Michael Steele
Stories
Interviews
Interview with Lisa Fancher in September 2011
...so that was a *hell* of a long time ago. but I'm sure we had a laugh at the whole Runaways thing. She was super cool. I remember she had an apartment right off the Hollywood Freeway and stuff like that. And uh, she wasn't exactly like *them* either. She was apart from the Bangles. She wasn't exactly the same type, if they had a type, she was kind of more her own island. And obviously the Petersons were sisters, and Susanna had known them for a long time... (read more)
Interview with Steve Schiff in May 2011
... course I remember the gigs. That was the best part. We would just take the stage and try to hold the audience by will and wit. Nobody knew what to expect... I would start a guitar noise or riff and the others would layer into the sound... Then the whole thing would move around and change like a musical Oujia Board ... (read more)
Interview with Joe Iaquinto in March 2011
... car wreck and her Music Man got crunched. She had no other bass at the time and I had two, so I sold her my late '60s Fender Precision Bass, which I bought used at Manny's Music in N.Y., stripped, painted, stripped again, and modded with a bridge pickup, which I tore out and wood putty-filled the hole. She used that bass with the Bangles... (read more)
Interview with Dan Andries in March 2011
Dan created and directed a film based on Michael Steele's song "Following" shot in New York City (~1986) ...I don?t remember where that song came from - meaning I can?t remember how the Bangles came across my radar and who hipped me to the music but I was still hovering somewhere around 30, I was single, I was experienced in the realities of how love, romance and sex could play themselves out in people's lives and I just felt the song. Just felt it.... (read more)
Interview with Laura Molina of "Tiger Lily" in September 2010
... early 1983, we were booked at the same club (I forget where) and all became friends. The Apaches of Paris asked us to open for them and it became a regular monthly gig. Tiger Lily played with them once or twice before their bass player left and Michael Steele (everyone who knew her called her "Micki" back then) joined their band .... (read more)
Interview with Jack Sherman (Toni and the Movers) (July 2010)
...Micki came over and plugged into my little 1959 Tweed Champ Amp with me at my little apartment in Santa Monica. It was just heaven playing with her. She had extremely good time and I guess she must have had a tape or something because she knew every song perfect. .... (read more)
Interview with Phast Phreddie (July 2010)
...would require a book about her. The impression I got of Michael Steele as a person, when I knew her back in the mid seventies, then again in the mid eighties was this: She was a complicated and sensitive person interested in truth and beauty. .... (read more)
Eyesore - Interview with Erik Meade (February 2010)
...Michael came in with one of the Peterson sisters (I think they just happened to be walking by). The next time we played Michael was there again and at the end of our set she walked up and asked Michelle if she could join our band..... (read more)
Michael's Band "Crash Wisdom" - Interview with John Thomas (2002) with 6/2/94 audio
...Jonathan started working with Michael and then he suggested me to play guitar. I then recommended Chris on drums. Michael pretty much put the band together.... (read more)
Elton Duck - Interview with Andy Robinson (2005) - with mp3 clips of the band
....Once we played in... I think it was a bowling alley bar or something? up in Modesto. We were staying with a friend of Mike Condello's, who had a speedboat that we took out on a lake, and I remember Micki piloting it, and really digging it. I remember piloting it too, for a while, but I think I almost capsized us... (read more)
Nadia Kapiche - Interview with Mark Buchholtz (April 2010)
....I recall Toni, Micki[e], Steve and I meeting at Steve's studio/residence in Westwood to try to write and record something. We created a tune called, "Eat Garbage" which was fun and I guess acted as the incentive to play live. The next thing I know, I got a phone call from Steve saying we were set to play Madame Wong's. We never actually had even one "rehearsal" for the entire duration of the group. Either Mickie or Toni located a drummer for whatever we had and that was that. All improv.... (read more)
...so that was a *hell* of a long time ago. but I'm sure we had a laugh at the whole Runaways thing. She was super cool. I remember she had an apartment right off the Hollywood Freeway and stuff like that. And uh, she wasn't exactly like *them* either. She was apart from the Bangles. She wasn't exactly the same type, if they had a type, she was kind of more her own island. And obviously the Petersons were sisters, and Susanna had known them for a long time... (read more)
Interview with Steve Schiff in May 2011
... course I remember the gigs. That was the best part. We would just take the stage and try to hold the audience by will and wit. Nobody knew what to expect... I would start a guitar noise or riff and the others would layer into the sound... Then the whole thing would move around and change like a musical Oujia Board ... (read more)
Interview with Joe Iaquinto in March 2011
... car wreck and her Music Man got crunched. She had no other bass at the time and I had two, so I sold her my late '60s Fender Precision Bass, which I bought used at Manny's Music in N.Y., stripped, painted, stripped again, and modded with a bridge pickup, which I tore out and wood putty-filled the hole. She used that bass with the Bangles... (read more)
Interview with Dan Andries in March 2011
Dan created and directed a film based on Michael Steele's song "Following" shot in New York City (~1986) ...I don?t remember where that song came from - meaning I can?t remember how the Bangles came across my radar and who hipped me to the music but I was still hovering somewhere around 30, I was single, I was experienced in the realities of how love, romance and sex could play themselves out in people's lives and I just felt the song. Just felt it.... (read more)
Interview with Laura Molina of "Tiger Lily" in September 2010
... early 1983, we were booked at the same club (I forget where) and all became friends. The Apaches of Paris asked us to open for them and it became a regular monthly gig. Tiger Lily played with them once or twice before their bass player left and Michael Steele (everyone who knew her called her "Micki" back then) joined their band .... (read more)
Interview with Jack Sherman (Toni and the Movers) (July 2010)
...Micki came over and plugged into my little 1959 Tweed Champ Amp with me at my little apartment in Santa Monica. It was just heaven playing with her. She had extremely good time and I guess she must have had a tape or something because she knew every song perfect. .... (read more)
Interview with Phast Phreddie (July 2010)
...would require a book about her. The impression I got of Michael Steele as a person, when I knew her back in the mid seventies, then again in the mid eighties was this: She was a complicated and sensitive person interested in truth and beauty. .... (read more)
Eyesore - Interview with Erik Meade (February 2010)
...Michael came in with one of the Peterson sisters (I think they just happened to be walking by). The next time we played Michael was there again and at the end of our set she walked up and asked Michelle if she could join our band..... (read more)
Michael's Band "Crash Wisdom" - Interview with John Thomas (2002) with 6/2/94 audio
...Jonathan started working with Michael and then he suggested me to play guitar. I then recommended Chris on drums. Michael pretty much put the band together.... (read more)
Elton Duck - Interview with Andy Robinson (2005) - with mp3 clips of the band
....Once we played in... I think it was a bowling alley bar or something? up in Modesto. We were staying with a friend of Mike Condello's, who had a speedboat that we took out on a lake, and I remember Micki piloting it, and really digging it. I remember piloting it too, for a while, but I think I almost capsized us... (read more)
Nadia Kapiche - Interview with Mark Buchholtz (April 2010)
....I recall Toni, Micki[e], Steve and I meeting at Steve's studio/residence in Westwood to try to write and record something. We created a tune called, "Eat Garbage" which was fun and I guess acted as the incentive to play live. The next thing I know, I got a phone call from Steve saying we were set to play Madame Wong's. We never actually had even one "rehearsal" for the entire duration of the group. Either Mickie or Toni located a drummer for whatever we had and that was that. All improv.... (read more)
Always check back for more interviews coming soon!
A collection of interviews with (sorry, not Michael) bands that Michael has played in, and stories / memories. Click on the icons to the left to switch Between The Two.
