- Mike Muir
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Mike Muir
Mike Muir in 2008Background information Birth name Michael Muir Also known as Mike Muir Cyco Miko Born March 14, 1963
Venice, California, United StatesGenres Heavy metal, punk rock, hardcore punk, thrash metal, crossover thrash, funk metal, rap rock, punk metal Occupations Musician, Songwriter, Producer Instruments Vocals Years active 1981–present Labels Epic, Suicidal Associated acts Suicidal Tendencies, Los Cycos, No Mercy, Infectious Grooves, Cyco Miko Mike Muir (born March 14, 1963), Sources erroneously note 1964 as his year of birth. According to Family Tree Legends, a "Michael A Muir" was born on March 14, 1963 in Los Angeles County.[1] Venice, California is the lead vocalist of the Venice skate punk bands Suicidal Tendencies[2] Los Cycos and the funk rock band Infectious Grooves. He has also released several solo albums under his nickname Cyco Miko. Muir's trademark is wearing a blue bandana, jerseys with the number 13, and hats with block style letters that read "Suicidal". Recent sightings of him have shown he has a mohawk in a braid slightly past his shoulders.
Contents
Biography
Personal life
Born in Venice, California and raised in Santa Monica, Mike Muir is the younger brother of Jim Muir of the famous Z-Boys skateboarding team. Jim exposed Mike to metal music as well as skateboarding. Muir attended Santa Monica College after being kicked out of school in the 10th grade. [1] In 2003 Muir had his first of two back surgeries for a ruptured, herniated disc, the other in 2005 is what caused him having to cancel upcoming Brasilian festival dates and the current Suicidal shows.[3][4] Mike is married with three children, and early in 2011 he returned to the United States after a short period living in Queensland, Australia.
His house was made over into a "horror house" [2] on the Discovery Channel show Monster House.
Music career
Muir has cited bands such as The Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath, UFO, AC/DC, Van Halen and Emerson, Lake & Palmer as early musical influences, and has said that he was introduced to funk music by former bandmate Robert Trujillo. Muir incorporated funk influences into a few songs by Suicidal Tendencies and into his funk metal side project, Infectious Grooves. Another thing that few people know is that Mike Muir plays guitar and writes the majority of his music that way.
Suicidal Tendencies
Mike Muir formed Suicidal Tendencies in 1981 when he was 18 years old. It originally consisted of Muir on vocals, Mike Ball on guitar, Carlos "Egie" Egert on drums, and Mike Dunnigan on bass. Several lineup changes had happened until Muir hired Grant Estes, Louiche Mayorga and Amery Smith on guitar, bass and drums respectively. In 1983, they released their self-titled album, with success sparked by the anthem song "Institutionalized", which would become one of first hardcore punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV. They have since received recognition abroad, playing tours and festivals worldwide. When No Mercy guitarist Mike Clark was hired as the band's second guitarist in 1987, Suicidal Tendencies began transitioning from punk to metal, thus creating what would become crossover thrash, and later began adding funk influences to their music. Robert Trujillo, who was the bassist for Suicidal Tendencies from 1989 to 1995, was responsible for turning Muir on to funk music, and the pair would eventually form Infectious Grooves to play more funk oriented music. Cited as one of the most important crossover thrash groups, Suicidal Tendencies were active until 1995, but would reunite two years later. Suicidal Tendencies have been touring or playing selected shows almost every year, but no album with all-new material has been released for sale since 2000. Despite this, the band continues to debut new material on stage and through compilation releases on a regular basis.
Los Cycos
Mike Muir formed Los Cycos in 1984.[5] during Suicidals first year of their four year recording hiatus. Current guitarist Jon Nelson left the group and Suicidal Tendencies were currently banned from playing L.A. shows largely due to an Incident at Perkins Palace where their audience tore out the first ten rows, making it impossible for promoters to obtain Insurance if Suicidal was on the bill.[6] Muir was also about to try his hand at producing as well as starting the label Suicidal Records with bassist Louiche Mayorga. Los Cycos was originally Mike Muir (Vocals), Bob Heathcote (bass), Anthony"Bob"Gallo (Guitars) and Amery Smith (drums).[7] After a few rehearsals Amery Smith left the line up along with fellow band mate Jon Nelson to start their own band (The Brood) Los Cycos eventually included; Grant Estes[8] on lead guitar, Gallo went to (rhythm), and original choices Bob Heathcote and Amery Smith were replaced by Louiche Mayorga (bass)[9] and No Mercy's Sal Troy for (drums). Rehearsals continued in preparation for their debut recording for "Welcome To Venice" on the Suicidal Records.[10] With the final line up established and two songs "It's Not Easy" and "A Little Each Day," Los Cycos was born.[11] "Welcome to Venice" was the first record to be released on Suicidal Records,[12] the album also included local Venice bands Suicidal Tendencies, Beowülf, No Mercy and Excel. Unfortunately the original masters were lost in a fire and no effort has been made to release the material digitally.[13] Mike Muir’s vocals can be heard on the Suicidal Tendencies cut "Look Up...(The Boys are Back) and the Los Cycos track "It's Not Easy." Grant Estes played all guitars on the recordings.[14]
Other music projects
He has also released solo albums under his nickname Cyco Miko and has sung for No Mercy, replacing original singer Kevin Guercio, who sang for the band on the Welcome to Venice compilation. Cyco Miko released three albums on the record label Suicidal Records. The album Schizophrenic Born Again Problem Child was released in 2001, following up 1996's Lost My Brain! (Once Again). In October 2011 a third Cyco Miko album was released worldwide, featuring previously unreleased and newly written music from Cyco Miko, Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves. The album entitled "The Mad Mad Muir Musical Tour - Part 1" featured current Suicidal Tendencies band members as well as performances by Fletcher Dragge, Robert Trujillo and Brooks Wackerman. No Mercy released only one album with Muir, Widespread Bloodshed/Love Runs Red on Suicidal Records.
