Mickey Avalon’s life reads more like fiction than fact.
The musician’s past is filled with tragedy, drug addiction and a spirit of perseverance. He was raised by a drug addicted father and sold pot at a young age.
His father was killed in a drunk driving accident and Avalon tried to clean up his life. He married, had a daughter, and moved to Portland. However, soon he fell into addiction, becoming hooked on heroin, and divorced.
He turned to prostitution to support his drug habit. Tragedy continued when he lost his sister to an overdose.
Her death made Avalon decide to turn his life around and he entered a drug recovery house. By chance he made friends with Simon Rex, better known as Dirt Nasty. The two began creating and recording songs, which Rex began passing around at clubs, unbeknownst to Avalon.
Avalon said he and Rex were just messing around recording and he didn’t expect people could be listening to them that night.
“By the time I found out I was a little embarrassed. I didn’t know people were listening to them,” said Avalon, adding in the end good things came out of it for him.
He never thought he would be a musician. With today’s technology Avalon said it’s easier for people to create music because you don’t need to go to a studio.
When creating songs Avalon said he listens to the beat and lets the words flow from there, concentrating on making the hook of the song first. The musician said he “writes from the heart.”
“The hook, the chorus, that’s the part that just happens,” he said. “It’s kind of like if you have ever sung along to a song on the radio and you thought the words were one way but they are something else. It’s like your head is singing along to something and you hope that the words come out right.”
His newest album, Loaded, is a journey through Avalon’s self-destructive behavior and exploits with songs like Rock Bottom and Girlfriend.
Avalon performs at the Queen’s Wednesday (Nov. 28) starting at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15 in advance available at the Queen’s, Guava Apparel, by calling 250-754-6751 or $20 at the door.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
