Musical Castration & Bloodsoaked
Cyber-Shredding With The Great Kat
Bryan Reesman, Contributor
Monday, November 27, 2000 03:29 PM
KNAC.COM
Scribe Bryan Reesman Survives An Exclusive Interview With Insane String Virtuoso The Great
Kat
It has
been said that there is a link between insanity and genius, and worshippers of
megalomaniacal guitarist/violinist The Great Kat would certainly declare it to be the
absolute truth. For well over a dozen years, the leather and lingerie-clad dominatrix of
the heavy metal set has ripped through classical greats and original compositions at
lightning speed, discombobulating our traditional perspectives of classical music and
sending her devout followers into spasmodic reveries. And with the release of the recent Rossini's
Rape EP and gory video for "Castration" (viewable at www.greatkat.com), she continues to
overload our senses.
The
Great Kat's assault on the music world began with her 1987 release Worship Me Or Die! and
its 1990 follow-up Beethoven On Speed, both half-hour long releases on Roadrunner
Records featuring speed metal reinvention of works by Chopin, Beethoven, and Bach, with a
48-second version of "Flight Of The Bumblebee" on the latter! The shrieking
Goddess Of Shred certainly garnered a lot of press for her over the top albums in press
outlets like the New York Times, Billboard, and Entertainment Weekly and TV outlets
including Entertainment Tonight, The Joan Rivers Show, and Live With Regis & Kathie
Lee. One wonders how those television hosts survived those encounters.
Following
this initial aural blitz on humanity, Kat took a break from releasing new material until
her 1996 CD-ROM The Great Kat's Digital Beethoven on Cyberspeed, which included
five songs, Kat's discourse on great classical composers throughout history, a music
glossary, Interactive Kat TV, and more. Since then, Kat has released EPs that make
Slayer's Reign In Blood look like a double album. Guitar Goddess, Bloody Vivaldi,
or Rossini's Rape have all clocked in under 10 minutes, while accompanying videos
for Live At The Expo Of The Extreme, Dominatrix, and Torture Chamber have
ranged from 2 ½ to 5 minutes. Naturally true Kat aficionados won't begrudge such small
morsels as they can witness their blood-splattered anti-diva humiliating, whipping, and
abusing like-minded devotees in a gruesome display a la the Marquis De Sade.
Ultimately
what's the point of Kat's grotesque theatrics? To prove to us all that female rockers can
be just as aggressive, antagonistic, and apocalyptic as men. There's no argument here!
(and Dani from Cradle Of Filth is evidently dying to have her appear on his band's next
opus.) KNAC.COM's probing interview (pun intended) was originally scheduled in-person at
this year's CMJ music conference, but due to scheduling conflicts, the KNAC.COM
inquisition was conducted via the shadowy realms of cyberspace. All virtual shouting has
remain uncensored, giving this writer the impression that he spared his eardrums from some
abusive verbal volleys. Is she insane? A genius? Both? You decide.
Prepare
to enter the realm of the Great Kat. To rip a famous movie tag-line, you will believe a
woman can fly…across the fretboard at astonishing velocity.
KNAC.COM:
How did Katherine become The Great Kat? Did this occur during your years at Julliard? Why
did the transformation occur?
KAT:
After graduating from The Juilliard School as a violin virtuoso soloist and realizing that
Classical Music is dead, I decided to take Classical Music into the 21st Century with
modern popular music. After hearing all forms of popular music, I realized that I HAVE TO
METALLIZE Classical Music, by mixing it with Metal!!!!!! THE GREAT KAT WAS BORN!!!!!!
| "CLASSICAL MUSIC IS DEAD
and THE GREAT KAT IS THE ONLY GENIUS SINCE BEETHOVEN to SYSTEMATICALLY RESURRECT CLASSICAL
MUSIC AND BRING IT TO THE MORON MASSES and WAKE UP CIVILIZATION WITH POWERFUL, ENERGETIC
MUSIC!" |
KNAC.COM:
How many instruments do you play?
KAT:
The Great Kat plays violin, guitar, viola, piano, bass, and a variety of instruments.
KNAC.COM:
I heard you once played a violin solo at Carnegie Hall before The Great Kat came into
being. Do you think they'd let you perform there now?
KAT:
(screaming) WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLASSICAL MUSIC IS DEAD and THE GREAT KAT IS THE
ONLY GENIUS SINCE BEETHOVEN to SYSTEMATICALLY RESURRECT CLASSICAL MUSIC AND BRING IT TO
THE MORON MASSES and WAKE UP CIVILIZATION WITH POWERFUL, ENERGETIC MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Is a song like "Castration" all live playing or is it a mixture of your playing
against sequenced melodies and arpeggios?
KAT:
The Great Kat's "Castration" from Rossini's Rape is a brilliant and sick
combination of live, electric guitars playing both melodies, harmonies and arpeggios, bass
and drums with three MIDI Harpsichords also playing melodies, harmonies and arpeggios.
KNAC.COM:
What's your favorite Kat song and why?
