Mike Ness
Encyclopedia
Mike Ness is an American
guitar
ist, vocalist, and chief songwriter
for the punk rock
band Social Distortion
, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell
's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band. Ness is married to Lauren Ricketts of Fort Worth, Texas.
, California
—was kicked out of his father's home in Fullerton
at 15. During his early years, he was raised on the blues, country and early rock n' roll. As he drifted around Orange County, Ness became involved in the punk rock
scene, after being moved by bands of that ilk. In the 1980s, Ness was the original renter of the one-bedroom apartment described in The Adolescents
song "Kids of the Black Hole
". The punk house
is located in Fullerton, California
and still exists today.
Ness founded Social Distortion in 1978, releasing the Mainliner/Playpen 7" record on Robbie Field's indie
label Posh Boy Records
in 1981. Two years later, they released the album Mommy's Little Monster
(1983) on 13th Floor Records, which was owned by Monk Rock, their manager at the time.
Ness was featured in the independent film Another State of Mind, which chronicled Social Distortion's first cross-country tour with Youth Brigade. It was on the DVD commentary where he claimed to have never had anything to do with the armed forces or religion. This prompted many fans to consider him an atheist, though some of his lyrics seem to indicate otherwise. Five years passed before Social Distortion released their next album, 1988's Prison Bound
, on the heels of Ness's recovery from drug addiction. Ness has been sober and clean from heroin since 1985. Furthermore, in the mid-1980s, he briefly was employed as a house painter and assistant speech therapist in an elementary school.
Ness performed in the band Easter from 1986–1988 and appeared in the music video for the songs "Slipping Away" and "Lights Out".
In 1989, Social Distortion signed a deal with Epic Records
and released three albums with that label: Social Distortion
(1990), Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
(1992) and White Light, White Heat, White Trash
(1996).
The band left Epic Records
after White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) and Ness formed Time Bomb Recordings
, releasing Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past
(a collection of old recordings and singles that were done in the early '80s), a re-issue of the long out of print Mommy's Little Monster
, along with a re-issue of their second album Prison Bound
, and Live at the Roxy
(1998). Ness married Christine Marie in the early 1990s and they have two sons, Johnny and Julian.
. Although some of Social Distortion's songs paid homage to country music
artists, Cheating at Solitaire was an unalloyed expression of Ness' country influences. Solitaire included guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen
, Brian Setzer
and Josh Freese
, as well as members of Royal Crown Revue
. Springsteen had touted Social Distortion's Heaven and Hell as his favorite record of the year in a Rolling Stone
interview in 1992. Ness continued in this vein, releasing a compilation of country covers entitled Under the Influences
that same year. Both albums came out on Time Bomb Recordings. Ness toured extensively in the U.S. in support of these albums, backed partially by the 2006 incarnation of Social Distortion; ex-Plugz and Bob Dylan
drummer Charlie Quintana
, Brent Harding
(upright and electric bass). Ness and the band played at Woodstock '99.
died on February 29, 2000 at 38 due to a brain aneurysm. Ness was devastated, stating "I am saddened beyond any possible form of expression. Dennis and I have been friends since boyhood, starting to visit convalescent homes together while we were in high school. My deepest regrets to his family." The band went back to work in June 2000 on the album, Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
. Many of the songs on this new album are dedicated to Danell, such as "Don't Take Me For Granted", "Reach For The Sky" and "Angel's Wings" (although Ness also stated in an October 2010 concert in New York City
that "Don't Take Me For Granted" is dedicated to Gary Coleman
, but in other concerts he dedicated it to Dennis Danell).
called Live in Orange County
at the House of Blues
in Anaheim, California
which was released in 2004 along with Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, both of which were released on Time Bomb Recordings. These efforts marked the first recordings with a line-up consisting of Ness on guitar and vocals, Wickersham replacing Danell on guitar, and Quintana on drums. It also consisted of a number of songs co-written by Ness and Wickersham. This is the first time Ness collaborated with another songwriter since 1990's self-titled album, on which he and then bassist John Maurer
wrote "So Far Away". The band's lineup changed twice after Maurer left the band, just a month before the release of Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. He was replaced by Operation Ivy
/Rancid
bassist Matt Freeman
until late 2004 when current member, Brent Harding, joined.
In February 2006, Ness broke his wrist while skateboarding in Las Vegas
. He continued to perform vocals on the tour while TSOL
guitarist Ron Emory
filled in on guitar until Ness' wrist healed. On January 18, 2007, former Social Distortion bass player Brent Liles
died after being hit by a tractor trailer truck. Ness dedicated a performance at the Anaheim House of Blues
to him shortly after.
