MIKE McMANUS – GUITAR / VOCALS

Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston and weaned on his Dad’s Beatles albums at an early age, Mike could sing every song on the Sgt. Pepper’s album by the age six. It was there he acquired a taste for melodic 70’s arena rock bands such as Queen and Cheap Trick. After High School, Mike enrolled in Berklee College of Music. He soon left Boston for Los Angeles, and began sowing the seeds for what would become the hard rock band, EGODOG

EGODOG released three critically acclaimed albums between 1997 and 2001, and traveled abroad each year performing for the U.S. Department of Defense. These very successful tours entertaining our troops took them to such far away countries as Japan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Hungary.

In 2003, Mike created the musically animated Uncle Moondog, a scruffy-looking terrier who lives on the beach, sings songs and drives a dune buggy. (Check out www.unclemoondog.com) He wrote, recorded and released the 10-song “Uncle Moondog” CD in December 2003, and has received rave reviews across the country and spanning as far as the U.K. and Japan.

In 2004, Mike got a call from singer Joe Retta to complete the line-up for Queen Nation. Looking at it as a labor of love, Mike buckled down and began learning all the guitar parts and transcribing all the harmonies. Not an easy task! Mike stated “I didn’t think I could gain any more respect for Brian May and Queen than I already had… My respect for them DOUBLED when I sat down to learn these songs!” His hard work led to an endorsement with Burns Guitars, maker of the Brian May model. Add to that Mike’s dead-on Brian May mannerisms and accurate stage attire, and you’d swear you were at the L.A. Forum in 1980!

Peter Burke has been active in the LA music scene since the mid-90s. Originally inspired by classic rock bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin, the first album he ever bought was Queen’s “The Game”.
In college he developed a love for jazz and classical music, performing throughout Europe with the CSUN Symphony Orchestra and statewide with renowned Jazz “A” Band. He earned Bachelor of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from Cal. St. Northridge in 2000.

Peter began his professional career playing with the band 10 Speed, signed to A&M Records. They released their debut album internationally in 1998, and embarked on a coinciding tour of the U.S. and Europe.
Throughout the first decade of the new millennium, he worked several platinum-selling recording artists including Wilson Phillips, Tiffany, and the BulletBoys. Highlights included appearances on TV shows “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Good Morning America”, and “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” with Wilson Phillips in support of their Columbia release “California” in 2004, and 2 albums recorded with the BulletBoys [“Sophie” with the help of legendary producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones), and “Live: Behind the Orange Curtain”].

Also highly regarded as a studio drummer, many of his recordings have appeared in major motion pictures and TV shows. Songs from the 2006 debut album of the band “The Skies of America” with famed producer Sylvia Massey Shivy (Chili Peppers, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins) have appeared in movies “The Bridge to Terabithia”(Disney), National Lampoon’s Van Wilder II, and “Eulogy” (Myriad Pictures). He’s also recorded with Joseph Arthur (for “One Hour Photo”, with Robin Williams), and Paperback Hero, who have had songs placed in TV shows “Friday Night Lights”(NBC), “Shark”(CBS), and “Felicity”(WB).
Paperback Hero recently finished up its new Full length album, entitled “Cautionary Tale” with producer Jay Ruston (The Donnas, Steel Panther, Army of Freshman) for a 2010 release. Paperback Hero also recently won the KYSR – 98.7 FM (Clear Channel/Los Angeles) “Rock Star 3” competition – among the prizes was $25,000, and a performance at the opening of the new Grammy Museum @ LA Live on the Nokia Plaza to a crowd of more than 3000 fans.

As a performer in tribute bands, you can catch Peter playing drums with Queen Nation (Queen), The Who Revue (The Who), and Holy Diver (Dio). Also, he currently plays vibraphone in Shades of Jade: A Tribute to Cal Tjader.