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Michael McKeegan | |
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 McKeegan at Wacken Open Air 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 25 March 1971 Larne, Northern Ireland |
| Genres | Alternative metal Alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Marshall Records, Black Tragick Records |
Michael McKeegan (born 25 March 1971) is a Northern Irish musician best known as the bassist of rock band Therapy?.
In 1988, McKeegan (bass/vocals), along with his two brothers Ciaran (guitar) and Charlie (drums), formed a heavy metal band, Evil Priest. The group recorded two demo cassettes - "Pretention Is No Excuse" and "Hear No Evil...". The fledgling group disbanded in 1989 when Michael McKeegan joined Therapy?. [1]
In 1989, while McKeegan was still at school, his classmate Fyfe Ewing handed him a four song cassette that he had recorded with Andy Cairns, entitled "Thirty Seconds of Silence". McKeegan was so impressed he immediately joined as Therapy?'s bassist, and soon recorded his first material with the band; another four track demo tape entitled "Meat Abstract". He has since recorded fifteen studio albums, two compilation albums and numerous EPs. Along with Cairns, McKeegan is the only original member still with the band. [2]
In the late 1990s, McKeegan joined the short-lived Belfast based group, Sons of Massey, along with his brother Charlie McKeegan (drums), Robyn G. Shiels (vocals/guitar) and Paul Kinghan (guitar). The group played live around Northern Ireland and recorded a demo at Einstein Studios in County Antrim. [3]
In November 2014, McKeegan along with Andy Cairns recorded 15 tracks for a side project called East Antrim in Belfast's Start Studio with fellow Northern Irish musicians including Robyn G Shiels, Desert Hearts, Brian Coney, LaFaro and Goons. It's an electronic record, with a lot of spoken word and it deals in a very late night ambient sound. It remains unreleased.
In August 2015, McKeegan contributed bass to recordings of an original song "Purveyor of Quackery" and a cover of "Another Girl Another Planet" by The Only Ones. The group, consisting of fellow Therapy? members Andy Cairns and Neil Cooper, alongside 'Diamond' Dave Thompson on vocals and Rich Jones on lead guitar, was known as The Gemils. Backing vocals were contributed by Ricky Warwick, Tim Wheeler, Robyn G Shiels, Tom Dalgety and Stevie Firth. A 7" was produced and presented to Cairns as a 50th birthday gift. Just 10 copies were pressed and the single was not made public.
In 2017, McKeegan (bass and guitar) joined with ex-Throat/Dutch Schultz members Rory McGeown (vocals and guitar) and Willy Mundel (drums, vocals and guitar) to form Haunch. The groups' debut album "Lay My Bones Beside The Others" was released on 26 January 2018 via Black Tragick Records. [4]
In the March 1998 issue of Guitar magazine, McKeegan stated:
"Chris Sheldon recommended I hired in this Music Man StingRay - then we wangled that the hire cost came off the price, so in the end I bought it for 500 quid which is a bargain. It's the best bass I've ever played. I got a new Mesa/Boogie head and a Mesa/Boogie cab as well, 2x15"s whereas I usually use an 8x10" - I needed something to really give a big bottom end 'cos on some tracks I tuned down to D or even C. I used a Boss Bass Overdrive too, but some of the more fuzzy bass is Mr Coloursound and his wonderful pedals again. Then I used the pitch-shift on a Digitech Whammy pedal for some of the higher notes... oh, and I attacked the bass with the leg off Martin's cello. It's a very useful thing to have around".
In August 2003, he posted the following message on the official Therapy? website:
"For Troublegum and Infernal Love I used the black Status bass with an Ampeg Svt1 head and an Ampeg 8x10 cabinet. For Semi-Detached I used the Sunburst Musicman and a Mesa Boogie 4oo+ through a Mesa Boogie 2x15 cabinet. Suicide Pact was the Sunburst Musicman with the Mesa 400+ head through the Ampeg 8x10, Shameless was the Blue Musicman through a Mesa 400+ and a 2x15 Mesa cabinet. High Anxiety was the Blue Musicman with various weird heads through a Harke 4 x10 cabinet. In conjunction with all these set ups I normally use a Sans Amp bass driver pedal and Boss Bass Overdrive and Morley Bass wahs for the squally sounds… Hope you are confused. I am. For the record I NEVER had a Westone Thunder 1a. That is a reference to Andy's first ever bass guitar but I never dabbled. Aria Pro II when I could afford them! Other guitars… Status Buzzard, Fender Sunburst Precision and a Sunburst Fender Jazz have all made appearances on record and live". [5]
Nicknamed 'The Evil Priest', McKeegan is known for his friendliness towards Therapy?'s fans - during gigs he often converses with members of the audience between songs, and regularly posts messages on the bands' official message boards. He lives in Belfast, with his Dutch wife whom he married in September 2008 and their two sons.