Ness currently lives in Newport Beach, California
with his wife Christine and two sons Johnny (age 14) and Julian Ness (age 18). He is an avid collector of retro ephemera such as Hamburglar toys and hot rods, owning a 1954 Chevy and a 1936 Ford. In 2003 he founded Black Kat Kustoms
with "long time hot rodder and builder" Don Nemarnik. Black Kat Kustoms is an expression of his love for hot rods, cats, bikes, and counter-culture clothing.
Despite earlier reports that the band would begin recording their next studio album by 2008, Social Distortion took a hiatus from touring and recording, when Ness was on tour with his solo band which is composed of two current members of Social Distortion; Brent Harding
and Jonny Wickersham
. Also touring with Ness were Chris Lawrence
on Telecaster and pedal steel guitar and Dave Raven
on drums. In a July 2009 interview with Tarakany! Bad TV, Ness stated that Social Distortion was planning to return to the studio in December of that year or the beginning of 2010 to begin recording their seventh album. The album, now known as Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
, was finally released on January 18, 2011. As of August 2011, according to Ness, another Social Distortion album is in the works.
On May 17, 2008 Ness and his band were joined on stage by Bruce Springsteen
at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey
for the encore. Songs played were "Misery Loves Company", "Ball and Chain", "If You Leave Before Me" and "I Fought the Law".
On April 16, 2009 Ness joined Springsteen and the E Street Band
on stage at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Songs played included Social Distortion's "Bad Luck" and Springsteen's "The Rising". On May 18, 2009 Mike Ness and Social Distortion played a benefit show at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California called "Rock to Recovery" and his son joined him on stage and played lead guitar for the song "Ball and Chain".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, vocalist, and chief songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell
Dennis Danell
Dennis Eric Danell was the founding guitarist for the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.Danell formed Social Distortion in 1979 with frontman Mike Ness while attending high school together...
's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band. Ness is married to Lauren Ricketts of Fort Worth, Texas.
Early life and career with Social Distortion
Ness—born in Stoneham, Massachusetts as the elder of two boys (his brother's name is Troy), and raised in Orange CountyOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
—was kicked out of his father's home in Fullerton
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
at 15. During his early years, he was raised on the blues, country and early rock n' roll. As he drifted around Orange County, Ness became involved in the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
scene, after being moved by bands of that ilk. In the 1980s, Ness was the original renter of the one-bedroom apartment described in The Adolescents
The Adolescents
The Adolescents are an American punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a punk supergroup, made up of early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. They are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore punk scene....
song "Kids of the Black Hole
Kids of the Black Hole
"Kids of the Black Hole" is a song by The Adolescents. The song was recorded in 1980 and released on their debut album, The Adolescents . It also appears on the follow-up live album, Return to the Black Hole...
". The punk house
Punk house
A punk house is a dwelling occupied by members of the punk subculture. Punk houses are similar to the hippie crash pads of the 1960s and the slan shacks of science fiction fandom. The Factory, an alternative living space founded by Andy Warhol as the home base of The Velvet Underground, is directly...
is located in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
and still exists today.
Ness founded Social Distortion in 1978, releasing the Mainliner/Playpen 7" record on Robbie Field's indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
label Posh Boy Records
Posh Boy Records
Posh Boy Records was a Hollywood, California based record label owned by Robbie Fields, a high school substitute teacher and former copyboy at the L A Times who took an interest in the emerging punk rock scene in Orange County, California during the late 1970s...
in 1981. Two years later, they released the album Mommy's Little Monster
Mommy's Little Monster
Mommy's Little Monster is the first album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released in 1983 .The album was critically acclaimed but was, however, not commercially successful...
(1983) on 13th Floor Records, which was owned by Monk Rock, their manager at the time.
Ness was featured in the independent film Another State of Mind, which chronicled Social Distortion's first cross-country tour with Youth Brigade. It was on the DVD commentary where he claimed to have never had anything to do with the armed forces or religion. This prompted many fans to consider him an atheist, though some of his lyrics seem to indicate otherwise. Five years passed before Social Distortion released their next album, 1988's Prison Bound
Prison Bound
Prison Bound is the second studio album by Social Distortion, was released in 1988. This is the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece...
, on the heels of Ness's recovery from drug addiction. Ness has been sober and clean from heroin since 1985. Furthermore, in the mid-1980s, he briefly was employed as a house painter and assistant speech therapist in an elementary school.
