This week on Thinkin’ & Drinkin’, Bart chats with Mike Hickey. Mike shares with us how he got his start in the music business, some great guitar knowledge and behind-the-scenes of his current gig with Joe Bonamassa as his guitar tech.
Meet Mike Hickey: Mike has played guitar with artists as far-ranging as Soul Icons Daryl Hall and John Oates, to British metal legends VENOM and CARCASS, and also was bassist with CATHEDRAL for their Ethereal Mirror Tour.
You can hear Mike on the critically acclaimed 2006 release "Metal Black" by VENOM on Sanctuary Records, as well as "Hell to the Unknown - The Cronos Anthology". Mike also appears on Venom- Calm Before The Storm; and Cronos- Dancing In The Fire/ Cronos-Rock N Roll Disease/ Cronos- Venom.
Mike's project GOATREIGN was released on Wabana/Cargo Records in August 2007. Critically well-received, Goatreign (Hickey and drummer Shawn Progen) explored a plethora of different metal styles.
In 2009 Mike contributed guitar to the remix of Gino The Manager on the Hall and Oates box set "Do What You Want-Be What You Are.
Mike has also performed with Derek Sherinian (Billy Idol, Black Country Communion),Twin Dragons, Eric Martin (Mr.Big), Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), TC Tolliver (The Plasmatics), Chris Bell Band, Gary Isom (Pentagram), Joe Hasselvander (Raven), The Hounds of Hasselvander, G.E.Smith, DOWN, DEF CON ONE, BRUTAL TRUTH, PITCHSHIFTER and NUCLEAR ASSAULT.
Mike has also guested on the acclaimed internet series Live From Daryl's House. Additionally Mike was a contributor to Guitar Player Magazine's Sessions columns and is a Truefire.com Instructor.
Currently, in 2011, Mike is finishing up the recording of an instrumental release that features contributions from Mickey Curry (Bryan Adams), Keith Scott (Bryan Adams), Matt Olivo (Repulsion) and the late T-Bone Wolk.
What Bart has to say: This is my first blind date with someone I met on Instagram. We bonded over guitars and I was thrilled when he said he’d love to be on the podcast, so we met during Joe Bonamassa’s rehearsal at Soundcheck in Nashville.
In this episode, you’ll hear
How he studied at Berkley School of Music
His current job as Joe Bonamassa’s guitar tech
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