Mark Thwaite

Mark Gemini Thwaite (born 15 June 1965), also known as MGT, is an English musician who has been the guitarist for a number of rock bands and artists, including The Mission, trip hop pioneer Tricky, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, New Disease, Spear of Destiny & Theatre of Hate, Mob Research (with Paul Raven of Killing Joke), and Canadian band National Velvet plus various live and recorded appearances with Gary Numan, Al Jourgensen of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Roger Daltrey of the Who, P.J. Harvey, Alanis Morissette, Raymond Watts and PIG, Primitive Race (with Chuck Mosley of Faith No More), Ricky Warwick of Thin Lizzy, Ginger of The Wildhearts, Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, Franz Treichler of The Young Gods, Miles Hunt & The Wonder Stuff, Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, American rapper DMX, Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst and Porl Thompson of The Cure and Ville Valo of Finnish band HIM.

Thwaite was born in Marston Green, Birmingham, and moved to Lichfield in Staffordshire in the early 1970s, attending Christ Church Primary School and then Lichfield Friary Grange comprehensive school from 1977.

He formed his first school band with fellow school-mate Steve Ellett (drums), aka Steve Danger from British metal band Wolfsbane.

Thwaite later formed Lichfield-based rock band Monteagle with local musicians including Martin Wilkins (drums) and Dave Pearson, later known as Computerchemist.

Thwaite spent part of 1985 living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, joining Gothic rock band National Velvet, before returning to the UK in 1986.

After forming a few bands in the Birmingham area, including The First, he relocated to London in 1989.

In 1989, Thwaite joined London-based Gothic group The Children (featuring Dave Roberts of Sex Gang Children on vocals), and performed on the 12" single "Never Get Out Alive", released in 1990. During this time Thwaite was introduced to Kirk Brandon, founder member and vocalist for Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate. This began a three-year collaboration between Thwaite and Brandon.

Thwaite performed live with Spear of Destiny in 1990, and replaced original Theatre of Hate guitarist Billy Duffy on the 10th anniversary Theatre of Hate UK tour in 1991.

A TOH live album 'Live at the Astoria '91' including Thwaite on guitar was subsequently released by Easterstone records.

Thwaite continued as a member of Spear of Destiny, contributing guitars and some bass guitar to their 1992 album Sod's Law and the subsequent tour that same year.

In 1992, Thwaite joined UK Gothic rock band The Mission.

During this period, Thwaite also collaborated with Roger Daltrey of The Who on a BBC radio play titled A Fake's Progress, based on the life of Twiggy's manager Justin de Villeneuve.

Thwaite also contributed guitars to a remix for Situation 2 release Salvation (SIT 98) by UK band Terminal Power Company.

Thwaite featured on two studio albums with The Mission during this period, Neverland and Blue, and singles compilation album Sum and Substance before they disbanded in 1996; he would later rejoin the reformed band in 1999 and record on three more studio albums and several live albums and DVDs with the band.

He toured with the band throughout this period, which included two broadcasts on German television.

Thwaite also performed live with UK band Mice at the UK Phoenix Festival and London's Highbury Garage in 1997, with a lineup featuring All About Eve singer Julianne Regan and AAE/Mission bassist Andy Cousin.

In 1998, Thwaite was invited to join Tricky's live band for his upcoming world tour to promote studio album Angels with Dirty Faces.

The Mission re-formed once again in 1999, with Thwaite rejoining the band to tour the USA and Europe.

Thwaite continued to work with Tricky, touring with the live band worldwide and contributing to three studio albums and an EP - Mission Accomplished EP (2000), Blowback (2001), Vulnerable (2003) and Knowle West Boy (2008) and performing with Tricky and P.J. Harvey on the Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

He also performed with Tricky on UK show Later With Jools Holland.

He also performed guitar on Tricky's remix of MethodMan's "Judgement Day" single.

Following the success of the tour, the band continued, undertaking a world tour in 2000 and releasing a live CD entitled Ever After.

During the same period, Thwaite also recorded guitars for Tricky's Mission Accomplished EP - his first for Epitaph records, released in 2000, followed by Blowback, an album which included collaborations between Thwaite and Alanis Morissette, Flea, Anthony Kiedis and John Frusciante.

Thwaite remained with the band to record their next studio album, Aura (2001).

Owing to touring commitments with Tricky, Thwaite was unable to play on The Mission's next tour, and officially left the band in September 2001.

He toured the United States with Tricky, as special guests of rock band Tool in 2001.

While continuing to work with Tricky, Thwaite also collaborated with Gary Numan on heavy industrial metal reworkings of Are 'Friends' Electric? and This Wreckage for Numan's RIP single (released in 2002) and Hybrid album (2003).

In 2002 Thwaite formed UK-based rock band New Disease.

releasing the Axiomatic EP in 2003, co-produced by John Fryer.

In 2004 the band signed to Universal records and released the single Like Rain produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill (Tool, Muse, Rush), the band were later dropped by Universal during a restructure, with the band's debut album unreleased, and Thwaite relocated to the USA in 2005.

Thwaite toured the United States and Europe in summer 2005 with Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy to promote Murphy's album Unshattered.

During this period, Wayne Hussey invited Thwaite to rejoin The Mission for shows in South Africa in July 2005; Thwaite agreed, and played shows in South Africa followed by an extensive Europe-wide tour later that year.

In 2006 Thwaite joined New York-based singer songwriter Sarah Fimm for a concert supporting British goth pioneers Bauhaus in Buffalo, New York, which was followed by a week of recording sessions in Woodstock, NY featuring session drummer Josh Freese, best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and Devo plus Tony Levin on bass, known for his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel.

Peter Murphy also makes a guest appearance on vocals.

In March 2007 Thwaite formed a studio-based project Mob Research with Killing Joke / Ministry bassist Paul Raven and Warrior Soul vocalist Kory Clarke.

Work on the band's debut album, Holy City Zoo, was halted by Raven's sudden death in October 2007: the remaining band members decided to complete the album in honour of Raven.

The album was finally released by Echozone Records in 2009.

The band would release the posthumous album Patent Life 10 years later in 2014.

MGT would continue to perform with Murphy's band until 2015, recording on his Ninth album and The Secret Bees of Ninth EP (both 2011), as well as the Mr. Moonlight Tour: 35 Years of Bauhaus live DVD (2014).

Thwaite toured once again with Murphy from October 2018 through March 2019 for his 40 Years of Bauhaus Ruby Celebration featuring David J tour of North and South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia.