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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn July 11th, the electro-sex punk band, MACE, returned to Indy for a concert at the Emerson Theater. Naturally, the band stayed at the M.K. Ultra office and my home. As always, it wasn\u2019t just a concert. It was a celebration, but not one the conservative good \u2018ol boy church going citizens of Indianapolis can appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than telling you how great the shows were in Indianapolis, Cleveland, OH and Columbus, OH, I thought I\u2019d give three versions of what happened those three nights and four days with MACE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also included in this Diary of a Mad Band are AOL postings from the MACE folder (Keyword: MUSIC\/members bulletin board\/alternative\/general) following the long weekend. If the descriptions you are about to read are vague, it\u2019s only because they are reflections of our memories. Enjoy the trip. -Alex Zander<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ZANDER\u2019S VERSION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3:30pm<\/strong> Before MACE arrives, my assistant Jeff asks me to be sure this time they don\u2019t get water all over the floor when showering. Last time they were here, our floor leaked into our laundry room because they didn\u2019t put the shower curtain in and the bathroom flooded and went in thru the vents,<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3:45pm<\/strong> M.K. Ultra office, Indianapolis, IN. The MACE van arrives. From within, comes Peter, James, Rob, Ben, and non-member, Justin. The office in located on the east side, next door to a fire station. The locals who still haven\u2019t gotten use to the appearance of the M.K. Staffers seem shocked by the sight of even more leather clad, black haired, Goth\/Industrial\/post punkers. They can\u2019t figure whether or not we\u2019re all homosexuals or devil worshippers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4:00pm <\/strong>I caught Ben mopping the bathroom floor. He flooded it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5:00pm<\/strong> Nehferet arrives. She drives Justin and I to a very redneck part of Indy to pick up the ceremonial keg of beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6:00pm <\/strong>Justin, Nehferet and myself arrive at the Emerson Theater to tap the keg and help the acts. Bitter Harvest, Sutur, and MACE set up. Again, the locals appear to be and are speechless. With the exception of Bitter Harvest (Indy-based metal band), the other acts entourage seem almost Addams Familyish to the employees at the concert hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7:00pm<\/strong> The entire M.K. staff is in attendance. The doors open and some people filter inside. On screen is a collection of blood and gore scenes from H.G. Lewis films. The patrons stare in sheer shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7:30pm<\/strong> Lisa Baker (the Underground TV show) arrives. Also, Scott Hargrave (Sound Groove TV) arrives and begins taping backstage footage of the bands indulging in beer consumption. The TV people are capturing the means of the mood to come. It\u2019s getting crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8:00pm <\/strong>Bitter Harvest takes the stage with their 80\u2019s blend of screaming metal. Singer Chucky Harvest exclaims. \u201cI hate that dangly ass, staring at your shoes. college boy music. We\u2019re here to play tight pant wearing, high school drop out, staring up in your face, loud as fuck music.\u201d The crowd is not as enthusiastic as the vocalist and just sit there. Justin grabs the mic and shouts at the audience to get up and nobody responds. He then proceeds to pull them out of their seats physically to the front of the stage. Bitter Harvest finishes their set and Sutur begin to set up their stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ?:?? am\/pm<\/strong> This is where things start getting hazy. Toxic Tommy gets up and makes a speech about how he was paid $60.00 by some yuppies to leave a local bar because they didn\u2019t like his hairstyle, and he announces my bid for Mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I take the stage to greet the audience, I find myself surrounded by dry ice smoke as well as cheers and applause from my audience. (I take it I already have their vote). I make a short (profanity laced) introduction of the bands. I\u2019ve assumed the attitude of Peter Steele \/ Andrew Dice Clay. I assure the crowd, whom are obviously entertainment starved, I will continue to bring my intense shows to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I introduce Sutur and stand in amazement as they open their set with a horrific scene. There is evil carnival music playing as the vocalist, Brandon, is pulled from a box as though he is a disfigured string puppet dressed as a morbid clown. Toxic has to take his daughter to the lobby, as she is frightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MACE takes the stage and gives the Emerson Theater a show it has never hosted the likes of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The party returns to my home where a woman puked in my bed, a video interview by Lisa Baker was shot in my office, and I screamed madly at a lot of locals to leave because one of them supposedly let my cat out (I