November 2009
Steve Janowsky at ReviewFix.com recently did an extensive interview with Michael. A transcript of the interview is now available in six parts - here are the links:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
When asked about any new projects, Michael reveals that his longtime friend and former manager Danny Goldberg will be writing his biography:
"Right now, we just secured the greatest agent, a wonderful agent, and it's called "Who Do You Want Me to Be", and it covers, obviously, all of the wide breadth of the last 50 years of what I've gotten into,
and he's writing it because he's known me since that time, which is many years and is a true friend, and I'm godfather to his children, and he's a very accomplished man.
He's written the book on Kurt Cobain and
he wrote "Bumping Into Geniuses" (about Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records). So he's written many books,
and I'm just so proud to have him write this story, which I could have written with him but predominately,
it's his view and others' view of whatever I've done, and I'm going to turn that into a one-man show and actually tour with it."
September 2009
Michael appeared at the Hollywood Farmers Market last month to help promote Living Beyond Organic, which is a new food and lifestyle concept created by Christina Avaness.
Michael has been trying out the lifestyle for the last six months, and says: "It will absolutely make your life richer, nevermind longer, but just richer, more beautiful - every moment, every second."
A video clip of Christina and Michael talking about their experiences is now available at the Living Beyond Organic website.
August 2009
Michael performing "I Don't Need No Doctor", July 29th.
On July 29th, Michael appeared at an event to celebrate the release of New Tales To Tell - a tribute album to the band Love and Rockets. He went on stage and performed a powerful version of the rock classic "I Don't Need No Doctor". More info about this event can be found on PowersPerspective.com.
On August 20th he appeared at the release party of Erika Jayne's new album Pretty Mess to read some erotic poetry. You can also find more about this and hear Michael's thoughts about his role on Melrose Place on PowersPerspective.com. And there is another report from the event at the LAreport blog.
Update - here is a video of Michael's performance on July 29th:
July 2009
The annual Don't Knock The Rock music documentary festival is being held every Thursday in July and August at The Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles.
Michael is heavily involved and will be hosting every night, as usual. He says: "Our aim is to show documentaries that you would ordinarily never see. To turn you on to something unique, singular, undiscovered. An alternative to the alternative". The full schedule can be found at larecord.com.
Steve Janowsky recently compiled a list of the "Top Ten Underrated and Unknown Recordings of the Classic Rock Era". Silverhead's second album 16 and Savaged is number two on the list. Read his thoughts on Silverhead and other underrated bands on reviewfix.com.
And madeloud.com has an interview with musician Tommy Ross, where he talks about how one of Michael's early solo concerts inspired him to start writing songs and form a band.
Michael already has a strong online presence with his own pages on MySpace and Facebook. Now you can also follow him on Twitter. The address is twitter.com/MDesbarres.
April 2009
Michael once again attended the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, which was held at the end of March.
On March 21st, Steve Jones did an appearance at a Best Buy store in Austin.
Michael got up and sang a few songs together with him, including the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy In the UK".
A report from the Best Buy gig can be found on the 30 Days Out blog.
March 2009
Michael was one of many performers who paid tribute to the singer Scott Walker at the Bordello Bar on February 25th, where he MCed an event to launch a new documentary film about Walker. Michael also closed the show by singing a version of The Walker Brothers hit "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore". Read more about this event on NME.com.
Update: A video of Michael's performance is now up on YouTube. Thanks to "Piperfergie" for sharing it.
Thanks to everyone who sent in their answers to last month's Silverhead CD contest.
The correct answers were:
C: Ace Supreme
B: 1975
B: Marilyn
The lucky winners have been notified. And if you didn't win - we may do another contest sometime, so keep an eye on this page.
Speaking of Silverhead; Tommy Keene recently wrote a small article about Silverhead on Magnet Magazine's website. Read it here.
February 2009
Michael recently contributed the vocals for a new cover version of the classic 70s hit "All Right Now", which is part of a nationwide campaign for 21st Century Insurance. On the track, which is produced by PrimalScream Music, Michael is backed by Lucinda Williams' band Buick 6, while alt/indie band Minibar provides the backing vocals.
"Michael added that timeless element of classic rock and blues", executive producer Nicole Dionne says in a press release. "To create something that could compete with the original, it made sense for us to work with bands and artists like these. The collaboration resulted in a first-generation version of a very famous song."
TV-ads featuring the song can be seen across the US at the moment. The full press release is available here. And a video clip from the recording session can be viewed below:
Contest
Air Mail Recordings in Japan have kindly provided us with some copies of the recently released CD re-issues of Silverhead, 16 and Savaged and Live at the Rainbow.
For a chance to win one of the CDs, try to answer the 3 questions below and send your answers to
mail@desbarres.com before March 1st. The winners will be notified by e-mail.
Please note: this contest has ended.
1. What was Silverhead's first single?
A: Hello New York B: James Dean C: Ace Supreme
2. When was Live at the Rainbow first released?
A: 1973 B: 1975 C: 1977
3. Which of these Silverhead songs has never been officially released?
A: Only You B: Marilyn C: Wounded Heart
January 2009
Michael will be appearing at the Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show in Burbank, California next month.
The event is held at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center on February 14th and 15th. Michael will be there both days, meeting people and signing autographs.
This is the first time Michael appears at an event like this. Other celebrities scheduled to appear include Beau Bridges, Carrie Fisher and Malcolm McDowell.
More info is available on the collectors show's website.