Michael Emanuel (born March 21, 1975), better known by his stage name Michale Graves, is an American singer/songwriter.
He is most famous for singing for the late 1990s re-incarnation of The Misfits, from 1995 to 1998 and again from late 1998 until late 2000. Graves grew up in Dumont, New Jersey.[1]
Life and career
Misfits
Graves was recording a demo with his then band Mopes in Lodi, New Jersey, when their engineer, Bob Alecca, told him the Misfits were auditioning singers. He had never heard a Misfits song before, so he immediately bought the Collection I album to familiarize himself with them. New Misfits drummer Dr. Chud quickly took Mike under his wing and a friendship was formed that lasted for years.
Michale's singing can be found on American Psycho, Famous Monsters, backup vocals on the 1999 single Monster Mash and Cuts from the Crypt. He also wrote original songs for the band, including "Dig Up Her Bones", "Saturday Night", "This Island Earth", "Fiend without a Face", "Shining", "The Haunting", "Witch Hunt", and "Fiend Club" to name a few. At the time "Saturday Night" was to be recorded, he planned on bringing his pet dog into the studio for inspiration; however, the dog died before he began to record the vocals, so he hung the leash over the microphone while recording. He co-wrote many songs, as well. With the Misfits, he toured extensively, wrote and recorded a vast amount of music, as well as making TV and in-person appearances with the Misfits from 1996 until his departure from the band. His official departure from the band is noted as being on 25 October 2000, after a show at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida. The departure has been mentioned by members of the band at the time to be due to inner turmoil going on within the band at the time.
Lost Boys
During a break in touring in 2000 Michale and Dr. CHUD formed a band called The Lost Boys. They only played 2 shows before the Misfits regrouped to embark on another tour, which was their last tour with this line-up. The first Lost Boys show consisted of Michale Graves on an acoustic guitar and vocals while Dr. CHUD played drums. They played Misfits songs they had written while in the band as well as songs which later came to be songs used for the band Graves which Michale wrote. The second show was the same music played as the first show, only this time the lineup consisted of Michale Graves on vocals and electric guitar (he used Doyle's old Ibanez Iceman which has been used to record such Misfits albums as Walk Among Us and Earth A.D./Wolfsblood and was given to Michale as a gift upon joining the Misfits back in 1995), Dr. CHUD on drums and J~Sin Trioxin on bass. Later on as an encore set, JV Bastard took the stage and joined the band to play guitar as Michale sang. The 4 played "classic" Misfits songs from the 1977 to 1983 era of the band.
Graves
After Michale and Dr. chuds's split with the Misfits on October 25, 2000, they formed the band Graves which made one album called Web Of Dharma (drawing a parallel with the original Misfits singer Glenn Danzig, who disbanded the band to form Samhain, which later became Danzig). Before the band finished writing songs, recording, touring and even solidifying a lineup, Michale rejoined the Misfits, but only as a guest vocalist for a month during the M25 kickoff tour. He would perform Misfits songs written during the time of his tenure with the band to raise money for the his new project, Graves. During a 2 day break on their Web of Dharma 2 Tour, the band recorded what was to be new material for a second album in Ripsnorter Studios, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The studio is owned by members of the Minneapolis Horror Rock band, Ripsnorter, who offered the band free studio time. The recordings were never finished due to disagreements between the mixing of the songs and have never officially been released. After two successful U.S. tours and the verge of a breakout record contract, Graves dissolved due to differences between Graves and Chud, after only releasing one album.
Gotham Road
Michale then formed Gotham Rd shortly after with Loki, JV Bastard and Paul Lifeless. Under the assumed name of Graves they recorded a 5 song demo of redone Graves songs. 3 which were released on Web Of Dharma and 2 other songs which had been written and demoed with the original Graves lineup, but not officially released. Around this time is also when Michale announced via his website that he would begin producing other bands albums on his off time. After a few months of the band practicing, they decided to change the band's name to Gotham Rd. They released one album before going on hiatus so Michale could join the U.S. Marines. His last show ever was to be on December 31, 2004. They went on 2 successful tours. 2003's Seasons of the Witch tour, and 2004's Mourning Lights tour. Before their Mourning Lights tour, the band entered a studio to record 3 new songs they had written after their first tour. Out of the 3 songs only one, the song On My Way, had been mixed. The only way it was available for listening was by requesting it on Seton Hall University's WSOU, Pirate Radio. Before going on indefinite hiatus they'd play one off shows in New Jersey when home from the Punk Rock is Dead, Michale Graves solo tour. Their second to last show to date was held at the now defunct Connections in Clifton, NJ in March 2005. Recently the band announced "The Nightmare Rides Are Back" all over the net and played a one time only reunion show in Belmar, NJ at the Goodwill Fire Hall with Cryptovyrus, The Zombie Mafia, and Johnny B. Morbid. They played a mix of material from Michales's solo works, Graves re-records, and Gotham Road, as well as some Misfits songs written by Michale. In 2008 & 2009 the band contributed the songs to the German compilation-CDs Get acquainted Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
Solo projects and beyond
Right before his leave for the Marines he was approached by Horror High Records to do a solo album. Michale recorded his debut solo record Punk Rock is Dead. He wrote and recorded the entire album with fellow friend and band mate in Gotham Road, Paul Lifeless on drums in only one month. The two also recorded the follow up to Web Of Dharma simply titled "Web of Dharma 2," which has no plans for official release as of yet. Along with this month long writing/recording session, Michale also laid down vocal tracks for the band Summer's End's debut self titled release. He wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocals for the song "Headwound."