In 1989, not long after Robert Trujillo joined Suicidal Tendencies, Muir and Trujillo formed Infectious Grooves, a funk metal band that often brought out a goofier type of humor: their albums contain comedy skits by a reptilian lover named Aladdin Sarsippius Sulemenagic Jackson the third. To date, the Infectious Grooves have released four albums.
Muir executive produced Excel's 1987 debut album Split Image.
Muir provided vocals on the P.O.D. song "Kaliforn-Eye-A" from their 2008 album When Angels & Serpents Dance.
Views
Muir is known for being extremely outspoken on his views about the music industry and society. He has long been an opponent of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), and has reflected this in interviews and a few songs (namely "You Can't Bring Me Down" and "Lovely"). Muir was involved in a near-violent feud with Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine during the European Clash of the Titans tour, but the two have since reconciled and are apparently now on friendly terms [3]. He has criticized rap-metal group Rage Against the Machine in the Infectious Grooves song "Do What I Tell You" (the title being a parody of the infamous "I won't do what you tell me" lyrics in "Killing In The Name"). When asked about his views on Rage recently, Mike stated that it was Tom Morello who provoked the feud by attacking Suicidal, and noted the contradiction of the band being a "revolutionary political band being signed to Sony"[4]
Selected discography
References
- ^ "California Births, 1905 – 1995". Familytreelegends.com. http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461?c=search&first=Michael&last=Muir. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Suicidal Tendencies | Music Videos, Songs, News, Photos, and Lyrics". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/suicidal_tendencies/artist.jhtml. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Mike Muir's Back Problems Don't Keep Him Down". Noisecreep. February 1, 2010. http://www.noisecreep.com/2010/02/01/mike-muir-s-back-problems-don-t-keep-him-down/. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Suicidal Tendencies: Back Surgery For Muir | News @". Ultimate-guitar.com. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/suicidal_tendencies_back_surgery_for_muir.html. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ http://videomanic.com/videos/tag/Cycos
- ^ "Suicidal Tendencies’s Biography – Discover music, videos, concerts, stats, & pictures at". Last.fm. February 11, 2009. http://www.last.fm/music/Suicidal+Tendencies/+wiki. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives – Anthony Gallo". The Metal Archives. June 19, 2011. http://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Anthony_Gallo/188370. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Grant Estes". Wn.com. http://wn.com/Grant_Estes. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Louiche1". Wn.com. http://wn.com/louiche1. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Suicidal Records – CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/label/Suicidal+Records. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
- ^ "Welcome to Venice Compilation". PunksAndSkins.com. http://www.punksandskins.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=89340&hilit=Welcome+To+Venice. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
- ^ "Various | Suicidal Friends and Family 1 Epic Escape". CD Baby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/suicidaltendencies3. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Welcome to Venice LP comp. Suicidal rare vinyl punk – auction details". popsike.com. http://www.popsike.com/Welcome-to-Venice-LP-comp-Suicidal-rare-vinyl-punk/130371327921.html. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Suicidal Tendencies Cyco Miko Guitar Cover". Wn.com. http://wn.com/SUICIDAL_TENDENCIES_CYCO_MIKO_guitar_cover. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "CYCO MIKO 'The Mad Mad Muir Musical Tour' CD release". Suicidaltendencies.com. September 20, 2011. http://www.suicidaltendencies.com/suicidal/news-overview/293-cyco-miko-the-mad-mad-muir-musical-tour-cd-release. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
Suicidal Tendencies Mike Muir · Mike Clark · Dean Pleasants · Steve Bruner · Eric Moore
Mike Ball · Rick Battson · Ron Bruner · Jimmy DeGrasso · Mike Dunnigan · Sean Dunnigan · Carlos Egert · Grant Estes · Andrew Evans · Josh Freese
Anthony Gallo · Rocky George · Bob Heathcote · R.J. Herrera · Dave Hidalgo · Louiche Mayorga · Jon Nelson · Josh Paul · Amery Smith · Robert Trujillo · Brooks WackermanStudio albums Compilation albums Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu · F.N.G. · Still Cyco After All These Years · Prime Cuts · Playlist: The Very Best of Suicidal Tendencies · No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal FamilyExtended plays Split albums Video albums Lights...Camera...Suicidal · Live at the Olympic AuditoriumInfectious Grooves Related articles Category
Mike Muir · Grant Estes · Anthony Gallo · Bob Heathcote · Louiche Mayorga · Amery Smith · Sal Troy Studio Albums Categories:- 1963 births
- American male singers
- Living people
- American punk rock singers
- Musicians from Los Angeles, California
- Suicidal Tendencies members
- American people of Scottish descent
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