Ness performed in the band Easter from 1986–1988 and appeared in the music video for the songs "Slipping Away" and "Lights Out".
In 1989, Social Distortion signed a deal with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and released three albums with that label: Social Distortion
Social Distortion (album)
Social Distortion is the eponymous third studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on March 27, 1990, through Epic Records. After touring in support of its previous full-length studio album, Prison Bound , Social Distortion signed with Epic in 1989 and began work on...
(1990), Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on February 11, 1992. It continues the melding of country and rockabilly influences with punk that began two albums before with Prison Bound. Clear influences include Hank...
(1992) and White Light, White Heat, White Trash
White Light, White Heat, White Trash
White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the fifth album by American punk rock band, Social Distortion, released on September 17, 1996, by Epic Records. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn. White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the last Social Distortion album to feature guitarist Dennis...
(1996).
The band left Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
after White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) and Ness formed Time Bomb Recordings
Time Bomb Recordings
Time Bomb Recordings is a Laguna Beach, California based record label founded by Social Distortion manager Jim Guerinot in a 1994 joint-venture agreement with Arista Records...
, releasing Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past
Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past
Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past is a collection of early recordings by Social Distortion. It was released on July 18, 1995, and contains songs which were recorded in 1981. It is a collection of singles and B-sides that had never appeared on any of the band's full-length albums...
(a collection of old recordings and singles that were done in the early '80s), a re-issue of the long out of print Mommy's Little Monster
Mommy's Little Monster
Mommy's Little Monster is the first album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released in 1983 .The album was critically acclaimed but was, however, not commercially successful...
, along with a re-issue of their second album Prison Bound
Prison Bound
Prison Bound is the second studio album by Social Distortion, was released in 1988. This is the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece...
, and Live at the Roxy
Live at the Roxy (Social Distortion album)
Live at the Roxy is a live album by the Southern California punk rock group Social Distortion. It was released on June 30, 1998, on their own Time Bomb label...
(1998). Ness married Christine Marie in the early 1990s and they have two sons, Johnny and Julian.
Solo career
In 1999, Ness released his first solo album, Cheating at SolitaireCheating at Solitaire
Cheating at Solitaire is the first solo album from Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness. Released in 1999, it bypasses much of Social Distortion's punk muscle in favor of a more roots-oriented approach to rock and roll. It features cameos by Bruce Springsteen, Brian Setzer, and members of Royal...
. Although some of Social Distortion's songs paid homage to country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artists, Cheating at Solitaire was an unalloyed expression of Ness' country influences. Solitaire included guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
and Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
, as well as members of Royal Crown Revue
Royal Crown Revue
The Royal Crown Revue is a band formed in 1989 in Los Angeles, California. They are often credited with starting the Swing Revival movement. Live, RCR has been extremely successful: They participated in 1998's Vans Warped Tour, opened for the B-52s and The Pretenders and played at major US Jazz...
. Springsteen had touted Social Distortion's Heaven and Hell as his favorite record of the year in a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
interview in 1992. Ness continued in this vein, releasing a compilation of country covers entitled Under the Influences
Under the Influences
Under the Influences, the second solo album from Social Distortion's Mike Ness, is a compilation of country, rock, and bluegrass covers released just six months after his first solo effort, Cheating at Solitaire. As the title implies, Ness intends the album to be an illustration of the music that...
that same year. Both albums came out on Time Bomb Recordings. Ness toured extensively in the U.S. in support of these albums, backed partially by the 2006 incarnation of Social Distortion; ex-Plugz and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
drummer Charlie Quintana
Charlie Quintana
Charlie Quintana was born in 1962, in El Paso, TX. Quintana was A drummer for the old school punk band Social Distortion, who joined in 2000 as the replacement of Chuck Biscuits , following the death of the band's former guitarist Dennis Danell...
, Brent Harding
Brent Harding
Brent Harding is the current bass player for the California punk group Social Distortion, which he joined in late 2004.-Biography:...
(upright and electric bass). Ness and the band played at Woodstock '99.
Danell's death
Childhood friend, and founding member of Social Distortion, guitarist Dennis DanellDennis Danell
Dennis Eric Danell was the founding guitarist for the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.Danell formed Social Distortion in 1979 with frontman Mike Ness while attending high school together...
died on February 29, 2000 at 38 due to a brain aneurysm. Ness was devastated, stating "I am saddened beyond any possible form of expression. Dennis and I have been friends since boyhood, starting to visit convalescent homes together while we were in high school. My deepest regrets to his family." The band went back to work in June 2000 on the album, Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of White Light, White Heat, White Trash in 1996, the longest gap between Social Distortion's studio albums to date...
