Mike Dirnt
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2009) |
| Mike Dirnt | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Ryan Pritchard |
| Also known as | Mike Dirnt, Van Gough |
| Born | May 4, 1972 Berkeley, California, United States |
| Genres | Punk rock, alternative rock, pop punk, garage rock, new wave |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, Composer |
| Instruments | Bass, vocals, guitar, kazoo, accordion, mandola, farfisa |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Reprise Records Lookout! Records Adeline Records |
| Associated acts | Green Day, Foxboro Hot Tubs, The Frustrators, Screeching Weasel, Squirtgun |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fender Mike Dirnt Precision Bass Fender Precision Bass Gibson G3 Fender Telecaster Bass |
|
Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American rock band Green Day. He has also played in several other bands, including The Frustrators. During grade school, he would constantly play "air-bass", and while pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt". As a result, his schoolmates began to call him "Mike Dirnt".
Contents |
Early life [edit]
Dirnt was born on Thursday, May 4, 1972, in Berkeley, California. He was given up for adoption by his biological mother, who struggled with heroin addiction.[1] At six weeks of age, Dirnt was placed in foster care with Cheryl Nasser and Patrick Pritchard of El Sobrante, a couple who subsequently adopted him.[2]
As a child, his father was often away obtaining a degree at UC Berkeley, while his mother stayed at home to care for him and his sister Myla.[3] Dirnt excelled in school despite missing classes often as a result of various illnesses believed to be caused by his biological mother's drug use.[3] After an argument between his parents resulted in a call to the police, the couple divorced. His mother and sister moved to Rodeo, while he stayed in El Sobrante with his father.[3] However, missing his mother, he eventually moved in with her and Myla. Having been previously described as bright and fearless, Dirnt became sullen and withdrawn after the divorce.[3]
In the cafeteria in Carquinez Middle School, ten year old Dirnt met Billie Joe Armstrong, with whom he bonded instantly.[3] Armstrong began to teach Dirnt how to play guitar, and the two spent much time in Armstrong's bedroom learning to play songs by Ozzy Osbourne and Van Halen.[4] They formed a group with fellow students Raj Punjabi on drums and Jason Andrew Relva on bass, with Armstrong playing lead guitar and Dirnt playing rhythm guitar.[5]
After attending Salesian High School, an all-boys Catholic school for his freshman year, Dirnt transferred to Pinole Valley High School, which Armstrong had also recently transferred to from John Swett High School.[5] Dirnt's family struggled with financial troubles; in an effort to help out, he worked as a chef at Nantucket, a seafood restaurant in Crockett.[6]
He eventually saved up enough money to purchase a used pickup truck that he and Armstrong often drove to Berkeley to attend shows at 924 Gilman Street, an influential DIY punk club.[6] The pair got jobs at the club as security guards, despite their small physiques. Dirnt recalled, "We lived and died for that place. At that time, it meant everything."[7]
Career [edit]
While at Pinole High School, Dirnt, Armstrong, and classmate Sean Hughes formed a band called Sweet Children.[5] Dirnt's mother struggled to provide for him and his sister as a single parent, and eventually had to leave Rodeo in 1987 to look for work. Unwilling to leave Sweet Children, Armstrong and Dirnt convinced each other's parents to allow Dirnt to move into Armstrong's garage.[8] After drummer John Kiffmeyer, who was also known as Al Sobrante, joined the group, Sweet Children began performing at 924 Gilman Street. The band performed several well-received sets, which encouraged Armstrong to drop out of high school to focus his energy on music.[9] Dirnt, however, worried that he needed a backup plan and continued his studies.[10] Hughes, who was not as dedicated to the group as the other members, left Sweet Children, leaving Dirnt to play bass. Dirnt often brought his bass to school, and the plucking noise of the unamplified strings led classmates to jokingly call him by the onomatopoeia "Dirnt".[11] After changing its name to Green Day, the band recorded its debut album 39/Smooth over the 1989 Christmas holiday break and went on its first van tour in June 1990, leaving the day that Dirnt graduated from high school.[12]
Green Day's Woodstock '94 gig was one for the history books: a huge mud fight ensued between the band and the audience. So many mud-covered fans got up on stage by the end of the set that one of the security guards mistook Dirnt for a marauding fan, tackled him, and broke several of his teeth while attempting to haul him off the stage.
