dear land of heavy music lovers,
this is an ode to you, in a snapshot of what i think is the best HEAVY MUSIC festival in the world. you can not ask for a better city to host it, and a more passionate (French Canadian!) audience. proud that my home town can bring this life, and obligated to share it. MAdMTV meets HEAVY MTL, Pour Vous, in 4 parts x hope you enjoy as much as we did being there x

PART 1 – Featuring the Lay of the Festival Land, Skeletonwitch and more

PART 2 – Featuring the “Ladies” loving Lamb of God, Rob Zombie and more!

PART 3 – Featuring my love of all things M and Mastodon and Much Much More!

PART 4 – Featuring Dave, magic drummer of Slayer and the HEAVY MTL CROWD!

DISCLAIMER / WARNING:
i was not prepared for making my first televised report. in an attempt to be prepared, i #ASKED the tweeters and facers to help me come up with questions last minute. there was a slew of great questions that came in from mariano, amal, adam, ricky, matt, james, katalyze, en apariencia, jj87, the real osmium, antonio, sarah, sweetice, mayvelin, hate the hate AND MORE> THANK YOU for all your collaboration, but i was scrambling and lost the paper. ended up winging it off the cuff.

Going Live, From Austria!

xMAdMx

I’ve been in the delicious comfort of my own home since the Belgium – Comic Con – Heavy MTL explosion overload week. In this time at home, we’ve worked on the next music video for OOOM… involving smoke machines, haunted tunnels and veils, more soon on that… but i’ve also had a chance to reflect and review the last many busy weeks, months. traveling with with and for music, feeds me with the need to connect with other humans. there’s the performance part, which is the Number One HOLY part, then there’s the one on one, which is the HUMAN part. on that last journey out to sea, these people stood out to me, and are sources of profound inspiration that will affect my future work. now that’s HEAVY serious ! x

it’s very exciting to meet people who’s unique inside vision is manifested on the outside in such a clear way. the extra-ordinary, bonus feeling comes when you feel that person is pulling from the same eclectic puzzle pieces (an odd rhythm or painting movement) as you, but laid out in a completely different pattern, so much that hardly anyone else could see the connection, but you. maybe it’s that you feel the connection in the intention of how the person and their works is put together, or it involves similar themes but in a different melody, or maybe it’s familiar emotional or intellectual message at work…. very hard to peg, but you feel the connection instantly. that is the feeling when you find a new band or film or artists to love. it’s as if you found something you were looking for. it’s a great feeling, and i know we all experience it –

So i was lucky to experience that a few times in my big zig zag europe / california / canada week….. Starting with meeting some Jazzy Vikings from Norway in Belgium, at the Dour Festival….. may i introduce to you SHINING

you should dig into their new album BLACK JAZZ immediately. it’s amazing and way out there on their very unique and heavy sonic journey. my dutch friend BOB, who’s never wrong about quality and originality, had told me about them, and luckily got me to the tent where they were playing. it was INTENSE! then i had the pleasure to meet the humans that make SHINING. their intelligence, work ethic and genuineness – struck deep. now they are in my cd player and radar for eternity x

Bel Canto by Michael Zulli

from music festival to comic convention……
the beautiful Century Guild booth that hosted me at comic con, was also the place where a man that legends are made of, held court too – they call him Zulli, Michael Zulli. he is a phenomenal painter, illustrator, with a striking blue suit and matching boots. we had an instant connect, as if he’d known me entirely, in a distant life, or maybe we met in a world in his paintings…. he gave me words of hope and encouragement. a total stranger knowing exactly just how unique this intense year of my creative mission has been. the challenges and the freedom…. i was deeply touched. he gave me a gift of one of his prints, and i gave him OOOM…… this week in his blog i found one of the more thoughtful reviews of this year. thank you zulli x