found out later my cat never left my room someone hallucinated it). Somewhere at this point, I pass out. Only after Justin has mopped the vomit off my bedroom floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8:00am<\/strong> The next thing I see is the sun shining through my blinds and I crawl from my lair and make my way out to a house full of black clad guests. I put on the first pot of coffee and open my empty refrigerator. All my food was gone and I notice that the only trace of food left are the bits of poultry clinging to the bones of the wings I devoured the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noon<\/strong> We do some photos. I return the keg, pick up some more beer, and proceed to embark on what will become about an eighteen hour binge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3:00pm<\/strong> Friday. We caravan to Columbus, OH. Dementia is driving and Janes is in the front with her. Justin and I are in the back with a cold case of Michelob and a bottle of T-Bird. Type O blasts on the stereo and the rest of MACE follow in the van. James takes one of Dementia\u2019s pills even though I warn him against it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6:00pm<\/strong> By the time we get to Columbus, James is wasted. From all reports, he passed out after dropping us off and only came to before they took the stage in Cleveland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (From this point, all I remember is hanging out with Damon Zex and the Arachna Goddess, my brother Blue, and Arturo DeLeon of Martyr Colony).<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all visit Kool Kats Klub where I was later thrown out for slam dancing (The owner had me brought back in when he discovered \u201cyours truly\u201dwas kicked out).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterwards we visited a few of my favorite lesbian bars, and then showed up at a \u201creal\u201d punk rock beer bash. (Only Pabst Blue Ribbon at this party. Heineken\u2026Fuck that shit – Stephanie). The last thing I can barely recall is my brother Blue and Justin arguing with the cops because they were busted beating up a newspaper machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9:00am<\/strong> Saturday I wake up at Sheri and Denise\u2019s home (How\u2019d I get there, and where is Justin?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noon <\/strong>I find my way to Bart Mann\u2019s home, where the barbecue is preparing, Sutur is there, but MACE is running very late. Even Nehferet shows up before them and she\u2019s four hours late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4:00pm<\/strong> The buzz is still going. The members of Binge are there along with cavalcade of other guests. Still no MACE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7:00pm<\/strong> MACE arrives. They look very worn. I don\u2019t know how they do it (How do I do it?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8:00pm<\/strong> We all go to the venue and Thatcher throws out Brandon\u2019s and Chris\u2019s girlfriends. They\u2019re underage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four bands on the bill and a lot of organizing is going on. Meanwhile, I\u2019m making rounds, catching up with old friends and girlfriends (Last time I was here I was a techno \/ rave DJ). Somewhere in the evening I meet Sherilyn70 who later kidnaps me. But in the meantime, I\u2019m dancing, drinking, and dementing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2:00am<\/strong> I jump into a truck with Joe, Arturo, and Justin and we go to Joe\u2019s where seven and a half cases of beer and a half gallon of Jagermeister await. The MACE, Suture, and Binge crews arrive. We listen to Hellfire Club loudly and destroy our state of being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10:00am<\/strong> I awake in a strange surrounding. There is a cat on my back. A woman sits next to me typing away on a computer. The sun is too bright. My headache has not yet set in because I am still drunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stumble about the house to trip over a stack of gay men porno mags. I take a second to look at my host. Okay, she has all the female parts, so I guess I haven\u2019t seen violated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1:00pm <\/strong>I call Joe\u2019s. No answer. Has everyone left me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2:00pm<\/strong> They answer. I go to Joe\u2019s via my brother Blue. Everyone looks haggard. Richard Kern films are on the tube. Ahh! A home away from home. Joe sure is cool. Joe Cool!!! Time for a cold one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m asked if it was I that put a dead, bloated cat on Heather\u2019s car\u2026I didn\u2019t even know of a dead cat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4:00pm<\/strong> One for the road. I climb into Dementia\u2019s car, lay back, and prepare for my three hour journey home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7:00pm<\/strong> Sleep. Well needed. Much deserved. Thanks MACE. You guys rule. Not only on stage, but in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Alex Zander<\/p>\n\n\n\n DEMENTIA\u2019S VERSION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday, 8:30pm<\/strong> Feeling rather apprehensive due to a falling out with Alex earlier in the week, I approached the Emerson with