Michael Todd (musician)
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Michael Todd or Mic Todd (pronounced as "Mike") (born August 19, 1980 in Kingston, New York) is the bassist for progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria. Todd left the band in August 2006 because of personal issues, but officially rejoined the group on April 25, 2007. Upon the time of his initial departure, he had been with the band for ten years.
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[edit] Shabűtie
When the band Shabűtie needed a new bass player to replace founding member Jon Carleo, drummer Nate Kelley suggested a former bandmate named Mic Todd. Originally a guitarist, he was asked to join the band to fill out their rhythm section. Picking up the bass solely for the new band, Todd became the band's steady bassist through their alt-rock days of Shabűtie into the band's transformation to progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria.
[edit] Controversy Over Absence
At the beginning of the 2006 European Tour, Todd left the band due to a growing heroin addiction, and eventually checked into rehab. [1] During the time he was absent, Matt Williams of pre-Coheed band Jumblehead was Coheed's substitute bassist.
[edit] Playing Style
Todd's preferred bass is a Spector Euro model which can be seen used heavily in the band's music videos and live performances. Though in the past he has utilized ESP basses (Delirium Trigger video) and Fender's Geddy Lee signature bass (Live At The Starland Ballroom), and most recently on the Vans' 2007 Warped Tour, Mic has been seen using Fender Basses exclusively.
Mic Todd plays bass using the traditional finger approach, fingering the strings with the index and middle finger of his right hand, and more recently with all four fingers during live performances at Vans Warped Tour 2007; though he has been known to use the slapping technique. His playing style is marked by rapid fire single notes and complex basslines, particularly during the Second Stage Turbine Blade era. He often arpeggiates the chords played by guitarists Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever and makes heavy use of 5ths and octaves of the root of the chord being played.
[edit] Vocals
During live shows, Todd provides the screaming vocals when playing older songs such as: "Devil in Jersey City", "Everything Evil", "Delirium Trigger", "Hearshot Kid Disaster", "Junesong Provision", "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3", "Three Evils (Embodied In Love And Shadow)", and "The Velourium Camper III: Al The Killer". During live performances he has also performed the backing vocals on "The Suffering" - using a falsetto voice as the original lines were sung by a female friend of the band. Recently Todd has provided backing vocals on Coheed and Cambria's new song "The Running Free"
[edit] Todd's basses
Spectors
- Rebop4: fretted four-string bass guitar, orange in color. Called "Amber" by Spector.
It is of the bolt-on construction, with two passive EMG-HZ bass humbuckers and a Spector "Tone Pump" active preamp and EQ. It was made in the Czech Republic and has black hardware with a phenolic nut (a black nut). This bass was used mainly during the Second Stage Turbine Blade and most of the In Keeping Secrets era. This bass can be seen on the Live at the Starland Ballroom DVD.
- EuroLX 4: A fretted four-string bass guitar with a natural maple oil finish.
It is of the neck-thru construction, with two EMG pickups, one P style and one J style pickup (the P at the neck position and the J at the bridge position). It has the same Tone Pump circuitry as the ReBop. Its hardware is finished in gold and has a brass nut. It is tuned to Eb as Coheed And Cambria currently play all their live songs in this tuning. This was Mic's bass of choice in the Good Apollo Volume 1 era. This bass has been used since the "Good Apollo..." era and can be seen in the videos "Welcome Home" and "The Suffering." He is also known to own a Black Cherry (a Spector custom colour) EuroLX 4. It can be seen in the "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood And Burial)" video.
- Q4: A fretless four-string bass guitar in a black stain finish. It is the same bolt-on construction as the Rebop, and has the same pickups, hardware, nut, and electronics. The Q4 is the prequel series of basses to the current "Legend" Spector series. It is used mainly for recording, very rarely showing up at live performances.
Fenders
- Geddy Lee Jazz Bass: A fretted four-string bass guitar in a black finish.
It has two Vintage Jazz Bass Single-Coil Pickups (stock). In the Live at the Starland Ballroom DVD, Todd is seen using this bass to play the Coheed and Cambria song "A Favor House Atlantic". He just recently removed the pickguard to give it an all black look.
- American Jazz Bass in alpine white, kept stock (The Running Free music video)
Mic Todd has favored Fenders recently; using them exclusively with Coheed and Cambria on the 2007 Van's Warped Tour. These basses include:
- Highway 1 Precision Bass in red with white pick guard
- Highway 1 Jazz Bass in black with black pick guard
- Highway 1 Precision Bass in black with white pick guard
[edit] Solo Project
In an interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Todd stated that he had been working on his own music during his hiatus from Coheed and Cambria. He confirmed that he will at some point put out a solo album, and that it will be "more folky and more simplistic" than bandmate Claudio Sanchez' solo project, The Prize Fighter Inferno.[2] He cites female folk singers, such as Ani De Franco and Ingrid Michaelson, as his songwriting influences.[3]
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