Dean Menta

Dean M Menta was born on July 23rd 1966. He first became involved with FNM in 1991, when he was teaching at an art gallery in San Francisco. Roddy Bottum hired Dean to tutor him on the new computer-based digital audio technology that was developing at the time.  Soon after they became friends and Dean became keyboard tech for the Guns N’ Roses/Metallica tour in 1992. Dean began a relationship with Jennifer Lynch of L7 while they were on tour with FNM that lasted many years. 

In 1995 Dean became the guitar player for the second incarnation of SF band DUH with Greg Werckman (Ipecac Recordings). The band released one album titled Unholy Handjob through Alternative Tentacles and briefly toured with L7. 

Dean was then asked by FNM to replace Trey Spruance on the King For A Day tour. He had a month to learn the material. 

In his time with FNM Dean recorded the b-sides with Bill Gould and two songs that were single releases including I Started A Joke. He also played guitar on the song This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us , a collaboration between FNM and Sparks, recorded for their album Plagiarism (1997).

When it came to writing for the next FNM album Dean was living in Los Angeles and found it difficult journeying back and forth to rehearsals in SF. There was no creative spark with FNM and Dean and he was replaced in 1996 by Jon Hudson. 

Dean joined FNM onstage on December 1st 2010 at Hollywood Palladium to perform This Town with Sparks and Digging The Grave. 

Other Projects

Dean went on to work with Sparks again and recorded the albums: Lil' Beethoven (2002) , Hello Young Lovers (2006) Exotic Creatures of the Deep (2008),  The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman (2009) and Hippopotamus (2017).

Now Dean works primarily in television and film as a Music Editor, composer and Sound Designer. He has also composes music for video games. 

2016

Perfect Sound

"I was disappointed and yet relieved that it was all over. I was mostly baffled and confused by the entire experience. I did have bad feelings afterward, but they’ve faded away a long time ago. I still love and admire those guys a lot."

1995

Hot Metal

"I've been playing since I was 12 or 13. I've never studied it, like taking lessons, I've just always been a music fan and expressed myself through my guitar and a four-track."

"I was generally excited to tour and travel, and it was very cool to find out

that they weren't what you'd think rock bands are. Because most of the other 'personalities' I'd met were people I didn't have anything in common with and wasn't interested in having any sort of relationship with on a personal level."

Kerrang!

"I guess I'm a good choice to fill this position because I get along with everybody in the band, I've toured with them already and it's sort of a happy coincidence that I play guitar as well."

DUH Unholy Handjob
1995.
Alternative Tentacles.
DISCOGS
BUY

Sparks Plagiarism
1997.
Virgin.
DISCOGS
BUY

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