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Maris the Great
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Maris the Great is a promotional performance artist based in Denver, Colorado, and "undead" frontman for the punk rock band, Maris the Great and the Faggots of Death. He refers to himself as "Headbanger and Zombie Fag Extraordinaire" for his outspoken homosexuality and preference for edgy, hard-hitting bands.[1][2] Wearing full zombie regalia, with brightly colored mohawk and over-sized platform boots, he promotes local and national bands through interviews on his website, MarisTheGreat.com and in the national publication, Hails and Horns magazine.[3][4] Each interview ends with the "murder" of the featured band and explicit photos of their demise. Notable bands that have been "killed" by Maris the Great include Kittie, Comeback Kid, and Throwdown.[5][6][7] Maris the Great is never seen out of makeup in public and often surprises onlookers with his refusal to break character or engage in normal conversation. Maris' true identity, if indeed he has one, remains a mystery. [8]

History

Maris the Great began working with Denver bands in 2000, to promote a local music scene he felt was under-appreciated. His website went live at the stroke of midnight on June 1, 2000, and featured local pop-rock band, Rubber Planet, as its first victims. Other local musicians followed, with the level of bloodiness escalating as Maris perfected the art of gore and as each band sought to out-do the last. In 2005, Maris expanded to the national scene by killing Massachusetts-based hardcore band, Bury Your Dead, and serving as their personal master of ceremonies on the Ozzfest tour.[2] During his two weeks at Ozzfest, many of the attendees began to refer to him as "The Ozzfest Monster," prompting MTV to include a segment on him in their coverage of the festival.[2] Fuse TV also ran a feature on the brain-eating zombie, as did Rue Morgue Magazine.[9] Since he began his "killing spree" in 2000, Maris the Great has killed over 100 local and national acts.[2]

Back Story

Before becoming the leader of the gay undead, Maris the Great was an ordinary homosexual mortal moonlighting as the singer of a dance band called The Heterosexually Challenged. A lethal bite from a zombie during a romantic tryst changed all that, and Maris soon found himself undead and on a mission. He donned a mohawk, changed his band's name to The Faggots of Death, and set out to kill any band that threatened his rise to the top of the heavy music heap. Offering bands free promotion through an interview on his website, Maris lured these musicians into his treacherous claws where they soon found their dreams of stardom snuffed out.[10]

The Faggots of Death

Formed by Maris the Great and lead guitarist Faggoria (Dan Bray) in 2000, The Faggots of Death were created as a live embodiment of Maris' originally fictitious band. The name is a parody of metal groups with monikers such as Stormtroopers of Death and Method of Destruction. For their 2000 premiere performance at Denver's Sportsfield Roxx, they were portrayed by members of Love .45 wearing bizarre costumes. The current lineup of the band includes Faggety Ann (Chris Peterson) on rhythm guitar, Miss Hissy Fit (Michael California) on bass guitar, and Penis Colada (Ethan Zachary) on drums. They perform occasional live shows, notorious for zombie attacks on audience members and other raunchy, blood-spattered theatrics.[11] When making an entrance, band members in drag come out of a gigantic closet onto a stage embellished with inflatable penises. Later in the show, Faggety Ann will often shoot a vile looking liquid from his rectum. Their MySpace page was removed from the site due to complaints about obscenity.[2]

The Faggots of Death released their first studio recording in 2009, the EP Fuck You if You Don't Like Rock and Roll.

Controversy

Maris the Great's sense of humor and unique expressions of homosexuality are not always appreciated by the public. In 2001, police escorted the well-behaved zombie from the Denver PrideFest gay pride parade when organizers of the event asked to have him removed.[12] After pressure from Maris' supporters, the PrideFest organizers eventually issued an apology.[8]

Discomfort with Maris' homosexuality also occurs outside the GLBT community. Westword's Laura Bond stated that, "The sexually explicit, pro-gay aspect of maristhegreat.com has proved a flash point."[8] Others have dismissed Maris' homosexuality as just part of the act. In a rare, out-of-character interview, Maris noted that his website is not about sexuality; it's about challenging convention. But he also stated, "I always felt like an outsider to the gay community anyway, because I was deeply into Metal, Punk and Hardcore. It's only recently that I'm meeting other gay people in extreme music. But initially, I was all alone. Even today, I'd much rather be at a Death Metal show than a gay bar."

