Rocking Fred’s
The Experience at Fred’s in Fort Worth, TX.
The Mike Haskins Experience at Deep Ellum Arts Fest 4.6.12
Check out the fun The Mike Haskins Experience had on the Pegasus News Stage at the Deep Ellum Arts Fest in Dallas last Friday. Click on this picture to see more pics in flickr. Click here to download the music. It’s almost as good as being there.
Download The Mike Haskins Experience…right here!
Here are the links to download It’s Time for…The Mike Haskins Experience. Listen, enjoy!
2. Nothing To Lose But Your Mind
7. Your Mama Can’t Help You Now
Mike Haskins interview w/ The Ledge.
In search of the Mike Haskins story, Scott Hudson recently interviewed me for The Ledge, his internet radio show. Check his blog here. Listen if you dare!
Click here for interview with Mike Haskins
As Scott says,
“Mike was also in charge of this week’s playlist, which is a fantastic overview of his music career. This show is a must listen, so download it through iTunes, Stitcher, or directly here!”
The guitars that got away.
Here's a pic of me playing the guitar with NB's at DJ's New Wave Cafe, Dallas, May 1980.
Guitar players are always talking about the guitar that got away: “the guitar that I used to have, it was great, and I wish I never sold it, because it was so awesome, what was I thinking?” Well, I’m no different, so I thought I might post about some of these lost gems.
Recently, I was FB discussing with my friend Ken Shimamoto about how great Quicksilver (Messenger Service) was. I was reminded that I owned and played a guitar formerly belonging to QMS guitarist Gary Duncan. I bought the black Les Paul Custom (probably mid-70’s vintage) in 1979 from Zoo Music (Dallas, TX). I purchased it on first sight for $600, I even forgot to haggle on the price, it just jumped into my hands. When store owner Dave brought the guitar’s case out of the back room, I noticed that Gary Duncan’s name and address (in San Francisco) were stenciled on the case. Although I was a fan, I never thought too much of this. Somehow it just seemed appropriate: those were different times.
How did the guitar find it’s way to Dallas? I heard (but haven’t confirmed) that Duncan was staying in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area during the mid-1970’s, maybe working in a record store. I saw Quicksilver 3 times in 1974-76 in Dallas, they had a Texan organist, so I think that they might have been partially based in Texas at that time.
It was my #1 guitar through 1979-81, then became my #2 until 1985. It was my #1 guitar on the NB’s We Want Everything LP in 1980. It was my #1 in Bag O’ Wire and The Barry Kooda Combo, then moved to #2 in Tex & the Saddletramps because it developed problems with the bridge pickup.
Here's a pic of Duncan playing a Les Paul (obviously not the same one).
Anyway, it was a great guitar with a unique-sounding neck pickup. I am still trying to find that neck pickup sound again, with no luck so far. Charley Wirtz (Charley’s Guitars) commented once “that isn’t the original pickup, I think it’s an old one.”
So what happened to it? Well, I just played it into the ground, I guess. Both pickups were shot, shorted out from my sweat. The frets were worn down to nothing. So, I had to decide about the cost of rebuilding it. I sold it for $400 to a friend of a friend who just wanted a guitar to mess around with, didn’t care about the issues.
Oh well.
P.S. Writing this post got me inspired, so I made some calls. The guy I sold this guitar to sold it in the late 80’s to a “professor at Duke who was a Les Paul collector.” Not too promising for the idea of me buying it back for nostalgia value, but who knows?
“It’s Time For Me To Go”…for now.
It’s Time For…The Mike Haskins Experience is a collection of garage psyche recorded in 2010. With help from Devin and Jim from The Big Guns, Haskins says it’s Time For Me To Go. The cover pic of the classic Girls’ Love comic is courtesy of the blog Lady, That’s My Skull. Please dance, relax, enjoy.
Time For Me To Go
(wr. Mike Haskins)
Mike Haskins- vocal, guitar
Jim Dale- bass, backing vocal
Devin Gibson- drums
Recorded at Ash Creek Estates Recorders, Dallas, TX.
Mixed & mastered by John “JP” Painter at The Kitchen Studios, Dallas, TX.
Download here:
Your Mama Can’t Help You Now, says The Mike Haskins Experience.
Your Mama Can’t Help You Now is The Mike Haskins Experience’s take on the garage stomp style. With Bob (ex-Nervebreakers) and Russell (ex-Vomit Pigs) from Bag O’ Wire making their point, there is no doubting the message! The pic demonstrates the eternal triangle, courtesy of sixties TV’s Bewitched.
Download here:
(wr. Mike Haskins)
Mike Haskins- Vocal, guitar
Bob Childress- bass
Russell Fleming- drums
Jim Dale- backing vocal
Recorded at Ash Creek Estates Recorders, Dallas, TX.
Mixed & mastered by John “JP” Painter at The Kitchen Studios, Dallas, TX.
The Mike Haskins Experience Don’t Want Your Lovin’!
Don’t Want Your Lovin’ is the latest post from It’s Time For…The Mike Haskins Experience, the collection of songs recorded in 2010. With Bag O’ Wire backing, this song shows the snotty sixties garage punk side of the MHE. This was featured in BOW’s 2010 live set, with Curtis Hawkins on lead vocal. The samurai dog armor pic is from the Pink Tentacle blog, and belongs to an unnamed UK museum.
Download here:
(wr. Mike Haskins)
Mike Haskins- Vocal, guitar
Bob Childress- bass
Russell Fleming- drums
Jim Dale- backing vocal
Recorded at Ash Creek Estates Recorders, Dallas, TX.
Mixed & mastered by John “JP” Painter at The Kitchen Studios, Dallas, TX.
You’re The Girl For Me- garage trash?
You’re The Girl For Me is the Mike Haskins Experience in garage trash mode. This tune was featured in Bag O’ Wire’s 2009/10 live sets, with Curtis Hawkins on lead vocals. Bob and Russell from BOW provide the raunchy rhythms here. The scooter girl is showing an outfit from Lizzy Enger’s 2008 line as featured in the Quadrophenia stage play.
You’re The Girl For Me
(wr. Mike Haskins)
Mike Haskins- Vocal, guitar, keys
Bob Childress- bass
Russell Fleming- drums
Jim Dale- backing vocal
Recorded at Ash Creek Estates Recorders, Dallas, TX.
Mixed & mastered by John “JP” Painter at The Kitchen Studios, Dallas, TX.
The Mike Haskins Experience 