Urban Collapse

As one of the fastest rising Seattle bands, Urban Collapse is primed to be one of the best things music has offered us in a while.

Urban Collapse is comprised of Dane Larsen (Vocals), Mike Conway (Guitars), Dave McIlwraith (Bass) and Nigel Goodwin (Drums). Over the past two years they’ve honed their craft to create a sonic explosion of Hard Rock excellence. Coupled with a, “kick in your face” stage show, the boys of UC are everything rock music has been missing.

Larsen, a classically-trained vocalist with over 10 years of experience, has been a prominent force in the Seattle music scene with bands Something Vital and renowned drummer Kenny James’ (George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars) The Witching Hour. Trained by Susan Carr, the prominent vocal coach who has worked with Minus the Bear, Vendetta Red, Mastodon, Sunny Day Real Estate, Alien Ant Farm, and Alice in Chains, Larsen has become the quintessential front man, blending range, power and passion with a tireless stage performance.

Conway began playing guitar at age 12. He studied classical music theory in his teens and began emulating Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen and Dimebag Darrell. Mike brings a little bit of metal, hard rock and blues to the group, blending them all into a uniquely ‘Urban’ sound. The spine-tingling guitarist who’s played with various Seattle bands and many other musicians throughout college has finally found his home with Urban Collapse.

McIlwraith, the well-traveled bassist of the group, has a career spanning from St. Louis to Los Angeles to Seattle. McIlwraith’s sound engineering and stage tech history speaks for itself, but it his spectacular bass-playing career is truly impressive. McIlwraith was the bassist for 40dog, C.O.R.E., and Otto's Revenge. He provides a backbone of groove and grit, grounding the band around a solid foundation of rock experience.

Goodwin joined Urban Collapse in February of 2010 and his impact has been immediate. Nigel hails from a family of Drummers, including his father (Mike Goodwin) who has garnered internaltional touring experience. Mike passed his passion for drumming, and more importantly performance onto his son. Nigel’s drumming can only be described as “precision meets passion and power” and one only need watch the enigmatic drummer to realize how he’s taken something good (as influenced by Tommy Lee, John Bohnam, Tommy Aldridge, etc) and made it his own. As one fan put it, “Nigel is like turning the drummer up to eleven.”

With a combined performing experience longer than some life expectancies, the members of Urban Collapse have played everywhere from Neumos, the Roxy, the Troubador and the House of Blues; to the Coconut Teaser, the Dragonfly, Opium Den, The Whiskey A Go Go, the Gig, Mancini's, and F.M. Station. They have become a monthly contributor at both the Showbox Market and Showbox Sodo and have individually played with bands the quality of The President’s of the United States of America, Floater, Flotsam and Jetsom, Sepultura, and Course of Empire.

RR (Radio Personality for The BJ Shea Morning Experience on 99.9 KISW) was quoted as saying, “These guys are like Guitar Hero… only [like] the really hard songs.”

Molly Bennet (Subterfuge Maganize) wrote, “Urban Collapse is not afraid of hooks, or memorable motifs. Grungy but without the usual overcompensation of an overly distorted guitar, every instrument balances the other perfectly. It’s abrasion without asphyxiation. Not since Metallica has a band been able to make “catchy” rock so damn hard- and not since Layne Staley has a rock-voice so seamlessly accomplished ballads, screams, and shivers down my spine.” [http://subterfugeseattle.com/content/urban-collapse]