I’m keepin it short this week because my dog is not well and she is way more important than this blog shit.
It has been mentioned that I need to introduce myself or as I would say Who Is Me?
Durantula is Mark Durante. My first gig as a guitarist was at an outdoor fest in 1966. I was the rhythm guitarist. We played cover songs of the day. Soon I was playing in power trios like my new hero Jimi Hendrix, (who I saw live three times in Chicago). I moved to San Francisco in 1969 and joined the Johnny Mars Blues Band, we even played the Fillmore West in 1970 before it closed in 1971.
More bands until Public Enemy formed in 1978, was my first rock band that had real potential, great songwriting by the band, all great players/singers, alas it was not to be. The Next Big Thing was next in the ‘80s, then the Slammin’ Watusis, who signed with Epic Records and released two albums. I got involved with Ministry when they were on the “Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste” tour in 1990 and Al needed a guitar tech bad as the tour was mayhem and with three other guitarists besides Al…
Al then asked me to also help out with the guitar tech thing on the Revolting Cocks US tour. (Got a lot of stories from that one).He had me play a little guitar on that one so I appreciated that. We then went on the Revco European tour where I was mainly playing guitar while still helping Al out with his guitars. Great time was had by all.
After that tour Al, Michael Balsh and Mark Panick and I went on a “fear and loathing” trip to New Orleans to visit and stay with Trent Reznor for Mardi Gras.
One thing led to another and I started recording some with KMFDM and was asked to join the band. The four of us wrote and recorded “Angst” for Waxtrax! Records. I toured and recorded for two more CDs, Nihil and Xtort.
When Sascha wanted to return to a more techno direction with less guitar work I decided to leave to pursue a career in guitar building and designing. I’ve worked with the Hamer Guitar company, Parker Guitars, Washburn and Oscar Schmidt. Also have done some consulting work for Dan Kelly of Reso-glas Guitars recently, check them out. I also make my own durantula guitars , winding my own pat.pend. “Dual Quad” pickups.
I told myself back in the day that some day when I was a little older I would teach myself Steel Guitar like my favorites Buddy Emmons and Jimmy Day. So in the mid ‘90s I did. I first joined Iggy Yoakam and the Famous Pogo ponies and then joined the Waco Brothers, we went on to record 8 albums for Bloodshot Records. Since retiring from the Wacos, I have been writing, recording and producing music and artwork and this website.
Thanks for listening, next week some more photos, so tune in again same time same station…
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