Mick Collins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mick Collins | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 18, 1965 |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan |
| Genre(s) | Garage punk Rock and roll Soul rock Punk blues |
| Occupation(s) | singer, actor, computer programmer |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar, vox organ |
| Label(s) | various |
| Associated acts | The Dirtbombs The Gories U-Boats The Floor Tasters The Voltaire Brothers Man Ray Man Ray Blacktop The Screws |
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- This page concerns the musician. For other Mick Collinses, see Michael Collins.
Mick Collins (b. December 18, 1965) is a Detroit, Michigan musician with a long and continuing musical history. Collins first played in a band called the U-Boats in 1981 and then in the Floor Tasters in 1984 and '85. In 1986, the 20-year old Collins helped form the seminal garage punk band, The Gories. The band featured Collins on guitar, Dan Kroha (later of the Demolition Doll Rods) on guitar, and Peg O'Neil on the drums. After two albums and five singles the band suffered an infamous break-up in 1992.
Collins next worked in a basic rock n roll blues band, Blacktop from 1994 to 1996, a band which had its own share of troubles, as detailed in Collins' liner-notes for the band's compilation release, I've Got a Bad Feeling About This: The Complete Recordings.
After the demise of Blacktop, Collins helped form the King Sound Quartet, which had one single in 1996 and one album, The Get Down Imperative, in 1997.
Collins then focused on another of his projects, the wide-ranging, musically eclectic Dirtbombs. Beginning with the "High Octane Salvation" single in 1996, the Dirtbombs have come to be Collins' most durable and arguably most popular project (rivaled only by the legendary status of The Gories). The Dirtbombs had a changing shift of musicians behind Collins on guitar but since 2004 have had a steady line-up. Throughout, the band has consisted of a 2-drum, 2-bass set-up behind Collins' guitar work.
In addition to the Dirtbombs, Collins has played in the Screws, an eclectic punk band that has released two albums since 1999 and has appeared on several compilations, and the Voltaire Brothers, a funk project that issued a 2002 album, I Sing The Booty Electric. He's also done solo work (including issuing a split .45 with Lorrette Velvette for the film Wanye County Ramblin' in which Collins has a role), produced scores of other artists' music (including Andre Williams to name but one), DJ's, and does vocals for yet another long-time side project, Man Ray, Man Ray.
Collins was the host of Night Train, a Saturday night show on WDET, Detroit Public Radio. The program featured 4 thematic "journeys" through music. The first edition premiered on June 3, 2006 and included musical journeys of Motown soul legends Junior Walker & The All-Stars, Jazz artist Joe Williams, 50's rock n roll star Fats Domino, and 80's Detroit garage band The Hysteric Narcotics. The show was cancelled in the Spring of 2007 after WDET scrapped its music programming.
Collins is preparing more Dirtbombs singles as well as a new LP, as well as a new Voltaire Brothers record, a Man Ray, Man Ray record, and a techno record.
In addition to his music (and one known acting role in Wayne County Ramblin'), Collins is:
- A UNIX programmer[citation needed].
- A published writer of anthropomorphic science fiction[citation needed]. The cover of the Dirtbomb's album "Horndog Fest" has artwork featuring a feline stripper on the front and the band as dogs (with Collins as a wolf) on the back.
