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ACT OF PURIFICATION (1992)
THE GRUNGIEST I EVER GOT
Mother Goose A Go Go came together in the early 90's with me on drums, Shelly Dion on vocals (currently in Durt Loader), Barry deVeber on guitar (R.I.P.), & Richard Bird on bass (formerly of Fredericton's Guilt Parade), who was the brains of the band putting together most of the music & lyrics. Shelly fucked off to go join Front End Loader, a more standard blues rock outfit & dragged Barry with her, but he stuck with us when we found another singer & played in both bands. Richard originally asked Melissa Auf Der Maur if she'd like to sing with us but she was busy with her new band Tinker (& would soon end up playing bass for Hole). So we got The American Devices' ex bass player Sylvie Payne on vocals, worked out a short set of originals & played a handful of Montreal gigs. Our last show was opening for Jesus Lizard at Les Foufounes Electriques December 10, 1992. I quit almost immediately after this show because something going on within the band was rubbing me incredibly wrong. It was irresolvable. The whole thing collapsed shortly after.
This song is the only decent recording I can find & it's from a practice in my living room while we were still working out the arrangement. You can tell Barry's still a little iffy in the middle when he starts soloing out of place. Mother Goose A Go Go was the closest I ever came to playing anything remotely resembling grunge. I don't think we set out to be that way; the phenom just happened to be getting hugely mainstream at that time. Barry was really into Metallica & some of the other songs reflected that, but Richard's arrangements & lyrics were more out of the ordinary. The name of the band came from a retro psychedelic movie logo I found in the pages of Psychotronic Video Magazine. I enlarged a copy of it & draped it over our bass drum. I even mail-ordered the actual movie Mother Goose A Go Go AKA Unkissed Bride (1966) to see what it was like & it's terrible. But what a logo! -Rick Trembles
Click on the images or HERE to listen to the song (lyrics below).
ACT OF PURIFICATION
There's an utter lack of discipline on my behalf tonight. I know that I don't want to, but I know that I just might. My weakness is my trademark & my fear is my disease. I know I should just walk away but you cut me at the knees. If it's an act of purification, why do I feel unclean? If it's an act of purification, why do I feel so mean? There's an utter lack of discipline on my behalf tonight. I know that I don't want to, but I know that I just might. My weakness is my trademark & my fear is my disease. I know I should just walk away but you cut me at the knees. Well it's an act of purification, burning witches on Halloween. And if it didn't feel so good, I might think it obscene. Pass the matches, sharpen the knife, cleave to me, it's just my life. Pass the matches, sharpen the knife, cleave to me, it's just your life. There's an utter lack of discipline on my behalf tonight. I know that I don't want to, but I know that I just might. My weakness is my trademark & my fear is my disease. I know I should just walk away but you cut me at the knees. If it's an act of purification, why do I feel unclean? If it's an act of purification, why do I feel so mean? Well it's an act of purification, burning witches on Halloween. And if it didn't feel so good, I might think it obscene.
© Richard Bird 1992
Pictured above: Original logo collage by Richard Bird of a schematic of a virus rejected by our first singer Shelly Dion.
Pictured below: Final singer Sylvie Payne on an abandoned hearse that was permanently parked outside my apartment.
