Writers Note*
As I reflect on the coming of StevenMarque
it has become clear to the writer why he was the man to succeed
legend Stiv Bator’s. His unfortunate parting was music’s
loss; not to be replaced but replenished. When posed the question,
“How do you succeed a rock legend?” especially
in these latter days of less than legendary rock, I asked
myself, “How do the gods intercede when any other earthly
empire burns? Answer: With a new season, a new desire, a new
flame. Through raging music, orgies of delight, revolt and
celebration, StevenMarque is this new season of rock. Marque
bleeds for the passions of music, science, love and decadence.
StevenMarque embraces the mystic and the material world, aligning
with Centurion and Savior alike. Give hail and listen fellow
citizens of burning empires. It is my pleasure to present
my exclusive interview with Steven Marque.
RSP: Steven, when I was researching
some of your influences I came across and interesting quote
regarding the nature of Alchemy: “Do what thou wilt
shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under
will.” How do you interpret this?
StevenMarque - It’s attributed to Crowley.
A more basic alchemical truth is “As above so below.
“ But anyway, Crowley has been condemned as the Arch-Satanist,
but this is perhaps to do him less than justice, for he belonged
to an age-old tradition which saw the Eternal as the ultimate
unity in which all the opposites were reconciled, including
good and evil. He had lived in the East and was familiar with
the scriptures of both the Hindus and Buddhists for whom these
ideas were commonplace, but whereas the early Buddhists at
least considered that training in good life was a necessary
prerequisite for the realization of the Eternal, there were
occult sects among both religions who disputed this and practiced
what they preached. He developed elaborate rites of sexual
“magick.”... OTO... had connections with the left-hand
Tantra in India, the adepts of which practiced sexual magic,
their purpose being to attain to the Absolute through the
union of the opposites, that is, the male and female principles
allegedly inherent in the one true God.
RSP: I learned that, aside from
being a visionary musician and singer, you are also a talented
painter. You have crafted all of the visual design for The
Lords since the reincarnation. What visual artists of the
past or present do you relate to or get inspired by?
StevenMarque - Presently, I’m inspired
by my contemporaries: Dean Karr, Paul Gulacy, Becca, Richard
Colman, Dalek, Camille Rose Garcia, Steven R. Gilmore, Alex
Gross, Shephard Fairey, Viktor Koen, Dave McKean, Keiti Ota,
Todd Schorr, Kent Williams, Justin Wood. There is nothing
from the past that does not inspire me, but in particular
I appreciate art that has been banned for one reason or another.
RSP: You are obviously aware
of, if not versed in Pagan belief, Dionysian worship, Ancient
Geometry and bloodlust. Contemporary “shock rockers”
and Artists of the past like Alice Cooper and KISS padded
their wallets and mansions wearing this costume but, when
in reality, they maintained very conservative Wall Street
ethics and calculated restrained corporate practices. I appreciate
the drama and the act of these “part time pagans”
however, I often feel cheated by this façade to bolster
record sales and create “planned controversy”.
I believe that you honestly hold your values true and apply
them to your life and art. How do you differ from these “staged
rock acts” and, how do you apply these beliefs to your
everyday life?
StevenMarque - Thank you very kindly for
that. First, even though I may know a lot about these subjects,
Clearly, I am not a devotee of any mandated belief system
other than questioning authority and thinking for ones self.
I don’t fault KISS or AC for anything. At some point,
I’m the most sentimental person you’ll find about
childhood and childhood dreams. To this day, no matter the
evolution of their product, neither group nor individual from
the groups can do any wrong in my eyes, really. I do think
that they have had better albums and shows than others, but
I completely align with Marcel Duchamp’s ethos: It’s
about the artist, not the art - AND I’m fiercely loyal
to my friends and my childhood inspirations. I do think that
my art is less accessible; I have no plans to dumb anything
down beyond my own experiential level. I simply can’t
do that and live with myself. My art is for me. It’s
the greatest thrill in the universe when someone else enjoys
it, or head bangs to it - but it’s written as honestly
and as true to my sensibilities as possible. I’ve never
tried to craft a fiduciary hit song. I have definitely tried
to craft clever, literary masterpieces of wit, comedy, tragedy
and farce packed with double meanings and devices, meant to
mirror the worlds and deeds I experience. And I tend to be
either bookish in the extreme or contrarily experiencing constant
festival, ritual and romance and rapture. Duality has its
charm.
RSP: Does history repeat itself?
