Mark Thwaite

Mark Gemini Thwaite
Mark Gemini Thwaite performing at Peter Murphy gig, HOB Chicago, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Mark Gemini Thwaite
Born	(1965-06-15)15 June 1965 Birmingham, UK
Genres	Industrial Alternative metal Gothic
Instruments	Guitar bass Keyboards
Labels	Sony Music/Echozone
Associated acts	The Mission Tricky Peter Murphy Revolting Cocks Al Jourgensen Spear of Destiny Theatre of Hate Mob Research Primitive Race
Website	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, Alanis Morissette, Combichrist, Grand Theft Audio, and Franz Treichler of The Young Gods.

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, Martin Wilkins (Drummer), 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, touring with the live band worldwide and contributing to three studio albums and an EP - "Mission Accomplished EP" (2000), "Blowback" (2001), "Vulnerable" (2003) and "Knowle West Boy" (2008) ^[10] and performing with Tricky and P.J. Harvey on the Late Show with David Letterman 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 Kiedis 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] The remaining band members reconvened three years later in 2012 and released the "Motormouth" EP on Echozone records, featuring a collaboration between guitarist Mark Thwaite and Franz Treichler of The Young Gods.^[26]

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,^[27] first to promote the GIAB album and then for their four-show "farewell" event at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London.^[28]

In 2008, Thwaite contributed lead guitar to Pristine, the opening track from German based band Dead Guitars' on their 2008 album Flags.^[29]

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,^[30] 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.^[31]

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.^[32] He also played on Voices in My Head,^[33] 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.^[34]

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".^[35]

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.^[36]

Thwaite joined US electro-punk band Imperative Reaction onstage^[37] as guitarist at Das Bunker club in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve December 2010 to perform As We Fall.^[37]

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^[38] (who previously played with former SGC bassist Dave Roberts in offshoot band The Children).^[39]

In March 2011 Mark Thwaite joined Peter Murphy and band for a 29 date US tour promoting the studio album Ninth released on 7 June 2011,^[40] 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.^[37]

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.^[41]

In the autumn of 2011 Thwaite also made a guest appearance onstage with his old band The Mission at their sold out 25th Anniversary show at London Brixton Academy on 22 October with special guests Fields of the Nephilim.^[42] Original founder members Wayne Hussey, Craig Adams and Simon Hinkler were joined onstage by ex-Mission guitarist Thwaite for the special evening, which was filmed and later released as Silver on DVD/Blu-ray.

In November 2011 Peter Murphy and Thwaite joined Los Angeles band She Wants Revenge on a six week co-headlining tour of the United States.^[43]

In 2012 Thwaite and Kory Clarke - the remaining members of Mob Research, reconvened three years after the release of the Holy City Zoo debut album and released the Motormouth EP on Echozone records on 18 May 2012, featuring new songs with remixes by various artists including Aesthetic Perfection and Imperative Reaction and also a new collaboration between guitarist Mark Thwaite and Franz Treichler of The Young Gods on In The Atmosphere.^[26]

In the summer of 2012, British band The March Violets released The Dandelion King (MarkGT ReMix), a new remix by Thwaite which featured on a Digital White label release with Tokyo Flow.^[44] Thwaite also appeared on two songs on the new Warrior Soul album Stiff Middle Finger, released in October 2012, contributing lead guitars to Occupy and Planetary Revolution.^[45] Warrior Soul is fronted by founder member Kory Clarke, who is also vocalist for Mob Research.

During 2012, Thwaite also undertook more international touring with Peter Murphy, performing in Japan, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, China and more US dates including a performance at Club Nokia on 15 September in Los Angeles featuring a duet between Peter Murphy and Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, with Thwaite on guitar.^[46]

In November 2012 Thwaite appeared on Immiment Room, the first solo album released by Erica Nockalls of UK band The Wonder Stuff, contributing guitars to I Am Me, which also included backing vocals by Wayne Hussey of Thwaite's old band The Mission ^[47]

Equipment

Thwaite currently holds artist endorsements with Schecter Guitar Research,^[48] Laney Amplification,^[49] Digitech effects pedals, and Pro Tone effects pedals.^[50] He also has a long association with Gibson Les Paul guitars, having played them frequently since first joining Spear of Destiny back in 1990.

Discography

• Mark Gemini Thwaite discography at Discogs.com

References

External links

• markthwaite.com official site (retrieved 25 April 2010)
• The Mission UK official site (retrieved 25 April 2010)
• Peter Murphy official site