He appeared as a judge on BBC Northern Ireland's ATL Rock School 2007. [6]
Since 2013, McKeegan has written a monthly column for the UK's Bass Guitar Magazine, where he also reviews bass guitars and amplifiers.
Therapy? are a Northern Irish rock band from Larne, formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing. Therapy? recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar. To complete the lineup, the band recruited Larne bassist Michael McKeegan. The band signed with major label A&M Records in 1992, for which they released four albums, most notably Troublegum in 1994 and Infernal Love in 1995. Ewing's departure in early 1996 preceded the arrivals of his replacement Graham Hopkins and Martin McCarrick on cello and guitar. Neil Cooper replaced Hopkins on drums in 2002. Following the departure of McCarrick in 2004, the band have remained a stable three-piece since.
Babyteeth is the first mini-album by the Northern Irish rock band Therapy?, released on 15 July 1991 on Wiiija Records. Tracks 1 and 3 were recorded in January 1990, with the remaining tracks recorded later that year, all at Homestead Studio in Randalstown, Northern Ireland. The album reached number 1 in both the UK and Irish Indie Charts.
Nurse is the first major label album released by the rock band Therapy? It was released in 1992 on A&M Records.
Pleasure Death is the second (mini-)album by the Northern Irish rock band Therapy? It was released on 27 January 1992 on Wiiija Records. The album was recorded on 14 and 15 August 1991 and mixed on 16 and 17 August 1991 at Southern Studios in London. It reached number 1 in the UK Indie Charts.
Infernal Love is the fifth album by the Northern Ireland rock band Therapy? Their third album on a major label, it was released on 12 June 1995 on A&M Records. The album was recorded at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire from January to March 1995.
Shameless is the sixth full-length album by the rock band Therapy?, and the third and final to be released on Ark 21 Records. It was released on 3 September 2001. The album was recorded at Bob Lang Studios in Seattle from January to February 2001.
Hunter Benedict Shepherd is an American musician best known as the bassist of rock band Soundgarden. Shepherd has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.
Ian Ryan Grushka is an American musician and songwriter. He is a founding member and the bassist of Florida rock band New Found Glory. He was also the bassist in the band's now defunct side-project, the International Superheroes of Hardcore, where he performed under the pseudonym of "Sgt. Soy".
Byron Stroud is a Canadian bassist. He is the former bassist for metal bands Fear Factory, Imonolith and Strapping Young Lad, current bassist for metal bands City of Fire and Zimmers Hole, and studio bassist for 3 Inches of Blood.
Benjamin Lee Kenney Sr. is an American musician from Brielle, New Jersey. He is the current bass guitarist for the band Incubus and had previously played in the Roots as a guitarist. He also records as a solo artist, usually recording every instrument and singing all vocals on his records.
Mark Duane Morton is an American musician who is the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the heavy metal band Lamb of God.
Fyfe Alexander Ewing, is best known as the original drummer and founding member of rock band Therapy?.
Timothy Christopher Ward is an American musician best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the Mukilteo, Washington based prog-rock band The Fall of Troy and as a singer and guitarist for the band Trash Kids.
"Die Laughing" is a song by rock band Therapy? released as a single on A&M Records on 30 May 1994. It is featured on the Troublegum album. The single reached number 29 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 14 in the Irish Singles Chart.
"Church of Noise" is a song by rock band Therapy?, released as a single on A&M Records on 2 March 1998. It is taken from the Semi-Detached album. This single reached number 29 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Lonely, Cryin', Only" is a song by rock band Therapy? and a single released on A&M Records on 18 May 1998. It is featured on the Semi-Detached album. This single reached number 32 in the UK Singles Chart.
We're Here to the End is the first full-length live album by the rock band Therapy? and the second album to be released on Blast Records, part of The Global Music Group family. It was released on 8 November 2010.
Suicide Pact – You First is the fifth full-length album by the band Therapy?, and the first to be released by their third record company Ark21, following the demise of the band's previous label. It was released on 18 October 1999 and recorded at Great Linford Manor in Milton Keynes from 13 July to 15 August 1999. The album is easily their longest running record at 71 minutes.
So Much for the Ten Year Plan: A Retrospective 1990–2000 is a compilation album by the Northern Irish rock band Therapy? and the second to be released by Ark 21 Records. It was released on 2 October 2000 and allowed the band to fulfill some outstanding obligations to Universal Records. Two new tracks, "Bad Karma Follows You Around" and "Fat Camp", were specially recorded in May 2000 for inclusion on the album. The album reached number 111 in the UK Albums Chart.
Disquiet is the fourteenth studio album by the rock band Therapy?, and the first album to be released on new UK label Amazing Record Co. Produced by Tom Dalgety, it was released on 23 March 2015.
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