minute remix of Dumb (Dambusters 617 Squadron mix); Thwaite states that he "deconstructed the studio version and recreated a dancefloor monster with new sounds, loops and additional guitars".[34]
Present
In summer 2010 Thwaite resumed touring with Peter Murphy, undertaking the Dirty Dirt European tour and some dates in Canada. During the tour Thwaite joined frontman Andy LaPlegua and his band Combichrist onstage playing guitar during the band's encore at London Electric Ballroom on 5 August 2010. Thwaite had previously remixed a track by the band in 2008 under his Metalmorphosis alter ego.[35]
Thwaite joined US electro-punk band Imperative Reaction onstage[36] as guitarist at Das Bunker club in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve December 2010 to perform As We Fall.[36]
January 2011 saw the commercial release of the 'Bastard Art' documentary on DVD, about the musical career of Sex Gang Children founder Andi SexGang, including an interview with Mark Gemini Thwaite[37] (who previously played with former SGC bassist Dave Roberts in offshoot band The Children).[38]
In March 2011 Mark Thwaite joined Peter Murphy and band for a 29 date US tour promoting the forthcoming studio album Ninth set for release on 7 June,[39] also featuring performances and a joint composition by Murphy/Thwaite. A digital EP featuring I Spit Roses and The Prince & Old Lady Shade (both featuring Thwaite on guitar) was released on iTunes and Amazon on 22 March.[36]
Thwaite also contributed a remix for The Bitter Years for the Aesthetic Perfection CD The Devil's in the Details remix EP, released in April 2011 as a strictly limited edition CD.[40]
Discography
References
- ^ [1], Computerchemist interview on TDFZ, 17th January 2009.
- ^ a b c d [2] Godisch, Tanja & Sümnicht, Petra. And The Dance Goes On: Interview mit Mark Gemini Thwaite, June 2003
- ^ [3] Link to Discogs - Sex Gang Children:Never Get Out Alive
- ^ [4] Link to Mark Thwaite on Discogs - Spear of Destiny : Sod's Law
- ^ a b [5] Gariboldi, Marco & Gariboldi, Nina. Fabryka Magazine, Mark Thwaite Interview 2009-09-03
- ^ a b [6] Gariboldi, Nina. Fabryka Magazine, Mob Research Review, 22nd Jan 2011
- ^ [7] Getty Images: Justin De Villeneuve
- ^ [8] Link to Mark Thwaite on Discogs - Terminal Power Company : Salvation
- ^ a b c d [9] Link to Mark Thwaite on Discogs - Mission, The
- ^ [10] Link to Mark Thwaite on Discogs - Tricky
- ^ [11] Link to youtube video recording of Tricky and PJ Harvey, with Thwaite on guitar, on the Letterman Show, undated
- ^ [12] Link to youtube video recording of Tricky, with Thwaite on guitar, on the Jools Holland show, 1998
- ^ [13] Link to Discogs - Method Man:Judgement Day
- ^ [14] Mission, The; News article, 10 January 2001
- ^ a b [15] Mission, The; News article, 29th June 2001
- ^ [16] Corey, Moss. MTV article: Tricky Works With Chili Peppers, Morissette, Kowalczyk on Blowback, Jun 6th, 2001
- ^ [17] Baranowski, Niles. Riverfront Times, Oct. 19, 2001. Tricky with Tool
- ^ [18] Link to Mark Thwaite on Discogs - Gary Numan
- ^ [19] Moorhouse, Giles. Rock Sound: New Disease article, May 2004
- ^ [20] New Disease discography
- ^ [21] SongQuarters: New Disease Interview, Apr 19, 2004
- ^ [22] Nemesis, Uncle. starvox.net: concert review, July 19th, 2005
- ^ [23] Mission, The; News article, 4th June 2005. Mark returns for South Africa
- ^ [24] Fimm, Sarah: The Vanishing Sessions CD
- ^ [25] Mob Research - Bio Page
- ^ [26] Mission, The; News article, Oct 11, 2007: "The Mission farewell European Tour"
- ^ [27] Sümnicht, Petra. And The Dance Goes On: Interview mit Mark Gemini Thwaite, March 2008
- ^ [28] Link to Mark Thwaite on Discogs - Dead Guitars
- ^ [29] Video: Ministry’s Al Jourgensen sings ‘It’s Always Christmas Time’ for Paul Raven
- ^ [30] LX3 Archive - More chart success with The Mission, 11th March 2009
- ^ [31] Link to Discogs - RevCo: Got Cock?
- ^ [32] Link to Discogs - Al Jourgensen: Voices in my Head
- ^ [33] A Pirate's Christmas: The making of Uncle Al's Solo Project during the Christmas of 2009.
- ^ [34] Mission, The: New article, 25th June, 2010. Dum Dum Bullet - New album released
- ^ [35] Link to youtube video recording of Combichrist, with Thwaite on guitar, Electric Ballroom London 04 Aug 2010
- ^ a b c [36] Bodine-Fischer, Diamond. LA Weekly: Peter Murphy is still in Parties, 15th March, 2011
- ^ [37] youtube trailer of Bastard Art, a film by Vince Corkadel, featuring Thwaite interview
- ^ [38] Bastard Art: Interviews
- ^ [39] Netwerkpressblog: 6/7 - Peter Murphy - Ninth
- ^ [40] Link to Discogs - Aesthetic Perfection: The Devil's in the Details
External links
- markthwaite.com official site (retrieved 25 April 2010)
- The Mission UK official site (retrieved 25 April 2010)
- [41] Peter Murphy official site
Categories:- 1965 births
- Living people
- English rock guitarists
- English songwriters
- Gothic rock musicians
- English expatriates in the United States
- People from Birmingham, West Midlands
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