Maris the Great
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Maris the Greatis 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 promotes bands through interviews on his website, MarisTheGreat.com.[1]The interviews end with the fictional murder of the featured band and graphic photos of their demise. Notable bands he has interviewed includeKittie,Comeback Kid,andThrowdown.[2][3]Maris refers to himself as "Headbanger and Zombie Fag Extraordinaire," for his musical preferences and outspoken homosexuality.[4][5]He is known for his refusal to break character or appear without makeup in public.[6]
History
[edit]Maris the Great began working with Denver bands in 2000 to promote the local music scene. His website went live at midnight on June 1, 2000, and featured local pop-rock band, Rubber Planet, as its first guest. In 2005, Maris expanded to the national scene by promoting Massachusetts-based hardcore band,Bury Your Dead,and serving as their personal master of ceremonies on theOzzfesttour.[5]During his two weeks at Ozzfest, many of the attendees began to refer to him as "The Ozzfest Monster," promptingMTVto include a segment on him in their coverage of the festival.[5]Fuse TValso ran a feature on the brain-eating zombie, as didRue Morgue Magazine.[7]Maris the Great has worked as a promoter for over 100 local and national acts.[5]
Maris retired on July 30, 2011.[8][9]
The Faggots of Death
[edit]In 2000, Maris and Dan Bray formed The Faggots of Death as the real life version of Maris' originally fictitious band. The name is a parody of metal groups with monikers such asStormtroopers of DeathandMethod of Destruction.Their MySpace page was removed from the site due to complaints about obscenity.[5]
Controversy
[edit]In 2001, police escorted Maris from theDenver PrideFestgay pride parade when organizers of the event asked to have him removed.[10]After pressure from Maris' supporters, the PrideFest organizers eventually issued an apology.[6]
Westword's Laura Bond stated that, "The sexually explicit, pro-gay aspect of maristhegreat.com has proved a flash point."[6]Others have dismissed Maris' homosexuality as just part of the act. In an 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."[5]
Paul Koehler,drummer for the Canadian post-hardcore bandSilverstein,had Maris the Great removed fromWarped Tourdue to his belief that death is not a laughing matter.[5]Members ofTerrorandSworn Enemyhad to be calmed by Maris's manager before they would accept his presence.[5]And Groovey ofColorado Music BuzzMagazine called Maris "probably the most polarizing icon in music and entertainment there is."[5]
The gore involved in Maris the Great's photo shoots have been a source of conflict and controversy in the past. After depicting the graphic death ofKBPI's Matt Need online, police requested that Maris provide proof that the radio host was still alive.[11]Emergency personnel have been summoned to photo shoots by members of the public who believed the blood was real, and police once blocked off an entire street after a faux severed penis was left on the sidewalk.[11]Most of these incidents have ended amicably, with various authorities complementing Maris on the scenes' realism.[11]
Awards and honors
[edit]Westword— Best Web Site With Bite (2002)[12]
References
[edit]- ^Herrera, Dave."If Everything Works Out, Maris the Great will Bury Your Dead at Ozzfest".Westword.com.Retrieved11 June2010.
- ^"Maris The Great Kills KITTIE - Slide Show, Interview Available".Bravewords.com Magazine.Retrieved11 June2010.
- ^Interview with Maris the Great in Denver!!AdobeAirStream.com
- ^Bond, Laura."The Downfall of Napster is Wussifying the Web".Westword.com.Retrieved11 June2010.
- ^abcdefghiGroovey."Maris The Great's 10-Year Anniversary of Killing Bands".Colorado Music Buzz Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 8 July 2011.Retrieved11 June2010.
- ^abcBond, Laura."Methods of Mayhem pg 4".Westword.com.Retrieved22 June2010.
- ^Rue Morgue MagazineIssue #73Archived2010-02-05 at theWayback Machine"Spotlight: Maris the Great and the Faggots of Death"
- ^Maris the Great is about to be laid to restDenver Westword Blogs
- ^Shredding This Mortal Coil: The Retirement of Maris the GreatGroovey.tv
- ^Magyar, Chris J."Pride and Prejudice".Go-Go Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 3 August 2001.Retrieved27 June2010.
- ^abcBond, Laura."Methods of Mayhem pgs 2-3".Westword.com.Retrieved28 June2010.
- ^"Best Web Site With Bite".Westword.com.4 April 2002.Retrieved19 September2020.