The Dirty Knobs served as a fun diversion for Campbell over the past 15 years for whenever Tom Petty wasn’t keeping him busy. With Petty’s passing in 2017 eased Campbell’s time restraints and “Wreckless Abandon” was written and recorded in 2019. As a Petty follower I was naturally very interested in Wreckless Abandon, When it was finally released on November 20th, I streamed it right away, and enjoyed what I heard.
The first track, Wreckless Abandon is fine enough. It feels like something that Tom Petty would have easily approved of. The most glaring element of The Dirty Knobs is how Campbell’s cadence on vocals is very close to Tom Petty’s. October 2017 gave Campbell the chance to focus on The Dirty Knobs for the first time – until he received an offer from Fleetwood Mac co-founder Mick Fleetwood to join the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers as a full-fledged member less than four months later. Ultimately, Campbell embarked upon a Fleetwood Mac world tour which took him through the end of 2019, one of the longest outings of his career.
The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell “Pistol Packin’ Mama” Live From The Troubadour
The Dirty Knobs is led by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers lead guitarist and co-writer on many tunes, Mike Campbell. The line up includes:
Mike Campbell – Lead vocals, Guitar
Jason Sinay – Guitar
Matt Laug – Drums
Lance Morrison – Bass