Orange County Register article from 12/3/08

**kustom55** · December 3rd, 2008, 01:55 PM

Mike Ness tries to find a balance
The O.C. rock legend prepares for a month of local solo shows.
By KELLI SKYE FADROSKI

Mike Ness has a lot on his plate. On top of being frontman for Orange County rock 'n' roll legends Social Distortion for the last 30 years, the Newport Beach resident has a more roots-rock, countryfied solo career he began with 1999's "Cheating at Solitaire" and covers collection "Under the Influences," he runs Black Kat Kustoms, a car and bike shop as well as a clothing line ? and has been a family man for more than a decade.

Kicked out of his parents' house at the age of 15, Ness grew up tough, forming Social D in 1978 as an angry, loudmouthed, angst-driven teenager. Since then he has survived life on the streets, addiction to drugs and alcohol, overdoses, jail time and rehab, having emerged from such dark times with lyrics straight from the gutters of his soul.

"I think more than anything, the fact that I'm still alive ? and really, by all laws of physics, I should have been dead a long time ago ? that's the biggest (motivator) for me," Ness says.

Now, at 46, Ness is taking his writing in a new direction, focused more on trying to help people cope through music.

"We've never really been a political band," he explains, "but at the same time I feel just a certain responsibility, as I've gotten educated, to just try to spread awareness. When I started the band, I was writing against my mom and dad and the cops. I wrote about those emotions, and the things that upset me and things I was unhappy about, and I think that still holds true for me now."

A DIFFERENT DECEMBER

Ness is headed out solo this winter with his band, which still includes two-thirds of the rest of Social Distortion, bassist Brent Harding and guitarist Jonny Wickersham. He'll play six nights at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, four nights at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, two shows at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach and, just announced, one gig at the Glass House in Pomona.

It's a change of pace for Ness, since Social Distortion has famously made a habit of headlining a slew of shows each year at the House of Blues venues in Hollywood, Anaheim and San Diego. But Ness decided to do something a little less predictable with this solo run, selecting venues that have more intimacy.

He says he isn't currently working to complete a solo record, but he's written a few new songs and the band has created some new renditions of old Social D songs. What's important, Ness says, is that he's fulfilling his desire to create, and having much more fun this time around because of it.

He enjoys the country side of his sound, which he got to show off most recently at Hootenanny in Irvine. But he says Social Distortion isn't calling it quits. Being away from it for a while, he believes, actually makes the band and its music stronger.

"I think the next step is a Social Distortion studio album," he assures fans, "and I'm very inspired right now. Every time I take time off and I do this, it makes it fun to come back to Social D and visa versa. You go out and you do stuff that's different and eventually you feel yourself wanting to play a little more aggressive ? so it's a great balance."

Social Distortion toured consistently after the 2004 release of its sixth album, "Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll." Early this year, Ness says, it became clear that the band just needed a break.

"We didn't want to oversaturate, and I think more than anything it was physically time for a break. (It was) also a good time to bring the Mike Ness band back, even though we didn't have a record. For me, it was important to let people know that it was something that I was interested in pursuing. It just seemed like a natural thing."

Since he's writing lyrics for two nearly identical lineups playing very different approaches, Ness often struggles to figure out to which band a particular song belongs.

"Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's really hard, because Social D has really crossed into the roots thing so much. I'll be writing a song sometimes, and I go, 'Oh, this isn't a Social D song.' The ballads are more suited for the Mike Ness band, but sometimes you find yourself getting selfish with yourself, because you want it to come from the best platform ? and sometimes it's hard to tell."

THE REBEL GROWS UP

Over time Ness' lyrics have become less about fighting and addiction and more about self-reflection ? trying to be a better person. Once hell-on-wheels, he's now realized he's not invincible.

"It just comes with age. As you get older, you hopefully get a little wiser and realize that you've got to make your time here count.

"What I do with the band is great, and people tell me this all the time ? 'you are so great' and this and that. But I think that on a humanitarian level, people just have a responsibility to try to make the world a better place than it was when they got here. That's kind of the direction I've been going the last couple of years.

"It's great to be able to write songs and put shows on for people, but you know, I think I've already done that and now I want to learn how to touch people in other ways."

To reach a new audience, Ness played at last year's Stagecoach festival, the annual country bash held at the Empire Polo Field in Indio.

"It was a challenge and an opportunity to go and show people who don't know who Mike Ness is, or who Social Distortion even are, and try to win 'em over," he says. He rates the appearance a success: "I had a great band behind me, and we work hard, just like in Social Distortion. We take most pride in our live performance and trying to give people a show that they're going to go home and talk about." (That said, Ness doesn't think it's in his agenda to play again soon; he'll be in full Social D mode. When asked whether another set would happen, he laughs and says "Two people in the band are gonna have to die first.")

Last summer was the first one Ness has had off in years. Aside, that is, from his almost annual Hootenanny gig, whether solo or with Social Distortion. He says he enjoys the Irvine festival because it's close to home, but he hopes it will become more diverse in the future. ("If I was running it, I would have Iggy Pop up there showing all those rockabillies what cool really is.") Instead, after years of touring and being away from home, and feeling that his family life was out of sorts, he has dedicated most of his time off to his children.

"They are at that age now where it's very important for them to have a father around and just to help out around the house. We do things together, we travel and we're very athletic ? just normal stuff, and that's what I need. It's hard because you have got to get out and tour, and that means being away from home ? I haven't figured out a way to bring the family and the dogs and cats on the bus yet.

"You kind of just have to say, 'Well, I'm willing to work this much this year,' and you have to draw the line and that's it. Otherwise you're gone too long and things get out of balance."

ADVICE FROM A LOCAL LEGEND

Seeing the music scene in Orange County change dramatically over the years, Ness has gone through highs and lows, but is happy to have stuck with it.

"There were a lot of bands when we started that were really great bands, and I don't know what happened to them ? they just disappeared. Maybe they're happy now ? some of them became lawyers or accountants, and maybe they can make changes in a different way than through music, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I guess at some point they got tired of being hungry and they wanted to get a real job.

"I was lucky. When I finally did get clean off drugs and alcohol in '85 we weren't making any large money. I was living in a halfway house and I had to get a job, so I painted houses for the first four or five years of the band. I remember the day I got to quit my day job. That was quite a milestone ? there wasn't much applause in painting houses."

Ness' advice to up-and-coming bands? "Just hang in there."

"It's going to be a long and often discouraging road, bottom line, especially when you put all of your heart and soul into a CD and people aren't even buying it," he says. "For a young band, that's got to be hard ? and, you know, sometimes you get played on the radio and sometimes you don't.

"But I've always looked at what I've done, instead of what I haven't done. For me, I had a determination and the thought of doing anything else just wasn't an option. I guess I'm stubborn."

**scottybro** · December 3rd, 2008, 02:43 PM

solid article.

guess that answers the question on what's coming up next....a new album!!

**BigErn72** · December 3rd, 2008, 05:32 PM

Little does he know or maybe he does his music has been helping people for years now. Everyone on this board has a story about how a Social D song or album got them through tough times. I like his current frame of mind.. I think theres great things yet to come.