trepidation. Nikos was offering moral support as we were flung into the darkened theater. I stumbled through the darkness, steeling myself to face Alex. I had thrown him some rather harsh words the night before and was prepared for an onslaught of tension and stress. I had decided to quit M.K. Ultra for personal reasons (fear not, dear readers, for obviously, I changed my mind) and felt like this night would either be my last hurrah or complete hell\u2026My chances were 50\/50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as I saw Alex, his face became frozen. He showed not a hint of thoughts, nor emotions, that I could normally read so well. \u201cThe guys are in the back,\u201d he said and then greeted Niklos warmly. He nodded in my direction and mumbled, \u201cthere\u2019s a keg back there\u2026you can have some.\u201d No smile, no lecture, nothing. I wasn\u2019t prepared for this anti-reaction. I tried to explain myself to him and he only pushed me away saying we would talk about it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went backstage to see the boys and Heather (keyboardist for Sutur) – tons of black leather vinyl in a tiny, smoke-filled room. Everyone was having problems applying their makeup in the sweltering room and they all seemed a bit tense. The atmosphere of the group didn\u2019t improve much through Bitter Harvest\u2019s set, as once every couple of minutes an explosion would go off that was so loud I kept looking for blood on me, feeling I had to have been shot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things made a turn for the better as Sutur began their set. What a surprise they had in store for their debut! Brandon (lead singer) was dressed in a stark, black and white clown suit and Marilyn Manson-esque makeup. He was attached via chain to little pulleys on this large wooden frame. Heather had ahold of the other ends of the chains and as she pulled on them, Brandon\u2019s lifeless body was reborn as a marionette.The music echoed throughout the Emerson\u2026a very dark, very evil sounding circus anthem that reminded me of the music from Suspiria. Fog filled the stage as the music builded and their debut performance began. Heather took her place behind the keyboards and managed to look menacing and innocent at the same time, while Chris (guitarist) stood to the side and played his guts out. Their set wasn\u2019t understood very well by the white trash east-siders who just happened to wander in\u2026but overall I\u2019d say it was great for their first performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this is where the fun begins! I pulled Alex aside right before the boys went on and told him that I wasn\u2019t going to quit. That we would talk about all of this later, when we were sober, but that I really wanted to work our problems out. He smiled and then belched in my face and gave me a hug. What can I say\u2026That\u2019s Alex!<\/p>\n\n\n\n My best friend, Shiela, showed up just as MACE took the stage, and we planted ourselves on the dance floor in front of Rob X. We couldn\u2019t stop moving our bodies as we laughed and danced\u2026my tension disappeared (with the help of some little blue pills) and I has a blast. Alex even danced with me, wrapping his arm around me and slurring drunkenly in my ear\u2026just like old times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The boys were such a sight on stage, all lithe and sweaty in leather, velvet, and vinyl, and then they did \u201cMy Little Whore\u201d, which had been running nonstop though my head for the last week! I ended up finding myself in a trance-like state dancing with Shiela and then I looked up to find a man with a camera filming us. That was it, if I am drunk and in front of a camera\u2026I have a tendency to go nuts. I don\u2019t exactly remember what happened (those little blue pills again!) but Alex swears he has my chest (clothed?) on video now\u2026with him commenting on the fact that, \u201cyes indeed, they are REAL.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the show we caravanned to Alex\u2019s house (and scared the firemen next door to death!) We were loud and drunk and there were so many people milling about. The last straw was Pseudo-Woman (I call her that because everything from her tits and tan to her hair color, nose and waist line are completely 100% artificial) who went on a liquor run because she, \u201ccouldn\u2019t possibly drink beer.\u201d I stayed about 20 minutes more before deciding to try and escape to a quieter place. James decided to come too. As we were leaving they were breaking out more video cameras downstairs and I think there was some sort of orgy going on in the van, it was shaking when we drove off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday, 12 noon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tired eyes, barely open as harsh white sunlight sears my brain. Thank Satan for whomever invented sunglasses. It\u2019s Friday and I had to call in sick for work. As I started feeling better, James began to talking about their show in Cleveland tonight. I came up with a brilliant plan\u2026a good friend of mine from when I lived in New York now lived in Cleveland. I could go and visit her and then get to hang out with MACE some more. I packed a bag and took James back to Alex\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It looked like someone ought to have declared Alex\u2019s place a war zone\u2026and