Interview: Mary Kelly – Modus Operandi of gore-core

by David | Jan 29, 2014 | grunge, Hardcore, Uncategorized

— We rarely do interviews around here or are inspired to crank out some questions to bands unless we think we might fish something interesting back. In this case the singer/screamer “Si” from Mary Kelly gave some thoughtful answers and insights of his band that at first reminded us of hardcore matinees at CBGB’s where there would be inevitable thrash band on a bill that would turn out to be really great mixing in thrash and hardcore hybrid; and not just a doc martin foot-print in the face. The pits of the pit.

They call their version grunge-core trash and founded themselves in 2007. They like to drink and make love and break it down for us here. We think gore-core is more appropriate. Although I don’t know if there is any loving or real gore with brain spatter for that matter in their live show and probably won’t know unless they make a trek out here from the UK but allas. One hint though is that most promotors don’t want them back. The other thing about that word “grunge” is it’s one of those terms that was worn out in the 90’s, the same as indie rock, or emo for that matter. Terms start to loose their meaning after a while but can get redefined to those that choose to champion their music their way. A way into the images one conjures about a sound. Anyway, their new album Modus Operandi has varying degrees of fast punk with the occasional solo thrown in. Not as metal as GWAR because those guys are aliens and from outer space; but definitely more hardcore than most with a penchant to dress-up in drag or whatever scary flick is giving the youth of today boners. Before we begin their guitar player Matt Spencer want’s everybody to know “he does not like the Wombats.” So they won’t be making any friends there.

BAND INTERVIEW:
RS: Want to tell me in your words why you named the band Mary Kelly and not Hellen Keller or something like that?
SI: We decided to name the band Mary Kelly because if you know anything about this country’s dark past, you’d know that she was the last victim of Jack the Ripper. He absolutely destroyed her. Cut her to shreds and left no prisoners. That’s what we have always tried to do with people’s psyche and also their ears. Plus Helen Keller wouldn’t cooperate.

RS: Have you ever heard of the the band Perfect Pussy?
SI: Never heard of them although I’m intrigued?
RS: What’s your song Bagpussy about?
SI: Bagpussy is about a friend of my mothers. She never married or had kids but she did have like 9 cats. This one time my father went round there to do something for her and after she didn’t answer the door he peered through the window…the song is about what he saw!

RS: You guys remind of my friend Dave Witte’s band Municipal Waste. What are your influences? Because you guys sound like Die Kruezen mixed with a bunch of 80’s NYC thrash bands like Prong.
SI: Our influences as individual members are quite different. Personally my lyrics are usually about things that scare or worry me and I’d say that comes from growing up with depressed parents and listening to bands like Nirvana, The Cure and AFI. It’s only in later life I’ve started to appreciate the stuff that my mother especially, used to listen to. Bands like Creedence, Prince and of course Chris deBurgh although they haven’t consciously had any direct influence on my writing…I don’t think. I know Matt’s influences are The Wombats and that’s about it so we really had to try hard with him. Oh and breeze doesn’t like radiohead so that was difficult. We were doomed from the start really.

RS: Are you ever afraid of Riot GRRLs getting mad at you?
Si: We’ve always had a lot of female attention. It’s something that just came naturally. I’m pretty sure we counted once and between the 5 of us we had slept with 6 girls so that’s something like a success rate of 250%? The girl that Sean slept with may have been a Mini Cooper though.
RS: Would you play a gig with Pussy Riot?
SI: We’d love to play with Pussy Riot…I believe in them.

RS: Which usually helps are there any tunes we can let out into the wild? ( I think he missed my meaning on this one)
SI: Take your pick really although if you want an insightful, truthful look into the band, may I recommend ‘there’s no such man as Michael Fish’. A track that is already being skipped over dispite the album only having been out a few weeks. It’s a 6-something minute epic, spoken word Song about how to treat and discourage astraphobia in children. It’s a very important piece. Enjoy. Either that or Penny Dreadful which is a fucking cool song about monsters. Plus there’s a wicked video for it!

BUY LINKS: Amazon | iTunes | Mary Kelly Site

RIYL: 80’s hardcore, Token Entry, Verbal Assault, Moshing

DOWNLOADS:
Heroin – “Leave” MP3 by s/t (1997)
Send More Paramedics – “Zombie Crew” MP3 from The Hallowed And The Heathen (2003)