“Music is my life and I have a constant urge to keep creating. I have an obsession with finding great guitar tones and Alan Entwistle pickups are now my go-to pickup.“
PRIME CUTS / STAND-OUT CAREER MOMENT SO FAR:
Secret Cigarette by The Sourheads
Free fall by K.O.Kaine
Being added to MTV playlist
DISCOGRAPHY:
K.O.Kaine Accelerater Copro/ Casket Records
K.O.Kaine Play To Ghosts Copro/Casket Records
The Sourheads Care Plan For The Soul OakIsland Records
Toranaga Righteous Retribution Plastic Head (Producer)
‘Alan Entwistle Pickups’ Artist
Mik Crone
“As a 10 year-old child I saw Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Jake E Lee on a TV show and decided there and then that’s what I wanted to do.”
GENRE(S): Hard Rock, Metal and Classic Rock
INFLUENCES / FAVOURITE ARTISTS: Jake E Lee, George Lynch, Nuno Bettencourt, Eddie Van Halen
BANDS – ACTIVE: Black California
BANDS – PREVIOUS: K.O.Kaine, The Sourheads
PREFERRED PICKUPS, AND WHY: HV75N. The clarity and warmth is second to none, I have modified my guitars with various major brand pickups for over 20 years and I must say that Alan’s Neodymium pickups are the best sounding I’ve heard.
BIOGRAPHY:
Needing an electric guitar to realise his dreams on, a 10 year old Mik saved up his pocket money and bought an old Kay Les Paul copy. Since then he has worked on becoming versatile enough to play any style of guitar but his heart belongs in the virtuoso playing skills of the 80s. Also, his love for 70s-inspired bands often inspires him to bring out his Firebird guitar and play more blues/stoner based music.
Mik currently teaches guitar in schools and University and has developed guitar orchestration, where they arrange music of all styles for up to 12 guitars. His career as a recording artist started in 2008 when his band ‘K.O.Kaine’ signed to Casket/ Copro records, releasing a 7 track EP called ‘Accelerator’, which gained favourable reviews. Two years later they released the album ‘Play to ghosts’ along with two music videos, one of which received regular rotation on MTV 2. His endorsement with Vintage Guitars led to a European advertising campaign that was featured in multiple guitar magazines such as Guitarist and Total Guitar.
After ‘K.O.Kaine’, he started a project called ‘Black California’ that released a single and video but around this time he was asked to join ‘The Sourheads’ so ‘Black California’ was put on hold. ‘The Sourheads’ signed with German label ‘Oak Island Records’ and released the album ‘Care plan for the soul’ on vinyl, CD and digital, followed by a promotional tour. After ‘The Sourheads’ went on hiatus, Mik contacted singer Bob Wider about forming a new, definitive version of ‘Black California’.
Now in Winter 2023, ‘Black California’ are about to release their single ‘Preachers, Schemes and Fools’, a loud, heavy rock track that channels various influences from the 80s to present day.
“I feel the greatest skill for a guitarist is to be able to switch styles and by learning to do this I find a regular amount of work as a session player.“
GUITARS / AMPS / GEAR:
Vintage Guitars, Dean Guitars, Jet Guitars, BC rich Guitars, Zemaitis Guitars, Charvel Guitars, Soldano Amplification, Bogner Amplification, Marshall Amplification and Orange Amplification