there were casualties all over the living room floor. The black circles underneath everyone\u2019s eyes rivaled their black makeup smeared all over their faces. It wasn\u2019t a very pretty sight! Nehferet and Peter were sitting on the porch, smoking cigarettes and looking like they had been up all night. Wearily people began to wake and peel themselves off the floor and complain of being hungry. Justin and Billy went to the grocery and came back with six of those really cheap, rectangular, cafeteria pizzas. They were inhaled in seconds. Somehow when Alex walked into the house with a case of beer, everyone seemed to come back to life. Only a few more minutes and we were on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Justin, James, and Alex are in my car, while Peter, Rob, Ben and Billy are in the van with the equipment. Justin and Alex are in the backseat getting trashed on the 12 pack of Michelob Alex snuck on board. James, possibly feeling the need to fit in with those two misfits in the back, starts slamming beers as fast as I can blink. The sun is making me sleepy as I drive, so I asked James to get the speed out of my backpack. I have been taking speed forever. Not that I\u2019m proud of this, but it is essential to what is about to happen. I am used to taking A LOT of speed. I have built my way up to it. James decides that he wants some speed too\u2026and so, he matches me the entire <\/em>way to Cleveland. If I took six, he took six. If I took four more, he took four more, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Type O Negative was blaring from my speakers (Alex and Justin were alternating between praying to the god of my speakers and flashing their asses to the van behind us). We dropped them off in Columbus and continued our trek to Cleveland. Only a mile or two out of Columbus we hit a major traffic jam and are stopped in the middle of the highway for at least half an hour (45 minutes). Peter, Rob and Ben got out of the van and were dancing in the street and yelling at people through Peter\u2019s megaphone. I think we were all just a little bit slap happy from our lack of sleep and grueling road trip in the hot, hot sun with no air conditioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually we make it to Cleveland. We\u2019re a couple of hours from showtime and go straight to the club. As soon as we park the car, James rushes inside to go to the bathroom. I wait for him outside and when he comes out he looks like shit. He is sick as hell from all of the speed and beer, he needs to lie down. Suffice to say that I think he learned his lesson. He was passed out and \/ or physically ill (poor thing made a mess of his t-shirt) all the way up to five minutes before they went on stage. I hung out with Billy, Ben, Peter, and Rob, and gave them fashion advice. Ben and Peter went out to set up James\u2019 drums for him and everyone kept asking me, \u201cWhat did you GIVE him???\u201d \u201cNothing!\u201d, I said. \u201cHe must have taken some speed from my bag when I asked him for some\u2026But I didn\u2019t GIVE him anything!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No one thought he would be able to play during the show, and Peter was not happy at all. In the meantime, I let Rob borrow my vinyl, gun-metal short skirt. He wore that with fishnets, a fishnet shirt, rubber zippered vest and leather harness. Damn! He looked better in that skirt than I normally do! Pete borrowed my Sisters shirt and Billy took one of my chokers and bondage belt. It\u2019s a good thing I was along\u2026or my wardrobe at least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James managed to pull himself together long enough to get through the set. I don\u2019t know how he did it, he was so sick! The show was good (although lacking energy), the crowd wasn\u2019t great because they went on so late (1am?) Overall I think the boys were just glad to be done. My friend did manage to come to the show, but we weren\u2019t allowed to stay at her place because of her roommate. Pete ended up finding some girl that we could stay with and we were set. We had a place to shower (sort of – the water in the tub took at least six hours to drain between use) and James had a place to sleep his sickness off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hung out for awhile, until the people we stayed with started playing some strange music that really began to annoy me. I decided to go outside because it felt like rain. I went out to the van and found Rob out there smoking. We hung out most of the night talking and such, watching the storm move in and hoping it would rain so we could shower without having to stand in six inches of dirty water. I laughed so hard that night over the stupidest stuff, those little inside jokes that you try to explain to other people and they just don\u2019t get it because they weren\u2019t there. You\u2019ve been there before. I ended up passing out in the van and awoke to birds chirping and people going about their Saturday morning business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 3pm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We ended up leaving Cleveland later than expected. The drive to Columbus was rather short and uneventful (except for taking a wrong turn off the highway at James\u2019 suggestion), We made it to Columbus where we has all but missed the cookout in MACE\u2019s honor. We had to rush to the club and unload