admin
22 December 2023
Rock 'n' roll has been turned on its head the last few years. Who would have thought that you could have a kick-ass band comprised of only two people like the White Stripes? How minimalist can it go? Man is here to answer that question.
One man (Matthew McGuire) provides vocals while playing distorted bass guitar and a kick drum. And I'm here to tell you right now that in this fall I will be one-upping that challenge. Starting September 21st in a city near you, my guitar will start a nationwide tour. My guitar will tour North America and Europe on an exhaustive 14-month tour. My guitar will only have two strings on it: the low E (which will be tuned down to D) and the A strings. At each venue, my guitar will be placed on the stage next to my amp. It will be turned on to get feedback, and then turned off for a few seconds,.. before being turned on again for the next "song". The duration of the "song" will be determined by a stagehand, depending on the type of crowd. If the venue is comprised mainly of punk rockers, the "songs" will last about a minute-and-a-half. If infested by jam-band-loving pseudo-hippies, the "songs" will last 15-20 minutes each. Hey, I aim to please. Check your local radio for announcements.
Anyway, you may be wondering how interesting one man playing bass and kick drum can be. I admit, I was skeptical myself. But Man's disc, Machine, is really damn good! He's kind of angry, but not in a humorless way. And he's got a voice that may remind some of you old school metal kids of Kory Clarke from Warrior Soul.
Highlights include the sing-along anthem "Hippie Down" ("Hey, bro, you got a quarter? One Punch! Hippie Down!", "Happy" ("I'm so happy, I'm singin' in a major key."), and "WASP Cleanaholic" ("Kill the evil germs fucking on the floor. I'm a WASP cleanaholic, I'm not a dirty whore.").
Man is filled with piss and venom, but, at the same time, it's fun to sing along with. With bands like the White Stripes and Man pushing rock in new directions, I no longer fear for the future of music.
One man (Matthew McGuire) provides vocals while playing distorted bass guitar and a kick drum. And I'm here to tell you right now that in this fall I will be one-upping that challenge. Starting September 21st in a city near you, my guitar will start a nationwide tour. My guitar will tour North America and Europe on an exhaustive 14-month tour. My guitar will only have two strings on it: the low E (which will be tuned down to D) and the A strings. At each venue, my guitar will be placed on the stage next to my amp. It will be turned on to get feedback, and then turned off for a few seconds,.. before being turned on again for the next "song". The duration of the "song" will be determined by a stagehand, depending on the type of crowd. If the venue is comprised mainly of punk rockers, the "songs" will last about a minute-and-a-half. If infested by jam-band-loving pseudo-hippies, the "songs" will last 15-20 minutes each. Hey, I aim to please. Check your local radio for announcements.
Anyway, you may be wondering how interesting one man playing bass and kick drum can be. I admit, I was skeptical myself. But Man's disc, Machine, is really damn good! He's kind of angry, but not in a humorless way. And he's got a voice that may remind some of you old school metal kids of Kory Clarke from Warrior Soul.
Highlights include the sing-along anthem "Hippie Down" ("Hey, bro, you got a quarter? One Punch! Hippie Down!", "Happy" ("I'm so happy, I'm singin' in a major key."), and "WASP Cleanaholic" ("Kill the evil germs fucking on the floor. I'm a WASP cleanaholic, I'm not a dirty whore.").
Man is filled with piss and venom, but, at the same time, it's fun to sing along with. With bands like the White Stripes and Man pushing rock in new directions, I no longer fear for the future of music.
artid
1467
Old Image
5_11_man.jpg
issue
vol 5 - issue 11 (jul 2003)
section
entertainmental