The Summer of Stigmata

First, I listened to Goth Mark’s CD.

Next, I went and saw his band, Mark and The Stigmatas.

Finally, he asked “Be honest, what do you think?”

I said “It’s pretty intense.”

I guess it’s the best ambiguous comment he ever got. He took it as a compliment.

“Pretty Intense… I like that.”

Now whenever Goth Mark drops off the mail, all “we” talk about is his band…

Mark: Alpo, I meant to ask. What about Nausea Insomnia?

Me: About what?

Mark: Track three on my CD.

Me: Oh right, track three.

Mark: It’s not derivative of Alien Sex Fiend? Or Sartre?

Me: Nah.

Mark: Yeah. (sings) “Amnesia, hysteria/ I got nausea insomnia!”

Me: Yup. Whoa, look at the time.

Mark: Time To Fester.

Me: What?

Mark: Track six. Time To Fester.

Me: Right.

Mark: We opened with it.

(Silence)

Mark: Hey, have you joined the band’s MySpace Fan Club yet?

Me: I keep forgetting.

Mark: When you join, you should write a review on our page about how awesome we are.

Me: I’m not much of a writer.

Mark: I’ll write it for you!

Me: Please don’t.

Mark: Oh… I’m thinking of changing the band’s name to Pretty Intense.

Me: Makes sense.

Mark: You don’t mind if I use it?

Me: It’s all yours.

Mark: Thanks! You should write some lyrics for the band. Your words. My music. Anyway, no mail for you today. Think lyrics. Later, man.

Read Full Post »

Mark and The Stigmatas – Back From The Dead

Goth Mark from the mailroom was at my desk constantly after he gave me his band’s CD, Mark and The Stigmatas.

“Have you listened to it yet?” Day in. Day out.

So I broke down and listened to it.

Mark sings in Goth falsetto. His band sounds like a wind up toy. His lyrics are mostly about blood, the bible, and boobs. Mainly boobs.

The next time I saw him, he asked “Have you listened to it yet?”

I said yes. I said it was interesting. I said it was great that they could play all those instruments at the same time. I said a lot of thing that didn’t make sense.

He looked skeptical. Did I have a favourite track?

I said “…All of them.”

He raised a pierced eyebrow and pursed his lips. I’m not sure if that’s Goth for “You’ve hurt my feelings” but I think it is.

After that, he stopped dropping by my desk to talk about his band. He stopped talking altogether. Just pushed his cart around in silence. He looked like a wounded Goth puppy.

So down to the mailroom I went.

He seemed surprised to see me. They all did. Apparently no one ever goes there.

I made some excuse about wanting to pick up my mail and then said “I was listening to your CD again last night. Your band had a lot of potential. It’s too bad you broke up.”

He actually smiled. Then he told me they were back together. And have never sounded better. Apparently they now have a “Surf Goth” sound.

Turns out I’m going to see them this Friday.

Read Full Post »

Googling Coworkers Part IV – Mailroom Mark the Goth

8.52am:
The Goth Kid from the mailroom walks up to me and says that if I’m interested, his band is playing this Friday at a club called The Turning Point.

I say “Great.”

Hope that’s noncommittal enough.

I think his name is Clarence…

9.18am:
Okay, Goth Kid is known as “Mark.”

The name of his band… Mark and The Stigmatas. That’s a little on the nose, I think. Still, it’s nice to see Goths having fun with words.

Time to Google.

11.56am:
Nothing on Mark and The Stigmatas. Plenty of stuff about “Mystical Stigmata” and lots of “Unexplained Stigmata Discussion Forums.”

(Hmm, I should probably get back to work…)

2.01pm:
According to Naline, the club that Mark’s playing, The Turning Point, is a “total hole” where beginner bands gig… Apparently it’s known as The Learning Point.

3.47pm:
Nutless Tom says that he once got “suckered” into seeing Mark and The Stigmatas at The Learning Point and that I should avoid the club’s toilet – at all costs.

He also says Mark’s band stinks way worse than the club’s toilet. 

3.48pm:
I decide to tell Mark that I’ve got a family thing happening this Friday.

4.58pm:
A second visit from Mark. His band just broke up. Apparently it’s all the lead guitarist’s fault. That sounds legitimate.

He looks despondent. But then again, he is a Goth…

4.59pm:
Mark sticks a homemade Mark and The Stigmatas CD in my hand. He says, “Let me know what you think, man.”

Great…

Read Full Post »