all the equipment and carry it up these steep iron stairs. There was a problem with some of the band members being underage, and I thought there was going to be a fight. Everyone seemed stressed and tense beyond belief. I was feeling rather stressed myself, having one of my anxiety attacks. Nehferet, Heather, Rob, Peter, Ben and I decided to go \u201cmeditate\u201d in the van for a little bit, trying to ease some of the tension. I took some more of my medication to quell my anxiety attack and sat back to enjoy the show. Sutur\u2019s set was unfortunately all fucked up. I don\u2019t know who was to blame, sometimes shit like that happens. As my patience was wearing, then MACE took the stage. I had so much energy that night, I danced all the way through MACE\u2019s set. They were wonderful, even for the third night in a row!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the show, we started to load up the van and there was this riot outside. Cops on horseback were trying to clear people out of the streets and ironically enough the smell of mace was in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunday 2am<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We made it out alive and stayed at Alex\u2019s friend Joe\u2019s house. I got completely trashed (what\u2019s new?) and woke up to hear how someone had put a dead cat on Heather\u2019s car. The first person I thought of was Alex, but he swears he didn\u2019t do it. I don\u2019t know what to believe because I think even IF Alex DIDN\u2019T do it, he wishes he had. The boys said their goodbyes and piled into the van for a long drive home. Promises of doing this again soon were exchanged and they were off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We left soon afterwards, exhausted and happy. We had been maced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Dementia 66<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEPH\u2019S VERSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n July 11, 1996<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s somewhere around 6:00pm when I park my car in Alex Zander\u2019s driveway and hurry towards his house. I glance back at the white van parked beside my car, hoping it\u2019s the one the Pittsburg band MACE is using and further hoping that the guys are already inside. Suddenly a man with long matte black hair and a half empty bottle of beer in his hand erupts from the door toward which I\u2019m heading with all the finesse of some wild beast in the forest. He wants something from me! No, not my pale-skinned body, not even the purse which I\u2019m clutching to me like a baby whose life is being threatened. He seems to want me to drive him somewhere, at least that\u2019s what I\u2019m getting from the wild gesticulations of his hands and the steady stream of words emanating from his lips. \u201cAre the guys here yet\u201d, I ask, cutting him off in mid-sentence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, yeah!\u201d, Alex exclaims. \u201cCome on in and say hello to them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we\u2019re getting somewhere. I\u2019ve been waiting since May 2nd for this, since the night I interviewed MACE for both SIN (a Nine Inch Nails fanzine) and Sound Groove TV. Alex escorts me inside where all band members are sprawled around the living room. They look tired, hot and grumpy but I\u2019m so happy to see them I don\u2019t care. We exchange quick hellos before Alex drags me and someone he introduces as Justin back to my car to pick up as keg of beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is Alex getting me and my car into? He assures us this is the cheapest place in town to get a keg, and I can fucking believe it. I can\u2019t decide if I should stay with my car to protect it or if I should go in with them for my own protection. I opt for the latter since I can always get another car but bodies are somewhat harder to come by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Somehow we survive, I suspect its because other people are afraid of us; our black clothing, Alex\u2019s menacing tattoos, that aura of semi-dangerous mystique we make no effort to dispel. Why should we? We\u2019re walking out of that neighborhood (and I use the word loosely) liquor store in one piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later that evening, backstage at the Emerson, the mood is a convivial one. People pass in and out of the dressing room chattering, drinking, getting in the mood to party. Peter, the lead singer of MACE, is having trouble applying his black eyeliner while holding the mirror at the same time. I see the chance to be helpful and grab the mirror while Alex grabs my camera and records the moment for prosperity (or perhaps this issue of M.K. Ultra). The keg of beer flows freely, though the cup supply grows low, and spirits seem to rise accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After rousing performances by Sutur and Bitter Harvest, MACE finally takes the stage by storm. Justin, self-appointed rabble-rouser, has managed to coerce nearly everyone out of their seats and onto the dance floor by this point. Not that they seem to mind very much. Behind the screen of his breadrack-cum-cage, Peter is all primal seduction, singing, \u201cI lick sugar from your face\u201d all the while wiping sweat from his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m relaxed enough to let go and dance, so