By Robert Dean
The older we get, the more we realize we’re not as
invincible as we once envisioned ourselves. Things break, we suffer
afflictions, addictions, and watch our friends die. Life can be a total
asshole. But, in those moments of “what the fuck, world?” there are the times
of solace, enlightening, awakening and love. It’s just the human experience:
the roller coaster goes up, and it goes down, we’re all lucky to remain seated
on the ride, and should never take for granted, as such.
A fervent mixture of all of the aforementioned feelings
rests on the shoulders of one toxic cowboy, one lifer whose legacy looms large,
and without him, the New Orleans musical landscape would be very different.
That man is Mike Williams from Eyehategod.
If you haven’t heard, Mike IX as he’s affectionately called
needs your help. He’s in a bad way. He needs a liver transplant, and the
medical bills are piling. His wife has started a YouCaring account, and it’d be
amazing if you could donate a few bucks to the cause. Because let’s be real,
without EHG there is no DOWN, Phil Anselmo is an entirely different person, and
the sludge from the swamps we know and love wouldn’t exist. The New Orleans
signature grimace comes from two people: Jimmy Bower and Mike IX and without
their celestial magic, who knows where heavy metal would be.
Anyone who knows my work knows I call New Orleans home,
despite currently living in Austin, Texas. The New Orleans music community is
tiny, and the metal community is microscopic. You go to enough shows with dudes
screaming; you’re liable to run into the same faces over the years. It’s in
that that I’ve been fortunate to have met Mike on more than one occasion and
he’s always been nothing but grateful for the adoration. Mike Williams is a
strange, fucked up bird, but he doesn’t deserve a cage, he deserves a long life
and the chance to frighten the world on a nightly basis for years to come. Give
a few bucks, or at least share the link as much as you can.
Mike is also in Arson Anthem with Hank 3.
There's a band pronounced "I hate God?"
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in Karma, but something like it may be about to happen.
Yeah, I'm not comfortable with the name of the band, but I've listened to them... and I choose to err on the side of compassion.
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