. Many of the songs on this new album are dedicated to Danell, such as "Don't Take Me For Granted", "Reach For The Sky" and "Angel's Wings" (although Ness also stated in an October 2010 concert in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that "Don't Take Me For Granted" is dedicated to Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
, but in other concerts he dedicated it to Dennis Danell).
Present day
In 2003, Social Distortion recorded a live DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
called Live in Orange County
Live in Orange County
Live in Orange County is a DVD that was recorded by Social Distortion at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California in January 2003.-Track listing:* All songs by Mike Ness unless otherwise noted.# "Making Believe" # "1945"# "Sick Boy"...
at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
which was released in 2004 along with Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, both of which were released on Time Bomb Recordings. These efforts marked the first recordings with a line-up consisting of Ness on guitar and vocals, Wickersham replacing Danell on guitar, and Quintana on drums. It also consisted of a number of songs co-written by Ness and Wickersham. This is the first time Ness collaborated with another songwriter since 1990's self-titled album, on which he and then bassist John Maurer
John Maurer
John Maurer was the long time bass guitar player for Social Distortion from 1984 to 2004. He was replaced by Rancid's Matt Freeman. He joined Social Distortion after the departure of Brent Liles....
wrote "So Far Away". The band's lineup changed twice after Maurer left the band, just a month before the release of Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. He was replaced by Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy (band)
Operation Ivy was an American ska punk band that formed in Berkeley, California, and was often credited with spurring the 1990s punk revival in California. It is well-known as one of the first bands to "mix" hardcore punk with elements of ska, known as ska-core...
/Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
bassist Matt Freeman
Matt Freeman
Matthew "McCall" Freeman is an American musician. He is best known for his bass guitar work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy, Rancid and as the frontman of Devil's Brigade.-Playing style:...
until late 2004 when current member, Brent Harding, joined.
In February 2006, Ness broke his wrist while skateboarding in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. He continued to perform vocals on the tour while TSOL
TSOL
TSOL is an American punk rock band which formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
guitarist Ron Emory
Ron Emory
Ron Emory is an American rock musician and guitarist for the punk rock band T.S.O.L. . An original member of the band, founded in Southern California in 1979, Emory left in 1987 prior to the release of the album Hit and Run. In 1996, he joined the other original members of T.S.O.L. to reform the...
filled in on guitar until Ness' wrist healed. On January 18, 2007, former Social Distortion bass player Brent Liles
Brent Liles
Brent Harrold Liles was the bassist for Social Distortion from 1981–1984 and later was the bassist for Agent Orange from 1988 - 1992. He appeared on Social Distortion's 1983 classic debut Mommy's Little Monster before leaving the band on New Year's Day 1984, with the band's drummer Derek O'Brien...
died after being hit by a tractor trailer truck. Ness dedicated a performance at the Anaheim House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
to him shortly after.
Ness currently lives in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
with his wife Christine and two sons Johnny (age 14) and Julian Ness (age 18). He is an avid collector of retro ephemera such as Hamburglar toys and hot rods, owning a 1954 Chevy and a 1936 Ford. In 2003 he founded Black Kat Kustoms
Black Kat Kustoms
Black Kat Kustoms is an American clothing line and custom parts shop based in Santa Ana, California. The company specializes in custom car, hot rod, and chopper clothing. The clothing line consists of mostly Ts, hooded sweatshirts, and beanie caps.-History:...
with "long time hot rodder and builder" Don Nemarnik. Black Kat Kustoms is an expression of his love for hot rods, cats, bikes, and counter-culture clothing.
Despite earlier reports that the band would begin recording their next studio album by 2008, Social Distortion took a hiatus from touring and recording, when Ness was on tour with his solo band which is composed of two current members of Social Distortion; Brent Harding
Brent Harding
Brent Harding is the current bass player for the California punk group Social Distortion, which he joined in late 2004.-Biography:...
and Jonny Wickersham
Jonny Wickersham
Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham is the current guitarist for the Californian punk rock band Social Distortion. He joined Social Distortion after the death of founding member and longtime friend, Dennis Danell, in February 2000. Previously, he had been a guitarist for U.S...
