Reviews

"I think, being women,
we got a lot of shit from people, particularly because we didn't always come
across as rowdy and boisterous, good-time girls. We gave the audience
a harder time in terms of coping with our music. We took ourselves seriously."
-- GINA BIRCH
THE RAINCOATS

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Talking with The HAIL MARYS

by Melinda Zapata

The Hail Marys first crossed paths with us because we met their drummer at the Paradise Lounge during a particularly enjoyable evening out with Katherine Sawyer (of Wire Graffiti) and Sara Chana. We all had a blast and I vowed to see her band. Thankfully, Katy offered to drive since I have no idea how to get to the Pound on my bicycle.

Thursday night, the 9th of August: Skull & Crossbones fly high above The Pound. Parking lot fills up but the crowd inside hangs around 80 or so bodies. The evening starts out with Castles In Spain. Unfamiliar since I listen to a lot of punk, but even this punk could tell the musicianship was amazing. Two beautiful belly dancers accent the first song but then sadly, join the audience for the rest of the set.

After The Hail Marys play, I am hoping to get my interview and call it a night. Jackie, the vocalist, has positioned herself directly in front of Kathy Valentine and will not be distracted from the Delphines and all their glory. I take a few shots of the headliners then go out and smoke the rest of my cigarettes. My ride leaves, still no Jackie. I start to cheer up when another friend assures me a ride back home. I brave the cold for the pleasure of The Marys company.

The set is varied for a rock band. Some of the songs have an anthem quality that goes with these women's rock-n-roll attitude. There are some fast songs but not enough for my taste. The lyrics are clear and true. It's all very inclusive and attractive. I find myself thinking of my childhood, rockin' out to commercial radio.

Veronica's bass strap comes undone during the first song. Jackie notices right away and comes to reattach it for her. Veronica continues to play, dismissing the glitch. It's a sweet, weird moment. Tonight is Debbie's last night as The Hail Marys guitarist. She will be going back to school instead of rocking and touring. The band will miss her. Jackie threatens to cry between songs.