that\u2019s exactly what I do. But I\u2019ve not stopped to consider Alex\u2019s mental state, and he\u2019s heading straight for me now with that familiar fucked-up look in his eyes. There\u2019s no time to get away! He sweeps me way up in the air so I\u2019m forced to wrap my legs around his waist, and then begins dancing around with me like a recent escapee from some psychiatric ward. As he whirls me faster and faster, my purse flies open and disgorges its contents all over the dance floor. People scramble to pick up my lipstick, my compact, my eyeliner. I breathe a silent thank you to whatever powers-that-be there wasn\u2019t anything more personal in there, if you know what I mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I begin struggling to get away, Alex hisses in my ear, \u201cStay cool! We\u2019re being taped!\u201d I peak around his shoulder to find that, indeed, our old friend Scott of Sound Groove TV has his video camera trained on us. This changes everything. I\u2019ll do just about anything in the name of Art, including making a total ass of myself. Wouldn\u2019t anybody? Well, don\u2019t answer that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n July 17, 1996<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s late in the morning. Peter and I are sitting in the grass of Alex\u2019s front yard, beneath the shade of some trees. He\u2019s drinking coffee, I\u2019m drinking Dr. Pepper. Just as long as its got caffeine. Next door at the firehouse, the firemen are lighting their grill in preparation for a cookout. Peter groans, he\u2019s starving and any food in the house was apparently eaten during the night when Alex gobbled down about 20 chicken wings all by himself. We know this because he left the bones in a tray on the stove where trails of excited ants are even now converging, unable to believe their good fortune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it\u2019s peaceful beneath these trees – the sky is blue, the clouds puffy, and Alex joins us with his own cup of coffee in hand. We sit there talking quietly, watching the firemen putter about while a slight breeze blows through our hair. There\u2019s a feeling of camaraderie, unity in hunger, or some such thing. Alex places a wreathe woven out of some green leafy plant upon my head and its discovery compels Peter to begin eating it. I told you he was hungry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plans are being made. Dementia 66 is going to Cleveland with MACE, Alex is going early to Columbus where MACE will be appearing the next night, and I decide to go home and drive to Columbus after a good night\u2019s sleep, despite Alex\u2019s futile attempt to guilt-trip me into driving him that day. When he finds out he can hitch a ride with MACE to Columbus, he stops his pouting and writes down directions to the house where we are all to meet. All the way home I wonder if I should\u2019ve gone to Cleveland along with MACE and Dementia 66 and decide yes, I should have, but there\u2019s laundry to be done if I\u2019m going to take along ten outfits for one night like I usually do. After all, I have a reputation to maintain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n July 13, 1996<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m only about four hours late, having planned to arrive in Columbus by noon, but not actually getting there until 4:00pm. There is food, many thanks to Bart and Lori! Ribs, corn on the cob, and more chicken wings (these with actual meat on the bones)! MACE hasn\u2019t arrived yet but the members of Sutur are busy taking showers and applying outrageous makeup for later. The house is hot and humid. I wait around several hours and then decide to find a hotel room, not being accustomed to getting ready for a night out with such a large audience, though Alex accuses me rather maliciously of having ulterior motives. My feelings are hurt by this injustice\u2026..Not!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we get to the Kool Kat\u2019s Club about 8:30, I find everyone standing outside looking rather perturbed. As it turns out, no one under 21 is permitted in the place and both men in Sutur have brought underage girlfriends. Plus the club is on the third floor and the members of MACE are already lugging their equipment up a fire escape that looks like it should have been featured in the movie Iron Maze. The guys appear tired, hot and grumpy again. I\u2019m beginning to appreciate the rock n\u2019 roll lifestyle has its share of drawbacks as well as its perks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the show starts we all pile into the MACE van and take a little drive in order to talk things out. Did I say talk? Well, whatever we did, no matter how illegal (and I\u2019m not saying it was mind you), it must have worked because the bad energy has dissipated and we\u2019re all anxious to party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alex is getting a head start on everyone it seems. I catch sight of him from time to time and every time I do he introduces me to someone new. The MACE men mostly stay backstage though occasionally one wanders out to stare in disbelief at the ten or so women with big hair (and tits) poured into tight Jersey dresses. If you look at them very long though, you start to feel dizzy, as if you\u2019ve stumbled into a time warp, so they keep these forays down to a bare minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dementia\u2019s getting ready to dance, I can tell by the fire burning in her eyes and by the way she is flexing her arms and legs as if in preparation for a marathon run. I\u2019m doing the same, though for me it\u2019s more an inner process, a psychological choice I make to abandon all dignity and assume the role of drunken fool. Speaking of drunken fools, Alex is already dancing, and as our eyes meet he makes a rather obscene gesture in my direction. I\u2019d like to say I\u2019m shocked, but I\u2019m not. This is Zander in his element, the quintessential bad boy, the one your mother warned you to stay away from. Truth be told, I think I like him best this way, all wild hair and insolent eyes, looking for nothing but trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because I want to skip to the part about the party, I\u2019ll let someone else talk about the Sutur and MACE sets, which are phenomenal by the way. However, I do want to mention the riot we emerge from the club into, and the policemen on horseback charging people on foot. James, the current drummer for MACE, is transformed into protective macho man at the sight, rounding up Dementia and me and pressing us close to the side of the van, warning us in a fatherly fashion not to leave the relative safety of its envisions. A policeman trots up to us and demands to know if we have a good reason for being there. We assure him we do; hell yes, we do! We\u2019re with the band!<\/p>\n\n\n\n My car\u2019s almost out of gas as is usually the case but, more importantly, Peter ad I can\u2019t seem to agree on which direction we should go in. We pull into a nearby empty gas station to ask for assistance but the cashiers don\u2019t seem to live in Columbus at all. All we get are blank looks and shrugs for out troubles, although finally someone sitting outside in a car straightens us out. Just then about five cars filled with loud music and shouting pull into the gas station so we hightail it for my car, deciding there\u2019s enough gas in it to get us to the party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Peter says to you, \u201ctake this road. Trust me\u201d, don\u2019t! I\u2019m sorry it\u2019s necessary to say this but in the interest of truthful journalism I am obliged to. We drive down a winding suburban road for what seems like hours and though I\u2019m enjoying Peter\u2019s company, that needle poised on E is making me a little nervous. Call me a worry-wart. Suddenly the road ends. Peter and I look at each other. The map clutched in the hand featuring chipped black nail polish didn\u2019t show anything like this. I bite my lip and try not to say anything (this is difficult) while I turn the car around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A full tank of gas later, we pull up in front of a house where there seems to be an orgy going on out front. No, wait! That\u2019s not an orgy, it\u2019s the members of Sutur huddled together on the front lawn. We don\u2019t want to know what they\u2019re doing, so we hurry past them and in the front door of a luxurious suburban home.The party\u2019s obviously been going on for awhile if one may draw conclusions from the rough-around-the-edges appearance of its attendees. James, in particular, comes to mind. I\u2019m not sure why. Half-empty bags of taco chips and mustard-flavored pretzels are calling our names, \u201cPeter! Nehferet! Over here!\u201d We don\u2019t struggle, giving into our bodies\u2019 desires without a trace of guilt or shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A very eager and sensuous woman is pressing her breasts up against Alex in a way that gives me the ideas she likes him. And call me psychic, but I\u2019m getting the sense that he likes her back. Soon after they both vanish, never to be seen by me again before I head back to Indy. I will later be given to understand that this woman kidnapped him away from the party but he, being of a forgiving nature, will ultimately decline to press charges against her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Er\u2026that\u2019s all I can remember about the party. Someone else will have to fill in the missing blanks. The next thing I know it\u2019s noon of the next day and time for me to return home, though I really don\u2019t want to. In fact, I\u2019m almost an hour outside of Columbus before I realize – duh! – I\u2019m heading towards Cleveland instead on Indianapolis. Though I look for the van carrying MACE back to Pittsburgh, I never see it and eventually find my way home, due no doubt to the lack of Peter\u2019s map-reading skills!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will take me a week to recover fully from this little escapade. But it was well worth it! That\u2019s why we\u2019ll be back to Columbus on August 15th when MACE is scheduled to appear at the Mecca. I can hardly wait!