Entwistle began The Mercy Kills in 2006 as a three piece, but this year the band evolved into a four
There’s definitely something happening. There’s a tangible crackle. I’m talking to photographers at gigs and they’re telling me that there is definitely something going on!” says an excited Mark Entwistle from The Mercy Kills, talking about Melbourne’s rock scene. His band are adding to that excitement as they launch their EP New Rule at Cherry Bar this Saturday December 4. Entwistle goes on to explain that it’s the south side where the harder-edged rock scene, that feeds off the rock grooves of bands like New York Dolls, The Stooges, Ramones and Joan Jett, is thriving. “Cherry Bar is so important in helping the local rock scene flourish, but you’ve also got places like the Lyrebird in Elsternwick that’s just a shop front; I mean, it doesn’t even have a stage, but it’s packing out for shows, like on Cup Day where you had bands like The Bittersweet Kicks and Burn In Hell just rocking it!”
Entwistle began The Mercy Kills in 2006 as a three piece, but this year the band evolved into a four piece with the current line-up as Entwistle (guitar/vocals), Jen Costello (bass/vocals), Nathalie Gellé (guitar/vocals), and Josh Black (drums/fire breathing). “We wanted to be a four piece, have that additional guitarist, but it wasn’t until we got Josh Black on drums and we started writing stuff that was a little ‘fuller’ and needed an extra guitar, so we brought Nathalie on board,” he explains. “She’s someone that we’d known for years and she was the first person we asked and she was into it and it has worked really well!”
Black replaced the original The Mercy Kills drummer 18 months ago, and Entwistle bestows mush praise on Black and sets out how The Mercy Kills are currently writing songs. “Josh is great at writing songs; he comes out with tunes all the time, Nat’s bringing in riffs and because Jen and I have been writing together for so long, she knows exactly what to do,” he smiles. Entwistle eagerly relates about The Mercy Kills latest song that was written in a day only last week. “At the last rehearsal Josh threw this really fast drum beat at us and by the end of rehearsal we had this new track called Pretty Wreck and we will be recording that for the album that’s due out mid next year.”
Having been in bands since high school – Entwistle is hesitant to let on exactly how long ago that was – he believes that being in bands brings the best out in him as a musician and that’s from the democracy involved in the band process. He explains that, for him, the idea of a band being controlled by one person, in his opinion, simply doesn’t work. “If you’re that focused on your own trip, be a solo artist,” he argues. “I get off on the sharing of ideas, and in The Mercy Kills we love that dynamic. It’s fulfilling me as a songwriter to work with Jen, Nat and Josh.”
As for the five song EP, New Rule, Entwistle excitedly explains the new The Mercy Kills sound found on the disc. “Sound-wise it’s where we’ve always wanted to go. It’s a fuller sound; a tougher sound. It’s gone from that power three-piece punk pop to more of a sort of dirty sleazy punk rock – this is the sound that we’ve always wanted.” Entwistle believes that The Mercy Kills have now truly found their ideal sound and cites the band members’ influences as diverse as Nine Inch Nails to The Cult.
And their live shows have something of a stadium rock feel. One element of the live shows that surprises those in attendance – including the Entwistle, Costello and Gellé – is Black’s fire breathing. Entwistle talks about the drummer’s special ability. “I do remember hearing that he was a bit of pyro and liked flaming up the kit, but I’d never seen it. But then at our first gig at The Espy he did it and I was like ‘Fuu-uck’,” laughs Entwistle.
“I never know when he’s going to do it – we just let him decide whether he’ll do it or not, he normally saves it until the end of a gig because I think it tastes pretty disgusting.”
For the launch of the New Rule EP The Mercy Kills have chosen Vice Grip Pussies to play before them. Enwistle believes that Vice Grip Pussies are part of a group of exciting young bands who are giving the Melbourne rock scene teeth again. Made up of Stacey and Lewie Pommer, Maddison Raddison and Alexander St. John, Vice Grip Pussies did a triumphant Wednesday night residency in October in which the four band members, all in their early 20s, played rock and roll the way it is meant to be. Enwistle talks about the atmosphere at Cherry Bar where old and new rock bands are all celebrating a thriving scene. “Everyone’s enjoying playing there and everyone is really supportive of each other, loving the line-ups, jumping on different band’s line-ups and enjoying playing together!”
The way good rock ‘n’ roll ought to be played.
THE MERCY KILLS are launching their New Rule EP this Saturday December 4 at Cherry Bar with Vice Grip Pussies.
