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Name:Mick 'The Loon' Robson
Codename:Den, The Loon, Daft, Biffo, 'Wild' Mick etc.
Height:6'3
Favourite food: Italian
Likes:Drums, Movies and nonsense
Dislikes:Unreliable motors and Weaselman!
Influences:Vinnie Colaiuta, Phil Collins, Manu Katche, Roger Taylor
Favourite Artists:Sting, Randy Newman, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins/Genesis, Muse, Marillion, 300ft Gorilla!
Favourite 300ft Gorilla Song:Is Over
What's one wish you would make?:For the band to stay together forever
What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?:Never worked it out!
Middle Name?:Haven't got one, but always quite fancied 'Mongo'
Favourite singer of all time?:Off the top of my head, in terms of tone, Steve Hogarth.
Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:Milk, red wine, water
If you could be a super-hero who would you be?:Not strictly speaking a super hero I know, but Godzilla.
Where do you want to be in 5 years:Newcastle, centre of the universe. Everywhere else just kind of leaves me cold.
What is your favorite book:The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy 'Trilogy'
What song do/did you want played at your wedding?:Randy Newman - Love Story
What song do/did you want played at your funeral?:Fragile
What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up today?:Bloody work!!

Heralding from Newcastle, on the foggy banks of the Tyne, Mick started playing drums at age of 12. He doesn’t know why, it just seemed like he needed to.

He met Graham Parker at 16 and formed his first band. A few years down the line he got together with Paul Hindmarsh, Graham Parker and Neil Lough as Sometime Eye. World domination was in sight.

In 1990 Mick had an awakening of life changing proportions when he heard Vinnie Colaiuta playing. Respect to Vinnie, without whom Mick would not have developed his ability to perform ever so slight rhythmic atrocities, which sometimes make people lose their balance.

In preparation for recording “Floccipaucinihilipilification – The Act of Declaring Something Worthless”, the band’s first demo, Mick bought an 8 piece Pearl Export kit, a load of Zildjian A Custom cymbals (with some lovely little splashes), a Pearl Power-Shifter double bass drum pedal and a Pearl rack (apparently for ease of set up!). He was sorted and equipped with a sound that would soon be augmented by the introduction of a Yamaha Vinnie Colaiuta snare, which sounds absolutely great (when it’s properly tuned!).

The band line up changed several times over the next 10 years, including the departure of Graham (musical differences), introduction of a new singer, Dave, and the willingness to experiment with technology. The band began experimenting with sequenced samples in the late 90’s which Mick enjoyed as it was almost like playing with a percussionist at times. The band was now known as Hollow. Following the demise of Hollow, due to the shameless poaching of Paul by Weasel-Man, Mick found himself in a strange position, not yet experienced in his adult life. Not being in a band!

Paul soon returned, following the complete failure of Weasel-Man to follow up on his promises and the lads were reunited to record Ghoulish Dance. This was Neil’s first experience of music production, which got his appetite whet for the future (see Neil’s biog for more detail). Neil later went on to record Mick’s drums the most accurately any engineer has ever done and produced them to their joint specifications, resulting in the best drum sound Mick has enjoyed throughout his endeavours in recording.

Along with Paul, Mick tried singing on Ghoulish Dance, but he was no Barry Gibb, and that approach didn’t get far. Mick did however capitalise on the fact that he wasn’t paying for studio time, so got the opportunity to record his song “The Ebb and The Flow”, about his first holiday abroad with his lovely Joan. (Neil didn’t even put a walking bass line on it!)

Mick’s next venture was with a relatively new band called Arch Stanton, made up of Gary and Ed from XLR8R and Clive from Greedsville. With the intention of producing more straight ahead melodic rock than any of the bands they’d been in before, Arch Stanton ran for a good few years, with 2 demo CD’s being produced and a good smattering of gigs in the Newcastle area. Mick was lucky enough to appear on TV in a few news pieces and a snippet on the National Lottery programme (the night Geri Halliwell left the Spice Girls and just didn’t turn up on the show to everyone’s bemusement for what it’s worth).

Arch Stanton split after a few years due to problems with management and people getting old.

Next came recording instrumental guitar material with Ed (from Arch Stanton) and Neil. 2 albums were recorded over the space of about 4 years. It was good to be playing again, especially with Neil (who also produced the initial version of the first album Plectrumhead and completely produced the 2nd album Moonfudge).

Stirrings in the water began when Graham and Mick had a trip to Scotland for a tomato curry with Tim and Mick C. Graham floated the idea of getting back together and a month down the line, the 300ft Gorilla boys were reunited. Work began on new material (which Paul had mountains of) and Mick’s appetite for music was once again electrified!

In parallel with the rise of 300ft Gorilla, following the release of Moonfudge, Ed approached Mick to start a band (soon to be named Vendetta). Ed’s metal riffing ideas sounded interesting without any backing, but unfortunately, some of the more wacky ideas Mick had in mind to accompany the riffs were seen as too off-the-wall for Vendetta and soon it appeared that the particular brand of straight ahead metal wasn’t to be for Mick. Mick played a 3-hour extravaganza with 300ft Gorilla and Vendetta at the Corner House pub in Newcastle in April ’06, which was to be his last appearance with Vendetta. Mick Left Vendetta in November ’06 following the recording of their album.

During the time Mick was in Vendetta he was also in 300ft Gorilla, which he shared a greater affinity with. Mick’s decision to leave Vendetta was partly influenced by the desire to commit to one or the other but mainly due to the musical direction.

Mick currently enjoys the throne of tub thumping responsibility for 300ft Gorilla and will probably do so until he carks it.