FRENCH guitarist Anso Parrod, now living in Newcastle, grew up seeing her favourite bands at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris.
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On November 13, 2015, news broke of a terrorist attack at the venue in which 89 people were murdered. Another 41 were killed in other locations in the deadliest attacks on French soil since WWII.
“I grew up in Paris,” Parrod said. “It really touched me.”
Before long she had turned her anger into the song Transparence which features in the set list of her band MayDay Way Hey.
The song is a declaration of the refusal to live in fear.
“It’s about not being afraid of this extreme violence and how they make people so afraid they stop doing what they normally do,” Parrod said.
“In France that’s the lifestyle, you go out with your friends and socialise.”
“It’s about solidarity as well … and it’s for all the lives lost.
The band formed in Sydney in 2009. Things fell apart after their Italian drummer was deported for being an over-stayer.
Not long after Parrod relocated to Newcastle and began to piece the band back together. The line-up now sees Alex Madigan on drums and Gavin Farley on bass. The have been together in this shape for about two years.
The band’s sound has changed since switching line-ups.
“The band is heavier and we work on the songs much more, when you change drummers you naturally go in another direction,” Parrod said.
The band is inspired by the likes of L7, Sonic Youth, Melvins and Violent Soho.
“It’s not straight-forward,” Farley said.
“It’s very influenced by ‘90s grunge, big guitars, big muff. Old school Magic Dirt, we try to steer away from pop.
“Kind of like Mudhoney but with more chick attitude.
“There is some intentional weird in the song-writing.”
Parrod’s vocals are dark, brooding and verge on screaming.
“I scream a lot, and we are going more in that direction,” Parrod said.
“I thought I might get calmer once I had a baby, but no.”
The band is currently demoing towards a recording they hope to produce and release next year.
“We have had a few cracks at recording demos, but then some milk got spilled on the laptop and the recording went down,” Farley said.
“And then it got recovered and then we tried to re-record it and then Alex had a baby.
“We are going to try to record it next year … probably as an EP.”
Next gig: November 27 at the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham.