Mike Berg
Tampa, Florida, United States
Music
Press
Yeah, the mythological moniker sounds metal, but Elysium's sound is more on the punk side. Much more.
In fact, you might call Elysium the protectors of the Tampa punk scene. For five years now, the band -- Tom Shelton, lead vocals and guitar; Matt "Mattie Sox" McCartney, bass and backup vocals; Spencer Anemik, lead guitar and backup vocals; and Mike Berg on drums -- has lived in the Tampa Punk House, an undisclosed location that for some two decades has been putting on raucously insane punk shows.
"The last band that lived here was The Tim Version," said Shelton. "When they said they were moving out we literally stalked the landlord to rent the house."
The band's sound is as scruffy as their appearance, veering from hardcore thrash to metal breakdowns to relentlessly furious old-school punk. It's a mix that has landed them gigs opening for everyone from Authority Zero to Stephen Pearcy to The Absence to the Warped Tour in 2007.
- TBT
When: Sat., Aug. 13 2011
Local outfit Elysium broke up last fall shortly after winning a Reader's Choice award in CL for Best Local Punk Act. Three of the four remaining members (Tom Shelton, Mikey DUIs and Spencer Anemik) formed a new punk rock group with guitarist Greg Hartley, and according to Shelton in a recent email, Hartley "is helping to push the three of us to experiment with new sounds and more challenging songs." Also with Doll Parts, The Scurvy
— Leilani Polk
- Creative Loafing
When: Sat., Aug. 13 2011
Local outfit Elysium broke up last fall shortly after winning a Reader's Choice award in CL for Best Local Punk Act. Three of the four remaining members (Tom Shelton, Mikey DUIs and Spencer Anemik) formed a new punk rock group with guitarist Greg Hartley, and according to Shelton in a recent email, Hartley "is helping to push the three of us to experiment with new sounds and more challenging songs." Also with Doll Parts, The Scurvy
— Leilani Polk
- Creative Loafing
A Tampa institution died in 2010: The Punk House.
It was a haven for raw, rowdy punk shows, and it was maintained by local punk favorites Elysium. Sadly, drug and money problems tore Elysium apart, and as they died, so did the Punk House.
The good news is three members of Elysium — Spencer Anemik (guitar), Mikey DUIs (drums) and Tom Shelton (vocals/guitars) — joined forces with guitarist Greg Hartley (Anemik switched to bass) and formed Bleeding Money. The group still plays a couple of Elysium songs (Weed and Video Games and Steal From Your Job), but has mostly written new material.
"We’ve taken a more thrash-metal sort of direction musically. The melodic lead vocals and ganglike backup vocals are still there," said Shelton. "We were pretty sad to see the death of the Punk house and Elysium but we’re really happy with our new band and the amount of momentum that we’ve been moving forward with."
And as for the new name? "The name 'Elysium' we scrapped cause it was mispronounced almost every time and was occupied by about 20 other bands," Spencer said. Makes sense.
- TBT
A Tampa institution died in 2010: The Punk House.
It was a haven for raw, rowdy punk shows, and it was maintained by local punk favorites Elysium. Sadly, drug and money problems tore Elysium apart, and as they died, so did the Punk House.
The good news is three members of Elysium — Spencer Anemik (guitar), Mikey DUIs (drums) and Tom Shelton (vocals/guitars) — joined forces with guitarist Greg Hartley (Anemik switched to bass) and formed Bleeding Money. The group still plays a couple of Elysium songs (Weed and Video Games and Steal From Your Job), but has mostly written new material.
"We’ve taken a more thrash-metal sort of direction musically. The melodic lead vocals and ganglike backup vocals are still there," said Shelton. "We were pretty sad to see the death of the Punk house and Elysium but we’re really happy with our new band and the amount of momentum that we’ve been moving forward with."
And as for the new name? "The name 'Elysium' we scrapped cause it was mispronounced almost every time and was occupied by about 20 other bands," Spencer said. Makes sense.
- TBT
Discography
Fail Safe - Blame Music 2001
Farewell To Arms - S/T 2001
Elysium - Huntley Ave 2006 New Anthem Records
Elysium - Pretty Faces E.P. 2007 New Anthem Records
Elysium - Opinions and Assholes 2009 New Anthem Records
Bleeding Money - A Glorified Demo 2011
Photos
Bio
I started playing drums when I was in 7th grade for my middle school band. During my first year there I got second chair in the All County Band. I played cymbals and bass in my high school drum line as well as xylophone and timpani for the pit. In high school I also competed in Solo and Ensemble contest and got a superior in my marimba solo. Right out of high school I joined a steel drum group which I have been playing with for the past 9 years. I have played thousands of shows all over the country from the east coast to the west coast. I traveled to Sicily with the steel drum group to play in a weeklong festival of arts and music. I have been on numerous tours with my band Bleeding Money such as the Vans Warped Tour. We have opened for such acts as Authority Zero, The Draft, Valiant Thor, The Independents and The Absence. I am currently employed as a full time drummer for Busch Gardens and Adventure Island. My band Bleeding Money finished our first 3 song demo in August and had a very successful 3 1/2 week tour in December. Another tour is in the works for 6 weeks over the summer of 2012 out to California.
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