MIA PE members from the past...

[LASERCD]

Anyone know Mike's last name? I know several Mike's who went to NEARfest. Curious which one this might be?

Howarth

[SteveSly]

Howarth

Not the guy I was thinking of.

[Hal...]

This is a repost:

I neglected to mention that on Facebook, Sara posted that she received word "suppers_ready101", aka "Supp", aka Mike Howarth, passed away June 22.

Half a dozen or more current and former members of PE, including Alex, Mark, and Lino, posted comments & memories. I didn't.

Back in the old days, before PE obtained its own website, there were about a dozen of us who met for the first time at Nearfest. Some you know and some you probably know of. Or not. Well, anyway, out of all the people who met that first year, and even subsequent years, there were probably no two who bonded as much as Mike & me, except of course Rob & Ann, who ended up getting married. FYI, they're divorced now. But Mike & I got to the point where we talked on the phone once a week, on average. And then two things happened: I tried to tell him about a documentary called White Light/Black Rain (an excellent doc about Japan and the atomic bombings; look it up) and Obama got elected. That's when I saw the real Mike. And I didn't like what I saw.

My reason for not commenting on Sara's post is "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" and because one shouldn't speak ill of the dead.

He burned some bridges on social media as well. I seem to recall a few of the old guard who finally just "unfriended" him due to his behavior there.

I was the first and told Alex about it, who eventually followed suit.

I will say this about Mike. He was a very complicated man. And I should correct my earlier statement about the real Mike. I saw a part of the real Mike. I don't think anyone knew the whole real Mike, including Mike. And I suspect it's because of what Sean said:

This is related, last 24 hours I've been thinking about mental illness, anger, and substance abuse, and how those things tend to complement each other, in the prog community and elsewhere.

Mentally ill seems too strong a term, but I do think he may have had a personality disorder.

I have heard that Mike (suppersready101, Vicar Dick Dikinson)...

It was originally The Vicar but I gave him the name Vicar Dick Dickinson and he loved it, so it stuck.


Mike could be a very funny guy - much of what he did was for a laugh and he liked getting a rise out of people, too - but he also didn't seem to be aware of the location of any line he may cross, usually. I didn't condone anything he did that was offensive to someone and I tried to make him aware of what is and isn't offensive. But I know he had ADHD and it's difficult, in general, for people with it to extrapolate beyond their next action or statement, not to mention their issues with impulse control. Couple that with a potential personality disorder and add substance abuse and you can see why Mike was... controversial. Not to excuse his behavior. And I certainly didn't know about a death threat. That's fucked up.

I hadn't communicated with him in at least 10 years.

C'est la vie.

[Steve F.]

That's when I saw the real Mike. And I didn't like what I saw..

I give you big credit for seeing it for what it was and realizing it.

[Yves]

Mike also used the moniker "Enossification" for a while, so some of you may remember him under that name...

[Rarebird]

Mike also used the moniker "Enossification" for a while, so some of you may remember him under that name...

I think I remember all of his monikers.

[Paulie]

He is the only person to ever threaten to kick my ass over the internet. I was NOT afraid. This made him even more enraged.

[Yves]

But did you meet him Paulie? Did you ever make it to NF? I'm sure he threatened me at some point via PM or in chat... I have to wonder how much he actually remembered when you met him in person...

[mozo-pg]

I definitely remember as post 10 years ago where the poster told Mike he would like to shot him in the head with a gun. So, the abuse was two way. I never had any problems with Mike on the boards and exchanged friendly private message on music we both liked. When I met him in person, he was friendly. I'm sorry to hear he has died.

[Paulie]

But did you meet him Paulie? Did you ever make it to NF? I'm sure he threatened me at some point via PM or in chat... I have to wonder how much he actually remembered when you met him in person...

Never did. But I did invite him to my home so he could kick my ass.

[Rarebird]

I definitely remember as post 10 years ago where the poster told Mike he would like to shot him in the head with a gun. So, the abuse was two way. I never had any problems with Mike on the boards and exchanged friendly private message on music we both liked. When I met him in person, he was friendly. I'm sorry to hear he has died.

I've never met Mike, but he has always been friendly to me as well. It saddens me to hear he had issues and he has died.

[Gruno]

Never did. But I did invite him to my home so he could kick my ass.

That did make me laugh out loud!

[Yves]

Never did. But I did invite him to my home so he could kick my ass.

Then you'd have kicked his...with absinthe! And made a friend! LOL!

[Paulie]

[Jerjo]

I never got along with him. He got a charge out of picking on new members and when I first joined/started posting he was a total dick. I don't think we had an ignore function back then but eventually that's what I did. May he finally get the peace he obviously didn't in life.

[Steve F.]

May he finally get the peace he obviously didn't in life.

Exactly. Nicely said.

[Sunlight Caller]

I remember him as an irascible but humorous poster, with a razor sharp edge when it came to any of the then new breed... Kirk’s Toupée anyone? I never made it to a NearFest, so never got to meet him, and the darker side of his personality was unknown to me. May you RIP Mike.

[Poisoned Youth]

All I can say is that this walk down memory lane bodes well for Jegheist at some point when he's no longer with us.

[Steve F.]

All I can say is that this walk down memory lane bodes well for Jegheist at some point when he's no longer with us.

He doesn’t deserve it and neither does Mike.

[dropforge]

I remember him as an irascible but humorous poster, with a razor sharp edge when it came to any of the then new breed... Kirk’s Toupée anyone?

IIRC, Supp's mantra was "Gabriel rules, every other singer from a legacy band can't sing!"

[SteveSly]

Does anyone happen to have a picture of this guy? I was at every NEARfest and the name sounds familiar, but not sure if I ever met him.

[Jerjo]

I remember Ken Walsh and Thomas Arena fondly. I do not extend the same to Supp. Jeg isn't going to get a pass from me.

[Vic2012]

I never interacted with Supp but I do remember that a lot of people would defend him and sort of treated him like a mascot. That was my perception. Then one day he barged into a thread with insults and ranting, and one of his supporters had had enough, and told him to STFU and on and on. Lol.

RIP. Has there been any news on cause of death?

[Lino]

I understand why people have negative feelings towards him.
But like I've always said, once you met him, you kind of understood him. Not to excuse any of his uncalled for behaviour... I just understood where it was coming from and that it was all bark and no bite.
Being around him in person was always fun. He was a crazy bugger, party animal, and quite funny. I still have a big soft spot for him when I recall the many times we spoke and hung together.

Once we got to Facebook, I couldn't tolerate him as much...he'd been heavily influence by the anti-Obama alt right. One time he wanted to bet me that Obama would try to override the constitution in 2016 and name himself president for life. There was nothing i could do to convince him otherwise lol. He posted the most bizarre political theories I've ever seen. At that point, I didn't un-friend him, but I didn't interact with him as much. Last month he sent me a private message just saying hello to the big dago canuck etc. I didn't respond (mainly because I forgot). Now I don't want to go look at it, for fear that it was the last hello from a friend saying goodbye.

Deep down he was a great guy. I don't know what his issues were specifically, but fortunately for me, he never showed me anything but love and respect.
I'll never forget one of the first internet meeting of friends ever... around 2000-2001 iirc ...without knowing what anybody looks like or anything really...we all met in Montreal to see TMB do the Lamb. Sup, Rob (britdude), Anne, Dom (cirkus), Julie...was a weekend for the ages. Truly unforgettable.

RIP brother Mike. Hope they play Suppers Ready at your funeral the way you always said you wanted.

[Steve F.]

Deep down he was a great guy.

Deep down, I sincerely hope he ate the gun he threatened me with.