Dirnt used to play a Gibson G3 bass, but during Nimrod., Tré Cool accidentally broke it on stage trying to show fan Brendan Taylor how to spin a bass around his back. Armstrong then sent Dirnt's bass tech out to get him a new bass. It resulted in a '69 Fender Precision Bass. He later asked Fender to make him a custom P-Bass, and the result is modeled after the '51 P-Bass with a '59 Custom Shop "Hot Rod" Split-Coil Pickup, a BadAss II bridge and a thinner neck. It was released in early 2004. Although Dirnt primarily uses his custom P-Bass for modern songs, he has been seen recently reviving old Fender P-Basses used on Nimrod and Warning, as well as the Gibson G-3 for earlier songs.
While performing at the 1998 KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, California, Third Eye Blind bassist Arion Salazar ran onstage and "bear-hugged" Dirnt, who was caught off-guard.[13] The incident escalated into an on-stage scuffle before security took Salazar away. After the performance, Dirnt confronted Salazar backstage, and as the two argued, a beer bottle struck Dirnt in the head, causing a small fracture in his skull.[13] Eyewitnesses later attributed the bottle throwing to a fan of Third Eye Blind.[13] Salazar and the band's management soon released a statement: "I am sorry that my attempt at doing something I thought would be funny escalated into Mike getting hurt. That was never my intention. I simply had too much to drink and made a very bad decision. If I had been in Mike's place, I am sure I would have acted similarly. My heart goes out to him and I hope he recovers quickly."[13]
In the live album, Bullet in a Bible, Armstrong calls Dirnt "The best bass player in the history of punk rock."
Songwriting and lead vocals [edit]
Although Armstrong is Green Day's primary lyricist, Dirnt has written lyrics for "Emenius Sleepus," "J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)", "Scumbag", "Ha Ha You're Dead," the subtrack "Nobody Likes You" from the medley "Homecoming" and the b-side "Governator," He also co-wrote the lyrics to "Best Thing in Town," "The One I Want," and "Panic Song" with Armstrong, and writes all the bass lines for Green Day songs.
Dirnt sings lead vocals on "Governator," part of the third verse of "Outsider" on the Shenanigans album, the "Nobody Likes You" subtrack of "Homecoming." He also sings the subtrack "Modern World" from the medley "American Eulogy" from 21st Century Breakdown and sings lead for exactly 10 seconds in "Sex, Drugs, and Violence" from ¡Tré!. Examples of prominent bass lines by Dirnt are "Welcome to Paradise," "Stuart and the Ave.," "Panic Song," "Longview," "No One Knows," "Stuck with Me," "409 in Your Coffeemaker," "One for the Razorbacks," "Makeout Party," "J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)," "Dirty Rotten Bastards," "Missing You," "Nightlife," and "Jesus of Suburbia."
Personal life [edit]
Dirnt has a daughter, Estelle Desiree, who was born in April 1997 (with first wife Anastasia) and has the nickname "Hero." He won full custody of her in the summer of 2008 and took her to live in Oakland. In 2004, he married his then girlfriend Sarah. The two divorced that same year because he was spending too much time in the studio recording American Idiot[citation needed]. On March 14, 2009, Dirnt married Brittney Cade. Their wedding was a private ceremony in Brittney's hometown of Ojai, California. Dirnt has two children with Cade—a son, Brixton Michael, born on October 11, 2008, and a daughter, Ryan Ruby Mae, born on November 29, 2010.
Dirnt is a Star Wars fan; he stated in an interview "I base most of my religious beliefs on Star Wars."[14]
Dirnt is part owner of Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, a diner in Emeryville, California and Oakland, California.[15] The diner gets its name from a song by punk band The Clash entitled "Rudie Can't Fail," off of their album London Calling. The menu item names are loosely based on punk themes such as "God Save the Chicken," which is a reference to "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols and "Give 'Em Enough Meatloaf," which is a reference to Give 'Em Enough Rope by The Clash.
After the album Warning was released, Dirnt needed surgery for Carpal tunnel syndrome.[16]
Dirnt's biological mother passed away on January 9th, 2013. Dirnt only managed to meet her one month before her passing. [17]
Discography [edit]
Green Day [edit]
- 39/Smooth (1990) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
- Kerplunk! (1992) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
- Dookie (1994) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
- Insomniac (1995) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
- Nimrod (1997) -- bass guitar, backing vocals, baseball bat (as written in the album's liner notes)
- Warning (2000) -- bass guitar, backing vocals, farfisa on "Misery"
- American Idiot (2004) -- bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Nobody Likes You"
- 21st Century Breakdown (2009) -- bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Modern World"
- ¡Uno! (2012) – backing vocals, bass
- ¡Dos! (2012) – backing vocals, bass and cover.