KAT:
ALL KAT MUSIC IS BRILLIANT, GENIUS, UNBELIEVABLY POWERFUL AND TOTALLY UNIQUE BLEND OF
COMPLEX CLASSICAL MUSIC AND VICIOUS SPEED METAL SHREDDING!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
What kind of fan mail do you get?
| "ALL KAT MUSIC IS
BRILLIANT, GENIUS, UNBELIEVABLY POWERFUL AND TOTALLY UNIQUE BLEND OF COMPLEX CLASSICAL
MUSIC AND VICIOUS SPEED METAL SHREDDING!" |
KAT:
SICK AND TWISTED EMAILS AND LETTERS FROM KAT SLAVES AROUND THE WORLD WHO WANT TO LICK
THEIR MASTER'S FEET, KISS MY GODLY BUTT, BOW TO THE QUEEN OF SPEED AND BE TOTALLY
HUMILIATED AND ABUSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
What was the most memorable?
KAT:
The crazed lunatic fan from Holland who sent me his underwear drenched in blood!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
What's the funniest review you've ever read about your music?
KAT:
One reviewer stated how brilliant the KAT CD is and demanded to be personally sodomized
and castrated by the high-priestess of guitar shred!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
What's the strangest gig you've ever played?
KAT:
The strangest gig was allowing a rabid fan to lick my ass and bite it on
stage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And he wouldn't stop until I kicked him in the butt!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Given that you are The Great Kat, who's your idol?
KAT:
The Great Kat's Influences: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Wagner.
KNAC.COM:
Do you think, if alive, they would idolize you?
KAT:
BEETHOVEN, MOZART, BACH, AND WAGNER WOULD ALL BE THANKING THE GREAT KAT FOR SAVING
CLASSICAL MUSIC FROM EXTINCTION!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
What is you favorite Great Kat composition and why?
KAT:
The Great Kat's brilliant masterpiece "castration" is the Genius combination of
classical complexity and vicious, ripping speed metal guitar shredding, plus totally sick
and violent lyrics!
KNAC.COM:
Would you ever consider doing a guitar duet - or perhaps have a guitar duel - with Yngwie
Malmsteen?
KAT:
WHO????!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Yngwie Fucking Malmsteen! How about Joe Satriani? Steve Vai?
KAT:
WHO???????!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Do you have any current plans to play live anywhere in the near future?
KAT:
THE HIGH PRIESTESS OF GUITAR SHRED/VIOLIN VIRTUOSITY ONLY PLAYS SELECT SHOWS!!!!!! IF ALL
OF MY KAT SLAVES WANT TO SEE THEIR MESSIAH LIVE, THEN DEMAND IT!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Where did you get the slaves for your 1997 appearance at the "Expo Of The
Extreme" in Chicago?
KAT:
The Kat slaves used in any Kat video are actual slaves from around the world who come to
worship their messiah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
If you could resurrect any one classical composer and talk to them, who would it by and
why? Would you take them to dinner or your torture chamber?
| "DON'T YOU GET IT?! THE
GREAT KAT IS THE REINCARNATION OF BEETHOVEN AND MY MISSION IS TO UPDATE CLASSICAL MUSIC
FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM! NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN DO THIS MISSION! NOW STEP ASIDE,
MORONS AND LET ME GET TO WORK!" |
KAT:
Ludwig van Beethoven. I would take Beethoven to my studio and BLOW HIM AWAY with the NEW
CLASSICAL MUSIC of the 21st CENTURY-CYBERSPEED!!!!!! BEETHOVEN WOULD BE ON HIS KNEES,
BOWING TO THE NEW BEETHOVEN OF THE 21ST CENTURY-THE GREAT KAT!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Would you spank or humiliate him?
KAT:
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WILL ULTIMATELY BE DOMINATED, CASTRATED, SODOMIZED AND ABUSED BY THE
GUITAR DOMINATRIX KAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Recent Great Kat releases include metallicized classical pieces and original neo-classical
thrash compositions with vulgar lyrics. It's like a Jekyll & Hyde representation of
classical and extreme metal. Are you trying to imply something about the classical world
or do you just want to piss them off?
KAT:
The Great Kat is out on a REVOLUTIONARY MISSION of UPDATING, RESURRECTING and
SYSTEMATICALLY CHANGING THE FACE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC BY MAKING IT LISTENABLE FOR THE COMMON
PEONS!!!!!!! The reason I write about sick and disgusting topics like "Sodomize"
and "Castration" is to wake up all males to realize that women can be as
aggressive, competitive and virtuosic as men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Speaking of Jekyll & Hyde, I have a theory about the Great Kat. When she's not playing
music, she's a mild-mannered librarian who reads Harry Potter books to kids. Am I right?
KAT:
THE GREAT KAT IS ALWAYS PLAYING, PERFORMING, COMPOSING OR PROMOTING MY GENIUS CYBERSPEED
MUSIC!!!!! THERE IS NO TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE in this PATHETIC WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Will The Great Kat eventually have little Kats to take over the music world?
KAT:
DON'T YOU GET IT???????!!!!!!! THE GREAT KAT IS THE REINCARNATION OF BEETHOVEN AND MY
MISSION IS TO UPDATE CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM!!!!!!!! NO ONE ELSE IN THE
WORLD CAN DO THIS MISSION!!!!!! NOW STEP ASIDE, MORONS AND LET ME GET TO
WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KNAC.COM:
Any words of encouragement for future Kats?
KAT:
GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTTS and GET INTO THE ONLINE, INFORMATION AGE, INTERNET-OBSESSED
COMPUTERIZED WORLD!!!!!!!! PRACTICE YOUR BUTTS OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE GREAT KAT IS THE
REINCARNATION OF BEETHOVEN!!!!! NOW BOW PEASANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Access
the Great Kat online at www.greatkat.com
…if you dare.
KNAC
contributor Bryan Reesman can be accessed at www.bryanreesman.com |