<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Nehferet<\/p>\n\n\n\n EXCERPTS FROM AOL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: MACE in INDY, COLUMBUS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-16 16:53:24 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From: Climax gen<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Party? If you can remember a party, it probably wasn\u2019t worth going!!! This must have been one hell of a party because I can\u2019t remember a damn thing. Well, I\u2019ll tell you that I remember. The beer was plentiful. The vocalist from Martyr Colony was there (this guy is super f___ing cool!), there were various illegal substances floating all about and someone really hated Sutur (ie. the dead cat). Alex (M.K. Ultra) an Peter (MACE) both disappeared for most of the night. I suspect the NEHF had something to do with this!!! Bart (Promoter) was f___ed up beyond Psycho status (which was really cool!). And when I woke up the next afternoon the party was still going, thanks to Alex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James\/MACE<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: MACE in INDY, COLUMBUS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-17 08:34:42 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From: Sherilyn70<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I\u2019m very glad you liked Koolkat Club, that\u2019s my very favorite hangout. I must say I didn\u2019t even realize that there were bands playing that Saturday night when I walked in. I was very impressed. This was the very first time I had ever heard you guys play. Let me just say that Columbus was very impressed, all of my friends are still talking about it.I can\u2019t wait until August at Mekka. And as for that party, I was there\u2026.I was dead by the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sherilyn<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: MACE in INDY, COLUMBUS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-17 08:36:31 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From: Sherilyn70<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason Alex disappeared was because I kidnapped him. It really was a great party!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sherilyn<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: MACE in INDY, COLUMBUS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-17 19:25:02 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From: Sherilyn70<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey Nerf,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Glad I could be of some assistance. Seeing as how I did kidnap Alex I figured that I should own up to my own terrible sins. I plan to hang around here for a while. I just can\u2019t wait until August when they come back to Columbus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sherilyn<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: terrible, terrible sins<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-17 19:30:56 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From: Nehf<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sherilyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve come to the right place for sinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nehferet<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: Random MACE spotting<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-18 22:01:25 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From: MK Satan<\/p>\n\n\n\n hey mace can you believe it i\u2019m alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Satan lives!!!!!! so let me warn ya, we\u2019re doing a story called 3 days with mace and its about sex drugs the devil pizza sex drugs beer lots of beer and its going to be testament of just how fun a time we had hosting you. I\u2019m not leaving out the part about James passing out in the car either!!!!!! Did I mention sex drugs and beer? If you guys need me to leave anything out, certain details, let me know asap. The names of guilty parties other than MACE and me will be changed to save them from the wrath of the living rednecks of Indy (get the f*** out of my house). Eat the devils vagina!!!!!!!! See ya at Mecca. Tell Pete his vid is on the way. Hey, James, did you get the Type O CD yet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sin\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026cerely, MK Alex<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subj: Re: Random MACE spotting<\/p>\n\n\n\n Date: 96-07-19 09:56:15 EDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Climax gen<\/p>\n\n\n\n James didn\u2019t pass out in the car!!! James got really sick a few hours later at Phantasy Night Club in Cleveland!!! Still played a kick ass show!!! EAT THE DEVILS P\u2026..SSY!!! I heard a rumor that Alex from M.K. Ultra is moving his magazine back to Pittsburgh! Any confirmation on this? Can\u2019t wait for the decadent story of life on the road with MACE. I bet it will surprise even us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n MACE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summer 1996 On July 11th, the electro-sex punk band, MACE, returned to Indy for a concert at the Emerson Theater. Naturally, the band stayed at the M.K. Ultra office and my home. As always, it wasn\u2019t just a concert. It was a celebration, but not one the conservative good \u2018ol boy church going citizens… Read More »Fear and Loathing In
The Midwest\u2026
THREE DAYS ON THE ROAD WITH MACE
Confessions by Alex Zander, Dementia 66 and Nehferet<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2408,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diary-of-a-damned-man","category-innerviewz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2407"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2409,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407\/revisions\/2409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}