CLAIRE STORM OF CHAINSAW MASSCARA January 1, 2016 / by John "Stoney" Cannon If you can imagine Marilyn Monroe dolled up in full Gene Simmons makeup and costume while playing the part of Frank in a bizarre alternate universe rendition of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, then you might have an inkling of the over-the-top band that is Augusta shock rock group CHAINSAW MASSCARA. Lending more to past groups more likely seen in larger surrounding cities such as Atlanta's Impotent Sea Snakes, Chainsaw Masscara is a blaze of odd fire among the laid back folk and Americana groups mainly found in the CSRA area. But every large city needs a regular kick in the shins to shake things up and Chainsaw Masscara, fronted by veteran drag doll/performer Claire Storm, is the band to do just that! LL - OK before we dig deep into the meat of this interview, how about a quick word about who the heck Claire Storm is. Just for the couple people who never leave the house who may be reading online. CS - A larger than life, over-the-top drag performer from Augusta, Ga best described as the Barbie Doll From Hell with influences from Bette Davis and David Bowie to Elvira and Marilyn Manson. But Hellbarbie is the best adjective. LL - Now some people are known as wearers of many hats but I once heard you refer to yourself as "a tramp of many tricks" - explain. CS - I am a performer of many trades and looks from singing, dancing, makeup and costume design to fire breathing. LL - OK let's jump into the main trick that you might possibly be currently known for and that is fronting glam horror rock band Chainsaw Masscara. How in the world did you manage to conceive of such a wild group, and in of all places, quiet, laid back Augusta, Georgia? CS - It was a concept i came up with around 10 years ago but it took me being cast in the musical Hedwig and the Angry inch, where I met Pablo Bravo, to make it happen. LL - Chainsaw comes across as a mad mix of 70's camp theater, 80's B horror movies, and old school glam rock. Does this even come close to describing the band? CS - Pretty on point actually. LL - So correct me if I am wrong, but not only do you put on an over the top production each show, there is a theme created for each show as well? CS - Yes, every show generally has some sort of theme tied in to make it more theatrical. This usually includes any covers chosen along with our original music as well. LL - OK so give an example of a theme for a Chainsaw Masscara show and what someone might expect to get blasted with theme-wise. CS - Well our upcoming April 1st show at Joes Underground is Prom night Massacre themed which we plan on having the place decked out like a 70 s prom and will feature a Carrie/ prom night nod ( things will get bloody) we will also encourage bloody formal attire and crown a king and queen. LL - So what will the theme be this Saturday? And so far what has been the band's biggest theme to date? CS - This Saturday we are planning a Bowie/80s vampire theme which was already planned before we heard the news of David Bowie's passing. We have a feeling it's going to be pretty big. LL - So I think we have established that Chainsaw Masscara is fronted by Claire. Fill us in on the other members and what they bring to the band. CS - Pablo Bravo is kind of the music director and the drummer and from time to time though he will play other instruments too. Brint Lollar is our guitarist and last year he won the Lokal Loudness award for favorite local guitarist. He brings a lot to the plate and is very creative with his riffs especially on our originals. Then we have Raye Marsh who goes by the name Ghost. She is our bassist but she prefers the name ghost because she likes to kind of be in the background and not in the spotlight. She's been with us for almost a year now. LL - Let's make sure that before some people just assume that the group is just a novelty cover band we shed a bit of light on the fact that there are original tunes in the can, others on the way, and if I've heard the rumor right - a release of some sort in the future. Is this true and what kind of tunes can listeners and fans expect? CS - We currently have 7 originals that all have a Life of their own. Some of them sound very 80's and then there's those that sound sort of early 90's. Some of our original titles are "Cheap Nail Polish", "Unstoppable Killer", and "User Friendly." Then there are fan favorites like "Zombie Trees" and "Identity Crisis" and new song "Neon Phantom Freaks from Outer Space. LL - As a fan of rockers like Gene Simmons and Alice Cooper, Claire not only shares the common bond of being in a rock and roll band but also for being a pretty seasoned actor with a new film premiere coming up. Spill the beans on this new flick! CS - The film is called Destiny Darling and it's kind of a grindhouse revenge flick. It has a dirty Tarantino feel and it also involves a chainsaw. I play the title character. LL - Now this is the film's premiere but not your film debut. What other cinematic work have you under your garter belt? CS - I've been in a few Christopher Forbes films and even got to share the screen with famous 80's scream queen Linnea Quigley in the film Cabaret Diabolique. I was also in a short film by Stephen Gilliam called Sons of God and another film that is supposed to be released eventually called Confederate zombie. LL - Seems to me that you tend to lean toward dark, odd character roles. Would that be a fair assumption? CS - I tend to like playing the villains as they're a lot of fun plus their costumes are always a lot cooler looking. But most of the roles I have been cast as It just went that way. LL - Anyone else in Chainsaw act? CS -Lollar has been in Rocky Horror the stage version with me as Rocky, I think Pablo has done a few things not sure about Ghost LL - These kind of dark, tortured, and sometimes kinky roles can also be seen in some of your roles in musical productions such as playing leads in Rocky Horror and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Is there just something appealing that you find in these types of roles or perhaps something in your own personality that makes you a perfect fit to play these types of characters? CS - Maybe I can just relate to those characters on some level or another especially Hedwig. But some of the darker characters, like I said, tend to be more fun to play or more interesting to me. LL - OK so we've established that the public figure known as Claire Storm can rock the club stage, scare up some imagery in front of the camera, and throw down in a live theater setting. You even run a theater production company (Misfit Theatre) Do I even dare ask what you do in your spare time? CS - Spare time what is that LOL LL - And what else should we know about the show coming up this weekend? CS - It is full of surprises, we're pulling out all the stops so if you are in a Augusta Georgia and you haven't seen Chainsaw Masscara yet, this is the show to see. LL - Break a leg...um nail...um...have a great show! CS - Thanks i will try! CHAINSAW MASSCARA LIVE 9pm SAT FEB. 6 LE CHAT NOIR