Mel: Veronica's saying she's the most well-behaved in the band.
Veronica: I am.
Jackie: She's such a liar.
V: I'm a little old country girl from North Carolina.
D: She's fragile, ...blossom? What is it?
V: A fragile, delicate, lotus blossom. I did get the band together for this interview, right?
Mel: I noticed that. Thank You.
C: I noticed that fragile touch on my bosom.
Mel: What makes a show good for you?
D: Being in the zone, it's a thing about being present with it. Not trying too hard, just being there.
V: My good shows are about good audiences. I've had some shows where we thought everyone was enjoying us. Nothing else really matters to me.
J: It's catharsis when we perform. I feel very much like a conduit of energy.
D: Jackie always says it's a release. I think it's really a rush.
Mel: You guys have toured recently?
J: We just got back in April.
Mel: Did you play the Satiricon?
C: We got very drunk and Debbie and I both bled. We drank a lot of rum.
D: When we bleed from playing our instruments, that's good. I bled tonight.
J: We had these boys and it was the first time they'd seen us.
V: They followed us to all our gigs.
D: One of them was wearing this little baby doll Hail Marys t-shirt that was way too small for him. He had to cut it off after three days.
J: Even though we're big dykes, we win over these gnarly, fuckin' hesher dudes.
Mel: It's your attitude. You're very cool. It's an attractive attitude.
Band: Awhhh.
Mel: Do you have any other tour stories you'd like to share? Especially embarrassing ones?
J: Yeah, we were in Gold Beach, Oregon.
D: Jackie remembers the name of that city because it's on the ticket.
J: Bunnies were jumping across the road, we were trying to get to a hotel.
D: It was like 1 o'clock in the morning.
J: This Twin Peaks fuckin' cop comes out of nowhere. He says, "Is there a good reason why you're going 17 miles over the speed limit? I looked at him and thought, you know, that's a trick question. So I said, "Just stupid, I guess."
C: After we play, there was karaoke. There was this guy, all of a sudden; he falls in love with Veronica.
D: He's out in the parking lot, singing to Veronica. You can hear him piping through the walls of the bar. People were taking photos, it was amazing.
C: He's on a wireless out in the fuckin' parking lot!!
V: He was singing power ballads. I have to play up to the fans' fantasies sometimes, you know.
J: Let me just say that Violet Discord fuckin' rocks. Kamala the bass player, we love her. She was right there with us the whole time, San Diego, Portland.
Mel: Would you say that this band is about sisterhood?
D: There is definitely a family thing.
C: I'm the youngest one and every now and then, I feel that these girls are older than me and I can look to them for important advice about things.
Mel: How was the sound tonight?
D: Awesome
J: That's what we love about this place.
C: Philo rules
D: If people make their way out to the Pound, they won't be disappointed. It sounds good.
Mel: What's one thing that every article about The Hail Marys must include?
Band: That we're dykes!!
Mel: Are there political issues close to your heart?
J: That we play really good rock n roll. If you come to one of our shows, it's about good music. Yeah, we're four hard-core dykes but it's all about the music. The only people I had to look up to were the Go-Go's and The Runaways. I wanted to be in a band. I spent a good eight years just playing with dudes, just waiting to find some chicks that could play, to get the gumption to get out there. We didn't have many role models. Now, there's a lot. Go-Go's, The Runaways, that was it, other than Chrissie Hynde or Heart. I think it's political in and of itself for women to get up there and fuckin' wail.
C: I grew up with L7 and 7 year Bitch. I grew up with that notion that girls can and do rock.
D: I identified with all male guitarists. Randy Rhodes, Ritchie Blackthorn, they were my idols. I knew I could play just like them. So, I did. I played music with the boys.
J: I was at Heart at the Concord Pavilion when I was 15. I had this epiphany. I realized there wasn't that much distance for me to get to that stage.
V: I wanted to be in a band, but I couldn't play yet.
D: She realized that the bass had less strings than the guitar.
V: The drums are too expensive...
Mel: What are some bands that you think are worth coming out for?
C: Gamera
D: Mother Superior
C: That whole show we played at the Paradise was amazing. We played with Psychedelic Wedding, Hellfire Choir, people with Bimbo Toolshed, Fabulous Disaster, Violet Discord, Betty Blowtorch.
J: Betty Blowtorch is another killer band. But in the guy vein, there's Gilbey Clark and the Star-Fuckers. As far as local bands go, I'd like to see Swarm make it.
C: Swarm used to be Death Angel.
D: They're one of those bands where you go, "They've got to make it. And if they don't, there's something wrong."
J: There's another singer who we think is awesome. Her name is Storm.
Mel: Ever got into a fight at one of your shows?
C: I have! I got into a fight with the manager and the drummer from Betty Blowtorch. The manager had some drama with my girlfriend and started yelling at her. We got into it.
J: We almost got into it in Monterey, with a bunch of jugheads from Georgia that were Marine guys. They were eating out of our hands by the end of it. Way back in the day, I got into a fight because some freaky tweaky promoter put his hands on my girlfriend. That was when I had to deck him.
V: I'm a lover, not a fighter.
D: She used to be a wrestler.
V: That is true.
Mel: What do you think of the Delphines?
J: They're awesome! They got this blues-base, pop-punk sound. Kathy Valentine used to play bass, she's wailing on guitar.
D: Dominique is the bass player. The drummer was cracking me up. She set up all the drums in the middle of the room while Castles in Spain was setting up. She started playing. She played for like 2 minutes, then, she's all, "Sound check done." She put them all away. I thought that was so punk rock.
J: Come see us October 22, we're playing with the Butchies in Santa Cruz.
D: This is a great band.

The Hail Marys:
Jackie Strano - vocals Debbie Torrey - guitar
Veronica Savage - bass
Cat Barber - drums

NEXT GIG:
October 22 in Santa Cruz with The Butchies

"The only people I had
to look up to were the
Go-Go's and The Runaways. I wanted to be in a band. I spent a good eight years just playing with dudes, just waiting to find some chicks that could play, to get the gumption to get out there. We didn't have many role models.
Now, there's a lot."
-- JACKIE STRANO