- ¡Tré! (2012) – backing vocals, bass and lead vocals on part of Sex, Drugs and Violence
Foxboro Hot Tubs [edit]
- Stop Drop and Roll!!! (2008) -- bass guitar, vocals
The Frustrators [edit]
Bass and backing vocals on all
- Bored in the USA (EP) (2000) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
- Achtung Jackass (2002) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
- Griller (EP) (2011) -- bass guitar, backing vocals
Screeching Weasel [edit]
- How to Make Enemies and Irritate People (1994)—bass, backing vocals
- "Suzanne Is Getting Married" (single) (1994)—bass and backing vocals on track 1
Squirtgun [edit]
- Squirtgun (1995)—bass and backing vocals on "Make It Up"
Other media appearances [edit]
- King of the Hill - (TV series - 1997) - teenager
- Riding in Vans with Boys (film - 2003) - himself
- Live Freaky! Die Freaky! (film - 2006)
- The Simpsons Movie (film - 2007) - himself
- Heart Like a Hand Grenade (film - 2008) - himself
- Green Day: Rock Band (video game - 2010) - himself (singing voice, archive footage, & Virtual likeness/avatar)
- Anchorman: The Legend Continues (film - 2013) - himself
Equipment [edit]
Basses
- Fender Mike Dirnt Precision Bass (in several different colors including: black, white, two-tone sunburst and Antigua.)
- Fender 1969 Vintage Precision Bass (w/ a BadAss II Bridge, Seymour Duncan Antiquity Pride II Pickups) aka "Stella" (It is likely that the reason Mike named his bass "Stella" was for his daughter, Estelle.)
- Fender Standard Precision Bass
- An unknown Jackson bass (seen in a few live videos)
- Fender 1966 Vintage Precision Bass
- Gibson G3 Bass (no longer uses live, but on soundchecks. Bridge pickup modified with a Jazz Bass pickup).
- Kramer 250B (no longer used)
- Peavey Patriot Bass (no longer used)
- Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray IV (Seen on top of the pops performance on 1/26/1995)[18]
Amplification
- Mesa/Boogie M-2000 Head (x3)
- Mesa/Boogie 6x10 Custom Cab (x2+)
- Mesa/Boogie 1x18 Cab (x2+)
- Mesa/Boogie 2x10 Cab (x2+)
- Fender Pro 1200 Head (x2)
- Fender Pro 800 Head (x1)
- Fender Pro 810 Cab (x3+)
Misc
- Ernie Ball Super Slinky Strings
- Fender 7250M Strings
- Shure ULX Wireless
- Custom Audio Electronics Switcher
- Custom Moody 2.5" Signature Leather Straps
- Custom "Dirnt" Dunlop Tortex Picks .76 mm and .88 mm
- Zinky Master Blaster Boost Pedal
- Zinky True Grit Overdrive Pedal
Dirnt plays using a pick as opposed to plucking the strings with his fingers.
References [edit]
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 12
- ^ Spitz, 2006. pp. 12-13
- ^ a b c d e Spitz, 2006. p. 13
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 14
- ^ a b c Spitz, 2006. p. 16
- ^ a b Spitz, 2006. p. 20
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 35
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 42
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 46
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 47
- ^ Spitz, 2006. pp. 49-50
- ^ Spitz, 2006. p. 67
- ^ a b c d Meyer, 2006. pp. 153-154
- ^ Van Pelt, Doug (1 May 2005). "An Optimistic Agnostic". Christianity Today. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/mikedirnt.php
- ^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/articles/totalbass_pg2.jpg[dead link]
- ^ http://www.greenday.com/news/rip-carol-alba-rowland-121801
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq6Qwou9x9I[dead link]
- Fender Australia: Mike Dirnt Precision Bass
- Metal Hammer Green Day Collectors Issue
External links [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mike Dirnt |
- Mike Dirnt at the Internet Movie Database
- Mike Dirnt at Allmovie
- Mike Dirnt Precision Bass by Fender
- Mike Dirnt on Twitter
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
- 1972 births
- Living people
- Alternative rock bass guitarists
- Alternative rock singers
- American adoptees
- American alternative rock musicians
- American male singers
- American punk rock bass guitarists
- American punk rock guitarists
- Backing vocalists
- Green Day members
- Musicians from Berkeley, California
- People from Oakland, California
