Morgan Nicholls

Nicholls looking moody

Morgan Nicholls plays the bass for Wolstenholme at Virgin Festival 2004

The fourth member of Muse?

The "fourth member" of Muse some might say. However, like bands such as R.E.M., Muse still remain officially a three piece band. He is (or was, until recently) only needed for live performance purposes and will not feature in any interviews or promo photos.

History of the man called Morgan

Nicholls originally played bass in the punk band Senseless Things (also featuring drummer Cass Browne - who later went onto playing with Gorillaz, guitarist Ben Harding and frontmant Mark Keds, who passed away in 2021), and they gained a couple of top 20 hits in the 90s. He then was involved in the band Vent 414 until the late 90s, before going on to pursue a solo career under the name 'Morgan' and released the album "Organised". Between 2003 and 2008, Nicholls has been playing bass for The Streets (though he is said to have enjoyed a beer with Mike Skinner from time to time according to this NME interview). After that, he played bass with Gorillaz during the Demon Days era, both in the studio and live (contributing to perhaps one of the most recognisable bass lines of "Feel Good Inc." and probably becoming the inspiration for Gorillaz character Murdoc Niccals, knowing Jamie Hewlett, who designed The Senseless Things' artworks, even prior to Damon Albarn), Lily Allen (2009, when he was also her tour director , and 2014) and even The Who (performing on a couple one-off performances in 2012, most notable being the Olympics Closing Ceremony). The same year (2012) he released another solo EP, "Moonlight Rhino". In 2018, he, together with Browne, Des Murphy and Ade Emsley, formed a psychedelic punk band "Circle 60". In 2019, The Senseless Things reunited for their final, one-off show, at London's Shepherds Bush Empire. Him and Emsley (who works at Orange Amplification as their head engineer) worked in 2021 on releasing an Orange bass pedal, called "The Bass Butler", capturing Morgan's bass rig, and his gritty sound (inspired by The Who's John Entwistle), in one box.

In 2004, Nicholls filled in for Wolstenholme when he broke his wrist after a friendly football match with the Cooper Temple Clause (Didz gave him a proper tackle). According to NME, it seems that Wolstenholme was a bit tight with his bass guitars, as a result of which Nicholls had to use his own. It was to a point where when Nicholls left his bass in Leeds, and had nothing to play in Reading, he had to borrow a bass off the bassist from the Amplifier. When Nicholls was filling in for Wolstenholme, Muse were already contemplating having him stay on as a permanent keyboard player. His first show as a keyboard player with Muse was in 2006.

Future for Morgan

Ever since his first show as the fourth member, Nicholls played a big part in Muse's live shows, playing keyboard, bass (Hoodoo), guitar, synthesisers, keys and percussion, to avoid the band having to use backing tracks.

The only times he had missed concerts was in the USA during 2006, due to him not having a US work Visa. In 2009 Morgan's wife gave birth to their baby which caused Morgan to take time off playing with Muse in order to spend time with his family. He was replaced by Alessandro Cortini, at the time a former live-Nine Inch Nails keyboardist, during the Admiralspalast gig and the Walter Kerr Theatre gig (which also was a part of the MTV VMA's) in 2009. Morgan later joined Muse for their tour supporting U2.

In May of 2022, after 18 years with Muse, Nicholls announced on his Twitter, that he'll not be touring with Muse, at least on the Will of the People tour, wishing the band, the crew and the fans "all the very best". He was replaced by multi-instrumentalist and producer Dan Lancaster.

Gear

Bass

Songs used for

• Headup riff
• Hoodoo
• All the songs at 2004 V Festival

Cabasa

Songs used for

• Psycho
• Supermassive Black Hole

Drums

Songs used for

• Psycho
• Stockholm Syndrome
• Survival
• Time Is Running Out
• Uprising

Glockenspiel

Songs used for

• Explorers
• Soldier's Poem

Guitar

Songs used for

• Back in Black
• Dead Inside
• Follow Me
• Madness
• Starlight
• Sunburn
• United States of Eurasia
• Uprising
• Something Human
• Thought Contagion

Keyboards & Synthesizers

Keyboard is Morgan's main instrument for live performances along with a synthesizer, playing most songs on it, and controlling backing tracks via MIDI

Tambourine

Songs used for

• Resistance
• Time Is Running Out
• Unnatural Selection
• Defector
• The Handler
• Pressure

Ukulele

Songs used for

• Megalomania

Shaker

Songs used for

• Pressure
• Plug In Baby
• Liquid State

Kaoss Pad

Songs used for

• Riffs & Outros
• Stockholm Syndrome
• Knights of Cydonia
• Isolated System
• Montpellier Jam
• Nishe
• Unnatural Selection

References

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