Status:Horror Blogger
Melissa aka Spooky Little Girl is a blogger who writes about all things macabre including horror movies,Halloween,Haunted places,and music. She is also the bassist for a horror based band called HexHam Heads.
Check her band out here:
www.myspace.com/HexHamHeads
and her blog out here:
www.spookylittlegirllikeyou.blogspot.com
Check out Melissa's bio to know a little bit about her:
Since early childhood, Melissa Pleckham has been a fan of the macabre in all its many forms, with a particular affection for ghost stories and horror movies. Her band, Hexham Heads, takes its name from a piece of British lore involving two mysterious carved stone heads of dubious origin that are said to be guarded by an intimidating half-man, half-wolf creature. In addition to her love of the horror genre, she is also a lifelong believer in the supernatural, thanks in part to her mother's tales of growing up in a haunted house. Along with her partner and bandmate, Ken Ramos, she is a co-Vice President of GHOULA, the Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles, and the author of Spooky Little Girl, a blog dedicated to all things haunted and haunting.
And on to the questions:
1.)So let's begin at the beginning,what drew you to the horror genre?
Honestly, I think it's something I inherited from my parents. You know those movies you remember fondly from your childhood? For some people, it's Bambi or The Wizard of Oz, but for me, it was Halloween and The Haunting. My parents were always extremely permissive when it came to letting me watch scary movies - in fact, they kind of encouraged it. Plus, my mom would always tell me these crazy stories about a haunted house she used to live in as a kid, where she and her sister used to hear a woman's voice calling the name "William" when they were trying to fall asleep. After they had moved out of the house, her mom later told them that there had been a kid who used to live in the house who had died, and his name was William! I guess I was just always drawn to darker things, ever since I was little.
2.)Can you give us a brief description of your band Hexham Heads,what instrument do you play?
One magazine described us as "Sonic Youth throwing a punk rock through the window of a goth club," and I think that's a pretty accurate summation. We're noisy and dark, but we're not metal, and we're not exactly goth or punk, although we have moments where we flirt with both. I play bass, and I'm starting to branch out into singing. The first song I ever sang lead on is called "Spider Baby," as an homage to the Jack Hill movie, which is one of my favorites.
3.)You also have a horror based blog where you post about movies,Halloween,and music. What made you decide to start your Spooky little girl blog?
Basically, I just wanted to write about the things that matter to me, and few things in life are more exciting to me than Halloween, horror and the supernatural. I've always loved to write, and I would always do these lengthy reviews of different Halloween events in the southern California area (like Knott's Scary Farm, Halloween Horror Nights, etc.) just for fun, so I figured I might as well start a blog of my own. I also contribute to CreepyLA occasionally; I reviewed the first ever Los Angeles Haunted Hayride for them last year.
4.)Do you find it more difficult being a female horror blogger,when there are so many more male horror bloggers?
So far, I haven't run into any problems. I've actually found that there are a lot of really great horror blogs written by women. One of my favorite is Final Girl. I also love the name, concept and execution of the Ax Wound Zine. When you get into more mainstream horror press like Fangoria and so on, it definitely seems more targeted towards dudes, but I think it's easier to find a variety of voices online.
5.)Do you think your judged differently by male musicians being a female?
Probably. Sadly, I think people have lower standards for female musicians, so if you're even remotely capable, people are always really blown away. You think that the novelty of girls in bands would wear off after all these years, but I still run into sound guys who act like condescending dicks occasionally, or dudes who act surprised because my band is really loud. I grew up listening to the riot grrrls and bands like Hole and Babes in Toyland though, so I take it all in stride. I'm prepared to stand my ground, man!
6.)Who is your favorite horror based band(or bands)?
That's a really hard one for me, because I think a lot of horror-based bands seem to be metal, and metal's not really my thing. That being said, I do love Rob Zombie, who is somewhat heavier. I don't know if I would say that Bauhaus is horror-based, but they were obviously influenced by certain elements, including horror, and they're one of my favorites. But if I had to pick just one, I would go with the Cramps.
7.)Were there any certain musicians that have inspired you immensely?
YES. As previously mentioned, I was hugely into Hole and Babes in Toyland in high school, and I've basically never gotten over it. If you think about it, they were kind of scary bands - especially Babes in Toyland. Kat Bjelland is terrifying intense when she's onstage. Boys just don't get Kat, but lots of female musicians I know love her. The first bass player I ever idolized was Simon Gallup of the Cure. His basslines are incredible, and he always looked very cool and mysterious. I'm also really feeling Black Sabbath at the moment. Someone once told me I look like a young Ozzy Osbourne, which initially offended me a little, but I kind of take it as a huge compliment now!
8.)You seem to be intrigued by haunted places,what haunted place interests you the most?
One place that I'm really dying (pun intended?) to visit is Bachelor's Grove, which is a cemetery in Illinois, where I was born. My dad has some really scary stories about the place, and there's a very famous photograph that allegedly shows a ghost that was taken there. I would also love to visit the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky.
9.)Does your band have any upcoming shows you would like to give any information out about?
We're playing this Friday, February 5th at Spaceland in Los Angeles, although I'm not sure if this interview will go up before then! Beyond that, it's best to check our MySpace (myspace.com/hexhamheads) or Facebook if anyone's interested in finding out where our next show will be.
10.)Who in your opinion is the scariest female monster/murderer in the horror movie universe?
This is an easy one for me - Carrie White. For some reason, Carrie really resonated with me, and she absolutely terrified me. I like the movie, but I hardly ever want to watch it because she freaks me out. I feel sorry for the character, and I sympathize with her, but Sissy Spacek standing there, covered in blood, with those crazy eyes!? Shit!
11.)Who is your favorite woman(or women) in horror?
I will always have a special spot in my heart for Elvira. I think "horror hostess" sounds like basically the coolest job in the universe. Plus, I love that she's in on the joke - I think it's pretty feminist. You can't make crude comments about her boobs at her expense because she's already beaten you to it, you know? Also, I met her recently, and she still looks flawless. Just goes to prove that you should stay out of the sun, kids!
12.)And last but not least,what is your favorite horror movie of all time?
The original 1978 version of Halloween. A perfect movie from start to finish. Not only my favorite horror movie, but my favorite movie, period.
Again you can find her on these websites:
www.twitter.com/Spookylttlegirl
www.spookylittlegirllikeyou.blogspot.com
And her band Hexham Heads:
www.myspace.com/Hexhamheads
this is a cool site!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
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