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Volume 40, Issue 10.
February 25, 2003
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Blessed Be Thy Name bleeds
talent on stage
By Dan Smith
For the Mesa Legend
One Phoenix based hard rock band, Blessed Be Thy
Name, describes themselves on their website as, “more than just a
band. It is an exorcism of art, a turbulent explosive storm that leaves
in its damage path the destruction of ignorance and the slaughter of love’s
self inflicted losses. BBTN is a visual and sonic ying-yang that takes
the listener musically and visually from the realm of the exotic to the
serpentine and savage.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF BLESSED
BE THY NAME / Eddie Kelly captivates
audiences with his singing.
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How can a band make such a claim? Perhaps when they hit the stage decked
out in full body paint which vocalist Edward Kelly calls, “war paint,”
and perform not what they call concerts but rather, “rituals,”
one will not be so quick to question such a statement. The show is a spectacle
of not only audio entertainment and visual amazement, but a complete experience
as the band connects with each person, almost as if perfectly planned
by the band.
When Kelly is onstage he calls the experience spiritual, saying, “the
performances create a oneness, it is like an energy exchange.” Kelly
feels a connection with the audience because he believes that, “when
kids like a band, what they really like is that they see a part of themselves
in the band, a part of themselves that is locked up.”
Contrary to the norm, Kelly finds his nerves acting up at rehearsals rather
than at the show. When he is onstage it is, “all smiles because once
I put the make up on I am so ready.”
Blessed was created by Kelly and co-conspirator Scott Swai in 1997, these
shows have drawn crowds of up to 1,750 people. Their first self-titled
album was number one at local record stores in ‘98. The band seeks
to increase its audience perhaps one day on the national level but has
run into some difficulty because of their genre. “A major label is
a major label and we are a risky band and not that marketable on the mainstream,”
stated Kelly on the troubles they have had with the larger labels.
The band continues to play in the Phoenix area at various local spots
such as Bash on Ash. In many of their most recent shows they could be
seen accompanied by Waste, Fall Guy, or Warriors of the Make Believe,
better known as W.O.M.B. As each band performs, the crowd usually will
grow more and more anxious for Blessed to arrive.
Watchers begin to chant Blessed, in an eerie yet inviting way. As the
lights dim and the beat of the first song drifts through the air each
member enters the stage. The audience can be seen swaying back and forth
to an unknown but ever present rhythm. Music then fills the room as the
distinct smell of sweat lingers.
Most of their shows will end with a needed and appreciated encore. Because
Eddie is always a true performer till the end, he leaves the audience
in awe as he tickles the senses and intrigues each newcomer till the very
last drum beat.
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