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The Great Kat Interview in ONEMICROPHONE.COM!
 
By David Iversen, OneMicrophone.com
The Great Kat Interview in ONEMICROPHONE.COM! The Great Kat Interview in ONEMICROPHONE.COM!
 
The Great Kat Interview
Written by David Iversen

Overview
The phrase “Juilliard graduate” would usually instill mental images of opera singers or classically trained composers. Musical virtuosos are something Juilliard is assuredly more than happy to hand a diploma. Chances are, however, they never expected “The Great Kat”.

Born in England and raised in Long Island, Katherine Thomas took on the pseudonym, “ The Great Kat” years after graduating from the prestigious Juilliard school of music. Then all bets were off. It was in 1987 that the world of thrash metal was introduced to “The Great Kat” through her first album “Satan Says”. Since then, the one woman force has been creating an image for herself conjured up from god knows, supplemented with god knows what drugs. S&M, sacrilege and gushing blood are just some of the things fans expect to see at her unique and consistently unpredictable shows. Her music: Made up of reinterpretations of classical composers and original works of thrash metal. To scratch the surface of The Great Kat, she is one of the fastest guitarists in the world. Featured on her yet-to-be-named album, The Great Kat takes on “The Flight of the Bumblebee”, Paganini’s “Caprice #24” and the near celestial Brandenburg Concerto #3 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Each of these tracks has a different feel, a deeply intricate guitar line and at certain points, The Great Kat adding her own vocals to the ambitious re-imaginations.

These tracks, if her 20+ years of music are any indication, turn the classical music world on its head. Once securely in that position, The Great Kat takes it for a roller coaster ride through a meat grinder at 350 beats per minute. The music is fast paced, full of adrenaline and breathes contemporary life into the crumbling legacies of these classical composers. It has been 22 years since the release of The Great Kat’s first album, and her music has only gotten better with age. She continues to prove she is the goddess of shred guitar, and the upcoming album, from what has been heard, is certainly no exception. If you enjoy metal, you will love The Great Kat. And this latest contribution to her collection is the pinnacle of her gift to metal.

If you like these tracks, you will love the Great Kat:
“Flight of the Bumblebee”
“Caprice #24”
“Beethoven’s 5th Symphony”

And now, the interview! Read on...

Question: How did you get into metal?

After graduating from The Juilliard School as a violin virtuoso, I realized that Classical Music was DEAD! I looked for modern popular styles of music to update Classical music with and I found METAL!!!!!!!!

Question: What were the bands that made you fall in love with music?

Judas Priest and Ozzy.

Question: How/When did you decide to "update" classical music?

After leaving Juilliard and realizing that Classical Music MUST BE UPDATED, I picked up the electric guitar and immediately began transcribing brilliant CLASSICAL VIOLIN SOLOS, such as Paganini, Vivaldi, Bazzini and more, to the guitar!!!! The Great Kat’s “SHRED/CLASSICAL” MUSIC WAS BORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: It's very unusual and unique for a woman to have the image you do. Where did it come from and do you think its' important?

The Great Kat’s BLOODY DOMINATRIX image comes from METAL and MY OWN CREATIVE GENIUS!!! It’s VERY IMPORTANT to have a RECOGNIZABLE and OUTRAGEOUS image to WAKE PEOPLE UP to the brilliance of CLASSICAL music!

Question: Your website dedicates so much space to educating visitors about the classical composers. Why do you include that and why do think its important?

Most people do not know the complex and torturous lives of these master composers and it’s up to The Great Kat to make these geniuses COME TO LIFE, so you can understand and appreciate their genius music!!!!!!!!!

Question: Your live performances are very theatrical, which makes you no stranger to being at the center of controversy. Has that affected your musical career? If so, in what ways?

The Great Kat is CAUSING CONTROVERSY with songs like “TORTURE TECHNIQUES”, “WAR”, “TERROR” and “ISLAMOFASCISTS” to WAKE YOU LOSERS UP TO THE REAL WORLD!!!!!!!!! That’s the WHOLE PURPOSE of ART and MUSIC—TO CAUSE AWARENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: On your album covers, in your music videos, you are often covered in blood, dealing with S&M or in some religious scene. How does the imagery fit into your music and why is it important?

BLOOD and S&M fits BRILLIANTLY into The Great Kat’s OPERATIC/SHRED CLASSICAL MUSIC!!!!! Check out the SICK, TWISTED operas of WAGNER (“The Ring”) with its themes of INCEST, MURDER, DECEPTION, GREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: What guitars do you use? What type of violin? (specifically)

Great Kat Shred Guitars: Ibanez S1520 Prestige, Guild Strat Body, Jackson Flying V, Gibson Flying V and MORE!
Great Kat Violin: German 18th century Acoustic
 
Question: What is your new album? Where are you recording it? What is the theme of it? How long have you been recording it? When can we expect to see it on the shelves?

The Great Kat has been recording and filming the UPCOMING New SHRED CD/DVD for months at various studios in NY. This GROUND-BREAKING CD and DVD will feature “THE FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLE-BEE” (at 300 BPM!), PAGANINI’S “CAPRICE #24” for VIOLIN AND GUITAR, BACH’S “BRANDENBURG CONCERTO #3” for 6 GUITARS, 3 VIOLINS and CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, BEETHOVEN’S “5th Symphony” for ORCHESTRA, BAND and SHRED GUITAR and BACH’S “THE ART OF THE FUGUE”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: It's been 21 years since your first album. Sum up your career so far.

The Great Kat has been PRIVILEGED with the JOB of taking BRILLIANT CLASSICAL MASTERPIECES and BRINGING these WORKS of ART to the ENTIRE WORLD through the GUITAR!!!!!!!!!!

Question: You claimed to be the "High Priestess of Shred Guitar". Where did you come up with that name and why?

Because The Great Kat IS THE HIGH PRIESTESS OF GUITAR SHRED!!!!!!!!!!

Question: How do you feel about the transformation of music since the beginning of your career to now? Has it gotten better? If so, what made it better? If not, when did it take a wrong turn and why?

The Great Kat’s MUSIC is BRILLIANT and gets even MORE COMPLEX, technically advanced and powerful with EACH CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: Rossini's Rape is all of 6 minutes. Will your next album be longer?

WAKE UP!!!! THE INTERNET HAS TRAINED EVERYONE to THINK FAST AND MOVE FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL Great Kat CDs and DVDs are FAST, SHORT, TO-THE-POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN’T HANDLE MORE THAN 10 MINUTES OF SHRED/CLASSICAL INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: Besides yourself, who is the best artist currently making music? Who is the worst? Why?

THE GREAT KAT IS GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHO CARES ABOUT ANY OTHER ARTISTS WHEN THE MESSIAH IS HERE TO SAVE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: What is the must see movie of the last decade?

Why would you want to be DULLED OUT with BORING, LONG-WINDED movies, when you can LISTEN TO SHRED/CLASSICAL AND GET EXCITED????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: What is your favorite website?

The Great Kat Web Site at http://www.greatkat.com . Check out HOT PHOTOS, SHRED/CLASSICAL MUSIC, Classical Composers Bios, Shred Blog, Kat News, DVD goodies, Articles, Radio clips and MUCH MORE SHRED INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Special thanks to The Great Kat for taking the time, make sure to visit her website!

 

 

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