After being honorably discharged by hurting his back, Michale went to embark on a tour in support of his album Punk Rock is Dead. With Loki, JV Bastard and Matt Johnson. Michale wrote and sang on the album The All-Star Sessions made by all the bands which reside on the Roadrunner record label before his departure into the Marines. His vocals can be found on the track he penned with Trivium's guitarist/singer Matt Heafy, "I Don't Wanna Be (A Superhero)".
In August 2005, Michale's guitarist for both the Gotham Rd. and the Michale Graves solo project abruptly quit after a canceled U.S. and UK tour, leaving Michale scrambling for a new guitarist. He is currently touring with J-sin Trioxin of Mister Monster. The touring lineup at this time featured Graves, Trioxin, JV Bastard, and Matt Johnson on drums. During downtime and at home shows, Michale would sit in on bass for I Hate The Color of Your Skin (which had usually consisted of members of Gotham Rd/Graves solo band and crew).
In March 2006, Michale began a tour in support of Damien Echols and the West Memphis Three. Matt Johnson was replaced with Quincy Smash, who has played bass guitar for one of Michale's bands, The Mopes, before the Misfits.
Michale Graves commented on one of his 2006 performances of Misfits material, "Jerry Only is a TERRIBLE singer, come and hear these classic songs sung correctly by a REAL singer". Concert footage circulating on MySpace video [1] shows Michale wearing a shirt that reads "Jerry Only Thinks You're Awesome!", and sarcastically dedicates "Descending Angel" from the Misfits' Famous Monsters album, to Only.
Graves is a vocal conservative and a founder of the 'Conservative Punk movement'. He was featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for his involvement in the conservative punk scene. [2]
To coincide with the 2006 Halloween/Almost Home 2 tour, Michale's second solo effort titled "Return to Earth" was released on Halloween day of 2006. On October 20, the remainder of the Almost Home 2 tour was postponed due to his tour bus breaking down. A handful of post-Halloween dates in the Midwest were rescheduled, only for Graves to cancel again on the eve of the St. Paul, MN show on November 27, 2006.
Graves has currently written an album entitled "Illusions" with Echols. The album consists of 15 songs, to be releases October 31, 2007. The lyrics are written by Echols and Graves, and feature J~Sin Trioxin and Quincy Smash.
In addition, Michale has recently started collaborating with wrestler Vampiro on a band currently titled "Devil, Devil" which will also include band members Quincy Smash! on drums and Lalo from Vampiro's punk/industrial band Droch Fhoula. No news has been heard regarding this band since its initial announcement as to date.
In May 2007, Michale re-released the album Web of Dharma, under his own name, which had originally been released by his post-Misfits band Graves, which was a collaboration with fellow Misfit Dr. CHUD. The re-issue was recently available through Michales' website, www.michalegraves.net, until some legal trouble stirred up between michale and chud about the owner of the rights to the album.
A Spring Tour from April 2007 – June 2007 Called "Revelation VII:XII Tour 2007". It was to unveil the new lineup consisting of Quincy Smash who moved to bass, replacing JV Bastard for the time being as well as introducing new drummer Lenny Thomas, who had previously played drums with Trashlight Vision. The tour was canceled due to multiple reasons.
On August 2, 2007, Michale announced on his website, MichaleGraves.net, that he is in the process of writing an as of yet untitled new studio album, planning on releasing a DVD that documents the recording sessions of the "Illusions" album, as well as Volume 3 of the Demos and Live Cuts series of internet release albums.
As of January 27, 2008, Michale Graves announced a Demos and Live Cuts III will be a live show from the original Graves era recorded late 2002. Artwork will again be provided by Evan Eckard and the release will coincide with an official Gotham Road release combining "Seasons of the Witch" as well as demos and previously unreleased tracks.
In early April 2008, Web of Dharma, along with Demos and Live Cuts III was taken down from Michale's website due to Dr. Chud owning the sound rights to the music and Chud also filing a lawsuit against Michale. Those two albums are no longer available. However, Graves continues to tour; playing solo material as well as covers of his days in the Misfits, like "Dig Up Her Bones". He is currently on the The "Illusions Songs and Stories Tour 2008" in support of his album recorded with Echols.
In September 2008 Michael Graves confirmed that he would return to The Misfits if asked. "Jerry and I do not have a dysfunctional working relationship. Him and I both know and I know he knows that I am on board. It is a phone call away. I won't step back into what I walked away from, but the problem isn't with Jerry and I. The problem is with Doyle and with Chud." [3]
Michale married his long time girlfriend Renee Sarno in August 2006 and together they have a daughter, Olivia Rae, born in May of 2009.
Discography
The Misfits
Sardonica
- Flip The Grill (1998) - LP (provides guest vocals on the track "Mommy Made Luv To An Alien" and wrote the song "Plank Spank")
Graves
Gotham Road
Summer's End
- Summer's End (2005) - LP (provides guest vocals on the track "Headwound")
Michale Graves
Roadrunner United
On compilations
- Short Music for Short People (1999) - Sampler (includes Misfits-Song "I wanna be a NY Ranger" with Graves on Vocals)
- Horror High presents: Prom Queen Massacre (2006) - Sampler (includes Michale Graves-Song "Beware")
- Get acquainted Vol. 1 (2008) - Sampler (including Gotham Road-Songs "On my Way" & "Say something" and Michale Graves-Songs "Shoestring (Acoustic Demo)" & "Casket (Acoustic Demo)")
- Get acquainted Vol. 2 (2009) - Sampler (including Gotham Road-Songs "You awful me" & "All the Cars" and Michale Graves-Songs "Wasting (Demo)" & "Sometimes the Buildings cry (Demo)")
Filmography
References
External links