“I was given a package by Madam Auf Der Maur at Sdcc, that contained the video of “Out Of Our Minds”. It was one of the the single most disturbing, beautiful and fierce artistic statements I have seen in years. I still can’t quite digest it’s implications. THAT’S art my friends. That is just what art does.” – Michael Zulli

Full Entry HERE
Dive into HIS WORLD

in between these phenomenal forces, i united with my southern soul brothers MASTODON when sharing the stage at HEAVY MTL, but you’ve all about my love of those wormhole travelers before AND SOON SOOON SOON WILL HEAR MORE ON MAdMTV reporting from HEAVY MTL – stay tuned!

mind boggling drummer Brann & I (two fish in ray bans)
merci pour la photo kristof @ BANGBANGBLOG

it’s meetings like these, with the other creatures who crawl and screech the creative landscapes and gather the fire and strength (and organization!) to share it with others, that gives me hope and inspiration……. and of course, then there is YOU > the ones who receive and show support by listening, watching and feeling.
i am YOU to some, and you are ME to others!

we need each other…… although i know there are some who think NEEDing is weak … i think it’s strong.
I NEED I WANT I WILL, PASS IT ON!

call me new age, sappy or uber fan….
i hope to see you soon

xMAdMx

MAdMTV – Heavy MTL 2010 from MAdM OOOM on Vimeo.

I was the lone front “woman” on the heaviest music bill in north america this summer. i arrived with bass in hand, camera in the other, and, uh, a beer sometimes in one of them and a couple of pals at my side. in honor of the great magic men in the house, we created MAdMTV! interviews were made and still a lot of editing left to do, but THIS IS A TEST: Melissa Auf der Maur meets HEAVY MTL!

(under looming cranes, a fast hang with robb with two b’s and b hinds)

amazing and unique, exposes, episodes and interviews coming soon!
that was soooooo much FUN!
not to mention comic con at the top of my weekend….

…my leather face man and i had an amazing time!

xMAdMx

starting this weekend!
Saturday and Sunday of this weekend, we’ve been invited on a Belgium weekend.
first, a festival just outside of Brussels, a 28 year old (congrats!) FREE music festival in a beautiful park x ROCK HERK!
then Sunday, DOUR festival! although i’m so so sad i will be missing the reunion of my long lost favorites Chokebore, who play the day before (remember my friend Troy Von Balthazar? “You could ice skate to this” b-side) it’s great to be part of the festival, honored to be a part of it x

NEXT STOP!… as i’ve mentioned …. i’m GOING!!!!
COMIC CON!: the world’s leading meeting of the fantasy minds! SAN DIEGO comic convention, is way beyond comics, it’s a full on blossomed UNIVERSE! i was lucky to go as my magic writer pal cecil’s date a couple years back. this time i’ve been invited as art nouveau muse! such an honor! my art nouveau friend’s in chicago, connected me and LEE MOYER ( starstruck ! classy tory amos poster below!) and we are coming together for a signing of a yet to be revealed ART NOUVEAU MAdM xxxxxxxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo MORE INFO! i was given a sneak peek or art nouveau moi this week… WOW!

THEN – MONTREAL HEAVEN WEEKEND X

Friday night FANTASIA FEST – one of the leading, coolest fantasy film festivals in north american, has invited OOOM to screen on a perfect summer friday night! it’s also DIRECTOR TONY STONE’S BIRTHDAY! he and i will both be at the screening for Q&A x
it’s screening at the old downtown montreal movie theater that i first discovered David Lynch films in as a teenager! great to come back in this way. for those who have not yet seen me convert from lost in time secretary to a rip-the-heart-of-a-viking witch, please come! FANTASIA FEST

DOUBLE HEAVEN HEAVY HITTER…. need i say more………….!?!? i don’t even need a photo for that one, in fact i can’t even imagine a photo that can encompass the heavy ness of this bill……. HEAVY MTL: safe to say, that my home town, hosts north america’s premiere METAL festival. SLAYER, MASTODON, MEGADETH,