Both local and national musicians are sometimes disturbed by Maris' undead appearance and unusual demeanor. Negative reactions are not uncommon, including angry outbursts and crying at the sight of the gay monster. Paul Koehler, drummer for the Candadian post-hardcore band, Silverstein, had Maris the Great removed from Warped Tour due to his belief that death is not a laughing matter.[2] Members of Terror and Sworn Enemy had to be calmed by Maris's manager before they would accept the zombie's presence.[2] And Groovey Newvie of Colorado Music Buzz Magazine called Maris "probably the most polarizing icon in music and entertainment there is."[2]

The gore involved in Maris the Great's photo shoots can be a source of conflict and confusion. After he "killed" KBPI's Matt Need and posted the photos online, police demanded that Maris provide proof the radio host was still alive.[13] Emergency personnel have also been summoned to photo shoots by members of the public who believed the blood was real. Police even blocked off an entire street after Maris left a faux severed penis on the sidewalk.[13] Most of these incidents have ended amicably, however, with police and EMTs congratulating Maris for his realistic artistry.[13]

Videography

  • Bite my Halloweenie, All Aspects Productions (2002) Running Time: 10 minutes
  • Thrilled to Death, All Aspects Productions (2002) Running Time: 10 minutes
  • I Wanna Wait music video with The Emmas, Downside Productions (2003) Running Time: 2:15 minutes[14]
  • Dead as Fuck: The Commodes Get Flushed, All Aspects Productions (2004) Running Time: 30 minutes
  • Where the Fuck are They, Shock Brothers Studio (2007) Running Time: 9 minutes[15]
  • This is Family, Jean Baptiste Erreca (2008) Includes segment on Maris the Great. Broadcast on Nuit Gay Americaine - Canal+, November 7th 2008 [16]
  • Awaken the Dreamers (Bonus DVD), All Shall Perish (2008) Features an appearance by Maris the Great [17]
  • Diamonds Aren't Forever music video, Bring Me the Horizon (2008) Running Time: 3:58 minutes, brief appearance[18]
  • The Most Known Unknown DVD, The Acacia Strain (2010), appearance

Photography and Visual Media

  • Alive, Bury Your Dead (2005) Maris the Great murder photographs featured in CD packaging
  • The Art of Partying, Municipal Waste (2007), appearance in CD artwork inner booklet
  • Hails and Horns magazine, Maris' murder photographs showcased in every issue since the magazine's inception

Awards and Honors

Westword — Best Web Site With Bite (2002) [19]

References

  1. ^ Bond, Laura."The Downfall of Napster is Wussifying the Web". Westword.com. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Newvie, Groovey."Maris The Great's 10-Year Anniversary of Killing Bands". Colorado Music Buzz Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  3. ^ Herrera, Dave. "If Everything Works Out, Maris the Great will Bury Your Dead at Ozzfest". Westword.com. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  4. ^ Hails and Horns Magazine Maris the Great Issue #18
  5. ^ "Maris The Great Kills KITTIE - Slide Show, Interview Available". Bravewords.com Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Comeback Kid Interview". MarisTheGreat.com. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  7. ^ "Throwdown Interview". MarisTheGreat.com. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  8. ^ a b c Bond, Laura."Methods of Mayhem pg 4". Westword.com. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  9. ^ Rue Morgue Magazine Issue #73 "Spotlight: Maris the Great and the Faggots of Death"
  10. ^ "About Maris The Great". MarisTheGreat.com. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  11. ^ Soda Jerk Presents Maris the Great and the Faggots of Death
  12. ^ Magyar, Chris J."Pride and Prejudice". Go-Go Magazine. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  13. ^ a b c Bond, Laura."Methods of Mayhem pgs 2-3". Westword.com. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  14. ^ The Emmas 'I Wanna Wait' music video. YouTube. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  15. ^ Shock Brothers Studio Videography
  16. ^ Maris The Great and the Faggots of Death. YouTube. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  17. ^ All Shall Perish - Awaken the Dreamers Bonus (1/3). YouTube. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  18. ^ Bring me the Horizon - Diamonds Aren't Forever. MySpace. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  19. ^ Westword.com Best Of
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