According to the famous Roman historian Tacitus, Gnaeus Julius
Agricola (AD 40 - 93) crossed the Menai Straits to take Anglesey,
reportedly massacring the island’s inhabitants who were
of the Druid faith. Tacitus doesn’t spare us the details,
giving a vivid account of wild-haired women and barbarian
Druids who created a formidable line on the shore opposite
the mainland. Do you see any relevancy in this story to the
current way the United States is treating world diplomacy?
What are your views on Holy Wars?
StevenMarque - I don’t know enough
about US diplomatic policy to actually comment intelligently,
but as far as I’m concerned, history should repeat itself
relentlessly in terms of vivid accounts of wild haired island
women‘s exploits. Sex, death and money honey, that’s
what makes the world go round, whether holy or not. I think
it’s significant that so many people’s world,
(and off-world,) views are fear based, dictated to them by
an illuminated piece of plastic. So few people seem to want
to seek to find and so many are content to be told what to
believe by other people or tax exempt corporate entities.
I know what I believe - I believe I’ll have another
cocktail.
RSP: Have you ever died on stage
or had any near death experiences? How does mortality affect
your work?
StevenMarque - I’ve had a few near
death experiences with jealous boyfriends and spurned ex-girlfriends
backstage. In those cases it can affect my ability to come
back for an encore - if you know what I mean.
RSP: Do you believe in monsters.
As in real vampires, shape-shifters and wraiths?
StevenMarque - One’s own strength of
will and ability determines what one sees from the other side,
how it is interpreted and most importantly how much power
that vision has in comparison to ones own. Dabblers should
not tread deep waters with treacherous currents.
RSP: Listening you your lyrics
I sense you have a deeply visual imagination. What were you
like as a child; do you remember your first poem or song?
Would you share it with us?
StevenMarque - It’s true, I was truly
precocious, I used to sit at the piano with my mom and sing
along with her playing. I remember in particular doing ‘MACK
THE KNIFE,” foreshadowing Priest’s THE RIPPER
possibly? I was listening to Alice Cooper by 7 and Blue Oyster
Cult at 8, so I had some fabulous, very early metal tutelage.
I was obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe and Universal Monsters.
My mom bought me libraries of Poe and my dad stayed up every
Saturday night with me to watch SHOCK THEATER. I wasn’t
writing poems or songs as child, but more drawing and writing
book reports and album reviews. The first I ever submitted
was a critical analysis of MOTORHEAD ‘ACE OF SPADES.’
I had very long almost white blonde hair below my shoulders
and I spent a lot of time playing with action figures and
making stop-motion animated films with them including a 3
minute KISS show, fully costumed with 1/24” scale photo
realistic stage set with miniature pyro from the Destroyer
Tour after my dad took me to see it in 1976. After that show,
my fate was sealed.
RSP: Can you share what your
most vivid dream/nightmare has been lately?
StevenMarque - I lived through a 24 hour
ordeal recently that I’ll be dealing with for a long
time. It was nightmarish, beautiful, surreal, and absolutely
conscious lucid dreaming. I can’t go into it, but if
you ever see the 70’s film ‘Equinox,’ you’ll
have a glimpse into a typical Sunday afternoon around the
StevenMarque loose palace of exile.
RSP: What would an original Centurion
bring into battle to ensure a victorious outcome?
StevenMarque - An iPod and an MP3 of MAD
LOVE, it’s the digital spear of destiny.
RSP: I would love to see your
upcoming CD “Mad Love” performed live in a Roman
amphitheater during a wild Bacchanalian orgy. Does this describe
a typical night for Steven Marque and where can we see this
amazing music played live or hear your latest work?
StevenMarque - We plan to shoot the video
in Pompeii at the same ruins Pink Floyd used. Failing that
we’ll probably just go to a modern coliseum of consumption
like The Spearmint Rhino. All kidding aside, I know it’s
probably all too easy to place me contextually in the midst
of a bevy of beautiful, buxom feral women, writhing like snakes
around an opulent outdoor ceremonial stairway to the stars,
in honor of all things hedonistic and wanton, but honestly……
that wouldn’t even be the half of it.
To glimpse this up close and
personal, join StevenMarque and his band in Hollywood to welcome
Hallows Eve this year, Sat. 10/30 at The Cat and Fiddle, 6530
Sunset Blvd from 10 to 2 with special emphasis on midnight.
- Interview by Michael Giambra
/ Rockstarpix.TV
Special thanks to StevenMarque.
http://www.myspace.com/stevenmarque
Official Site Here.