Thank you universe!
i will surely be seeing some of your like-minded freaks in the coming week!
xMAdMx

Back to school season crisp air always whispers a rush of unknown sexy things! I am excited to report lots of MAdM OOOM activity, it’s hunt for the heart season!
My dear hunters and healers, no matter how long you have been connecting with this here blog, you must know by now, I long to connect you with OOOM. It’s been quite a journey of connecting dots, talking a lot, secretarial duties, steeping ideas and traveling here to there. It’s been far too long, but it is finally coming via my own independent MAdM run portal. First round of events were due to the early showing of the film portion at Sundance earlier this year. The film is riding a wave and promises to commune with more of you soon….
Starting with you, my fellow Montrealers, The fate of muses and star aligned destiny, has brought OOOM to The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. As if it wasn’t enough to be presented in such an honorable establishment, but the company that we will keep, lights my heart fully a fire! The occasion is a long awaited retrospective of the great British Pre-Raphealite painter, John William Waterhouse. His work has been a huge influence on me since before I even played music, he was one of the first (along with his renaissance soul mate Botticelli) to introduce me to myself. His exploration of women, magic and myth have played a big part in my work throughout my photography, music and into my new OOOM multi media project. A pair of daring and innovative museum director and curators, declared OOOM to be a contemporary response to Waterhouse and the Pre-Raphaelites, inviting us to live within his exhibit opening October 2nd, and running until February 5th.behind black velvet curtains, with church pews as seats, you are be invited into OOOM for our longest rung yet!

In addition to that, OOOM and I have been invited to the Royal Flush Festival in NYC later in the month. MAdM Live, for the first time since 2004, (oh my!) at the new improved Knitting Factory, and our film playing the film portion of their festival as well. We are having our European Premiere at Sitges in Spain (Euro’s leading Fantasy Film Festival) Also this month New Orleans, Woodstock, Henry Miller Library …. For those who are no where near these places, I am concocting plans to get to you right now!

Please see SHOWS for more info!
The hunt has begun
xMAdMx

Related show

• Artist: MAdM – Melissa Auf der Maur
• Date: Friday, October 2nd 2009
• Time: 12:00pm
• City: MAdM – Melissa Auf der Maur in Montreal, PQ
• Venue: Montreal Museum of Fine Art
• Country: CA
• Notes: OOOM, the film, has been invited to live INSIDE, a retrospective of the work of the great J W Waterhouse, Pre-Raphealite painter from the turn of the last century England. Honorable beyond words and living as an installation at the museum from Oct 1 – Feb 7 2010. Lady of Shallot! ever heard of her?!
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

it is an honor and a pleasure to be invited to present portions of my new project at the 67th annual (yes, that’s right since 1939!) world science fiction convention, that happens to be taking place in my hometown of montreal, canada this week.
the event happens in a different city every year (last year it was in denver, next year it’s in melbourne, australia), and attracts sci-fi enthusiasts from all over the world.
although i am a virgin to this community, i have always sensed a deep sisterhood between the sci-fi / fantasy world and the alt / metal / goth music world.
people who believe in the unusual and fantastical,
who long to be challenged and “escape” into other worlds,
who believe in the magic of story, sound and imagination…
i will be presenting OUT OF OUR MINDS, the film,
as well as making a general presentation of my
“21st century concept album” -
how a song turned into an album,
album turned into a film, which then turned into a comic,
nurturing endless potential for web portals along the way,
and then will finds it’s way to in live, in flesh venues:
film festival, sci-fi / fantasy festivals, rock clubs,
art galleries, bass player festivals, red head festivals,
full moon festivals, etc…
give us a space, and OOOM will fill it.
the aim is to commune with the fellow humans,
and OOOM is the magic carpet ride that will help me do it.

hope to see you there,
or at another in the flesh venue near you!

xMAdMx
p.s. ooom, is basically opening up for neil gaiman’s coraline,
i am humbled and grateful!
see SHOWS section for full schedule details.