. Also touring with Ness were Chris Lawrence
Christopher Lawrence (DJ)
Christopher Lawrence is an American DJ and producer, specializing in progressive trance music. He has released 10 mix CDs since 1997.Lawrence has an international audience and makes frequent appearances worldwide...
on Telecaster and pedal steel guitar and Dave Raven
The Swirling Eddies
The Swirling Eddies are a band that began as an anonymous spinoff from the band Daniel Amos, along with new drummer David Raven.-Career:For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" , "Berger Roy Al" , "Gene Pool" , "Arthur Fhardy" , "Spot"...
on drums. In a July 2009 interview with Tarakany! Bad TV, Ness stated that Social Distortion was planning to return to the studio in December of that year or the beginning of 2010 to begin recording their seventh album. The album, now known as Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on January 18, 2011. It is the band's first album recorded with bassist Brent Harding, their first album of new material since 2004's Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, and their first...
, was finally released on January 18, 2011. As of August 2011, according to Ness, another Social Distortion album is in the works.
On May 17, 2008 Ness and his band were joined on stage by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
for the encore. Songs played were "Misery Loves Company", "Ball and Chain", "If You Leave Before Me" and "I Fought the Law".
On April 16, 2009 Ness joined Springsteen and the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
on stage at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Songs played included Social Distortion's "Bad Luck" and Springsteen's "The Rising". On May 18, 2009 Mike Ness and Social Distortion played a benefit show at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California called "Rock to Recovery" and his son joined him on stage and played lead guitar for the song "Ball and Chain".
Guitars
Ness was seen early in his career using Gibson SGs and SG Juniors but currently uses 70's Gibson Les Paul Deluxes (a '71 sunburst, a '75 sunburst, a '75 goldtop and a '76 goldtop). His '76 goldtop is his favorite and most used guitar today however his '71 sunburst was his main guitar for many years, especially through the '90s. Ness down tunes all his guitars a half step and usually uses a capo on the second fret when he uses his goldtops. Ness has used Seymour Duncan P-90s in all of his guitars since touring with Neil Young in the early '90s. Ness' goldtops have maple necks which he says contribute to his tone especially when using a capo on the second fret.Amplifiers
Ness uses Fender Bassman amps modified by Fred Taccone of Divided by 13 through Marshall 4x10 slant cabs with Celestion 30-watt speakers. He also uses a Boss SD-1 Overdrive pedal.Social Distortion
- Mommy's Little MonsterMommy's Little MonsterMommy's Little Monster is the first album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released in 1983 .The album was critically acclaimed but was, however, not commercially successful...
(1983) - Prison BoundPrison BoundPrison Bound is the second studio album by Social Distortion, was released in 1988. This is the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece...
(1988) - Social DistortionSocial Distortion (album)Social Distortion is the eponymous third studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on March 27, 1990, through Epic Records. After touring in support of its previous full-length studio album, Prison Bound , Social Distortion signed with Epic in 1989 and began work on...
(1990) - Somewhere Between Heaven And HellSomewhere Between Heaven and HellSomewhere Between Heaven and Hell is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on February 11, 1992. It continues the melding of country and rockabilly influences with punk that began two albums before with Prison Bound. Clear influences include Hank...
(1992) - White Light, White Heat, White TrashWhite Light, White Heat, White TrashWhite Light, White Heat, White Trash is the fifth album by American punk rock band, Social Distortion, released on September 17, 1996, by Epic Records. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn. White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the last Social Distortion album to feature guitarist Dennis...
(1996) - Sex, Love and Rock 'n' RollSex, Love and Rock 'n' RollSex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of White Light, White Heat, White Trash in 1996, the longest gap between Social Distortion's studio albums to date...
(2004) - Hard Times and Nursery RhymesHard Times and Nursery RhymesHard Times and Nursery Rhymes is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on January 18, 2011. It is the band's first album recorded with bassist Brent Harding, their first album of new material since 2004's Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, and their first...
(2011)
Other Appearances
- The Band Easter (1980)
- Another State of Mind (1984)
- Fresno Smooth
- Easter (1986–1988)
- Live at the Hootenanny, Vol. 1Live at the Hootenanny, Vol. 1Live at the Hootenanny, Vol. 1 is a live compilation recorded at the Hootenanny Festival at the Oak Canyon Ranch, California in 1999 over the Fourth of July weekend...
(2000) - Live In Orange CountyLive in Orange CountyLive in Orange County is a DVD that was recorded by Social Distortion at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California in January 2003.-Track listing:* All songs by Mike Ness unless otherwise noted.# "Making Believe" # "1945"# "Sick Boy"...
(2004)