Mad Parade has always worked to distinguish themselves within the explosive but crowded California Punk community. Maintaining the aggression of their peers but actively working to infuse melody amid their dark and chaotic themes, they helped facilitate a sub-genre of more melodic, introspective Punk.
“I am proud to say I always felt we were creatively true to ourselves. We were glad to play with Social Distortion a lot and earned positive support but at times I felt we were creative outcasts. There were some narrow-minded approaches when the music turned more hardcore but those that got what we were doing aligned themselves with us. There was a small group of melodic punk rockers, which I loved,” shared guitarist Joey Kelly.
Mad Parade truly honed their craft in 1985 by evolving their frantic, yet melodic foundation with more introspective lyricism which resulted in 1987’s 1000 Words. Released by BYO Records, Mad Parade were peers with 7 Seconds and seemingly shared common ground with singer Kevin Seconds, who sought to challenge early Punk themes with more inclusive unity and positive outlooks, which stood in marked contrast from the increasing violence that threatened to fracture the entire subculture. Punk was evolving as more groups challenged old ethos while creatively pushing boundaries.
“We were so proud of 1000 Words but it seemed the timing was not right. When were were writing that record it was a weird time because you had the growing LA ‘rock scene’ and a lot of the bands we liked, such as TSOL, 7 Seconds, and Youth Brigade were changing and not a lot of people embraced that at the time. We thought BYO was not big enough at the time and there was a lack of touring. Some stations refused to play us and some didn’t give us a chance based on how we looked on records. It was ridiculous,” scoffed Kelly.
1000 Words was an undeniable creative leap for Mad Parade but Kelly remarked egos and unrealistic expectations became the group’s downfall. Kelly’s brother and singer Billy Ledges quit in 1988, leaving the group’s future in serious doubt. For Kelly, the positive gigs and evolving creativity proved inspiring but he shared he didn’t have the ability to successfully handle certain challenges and rebound.
“When you’re young you have that awesome, youthful enthusiasm and when a show goes well it’s exciting but how do you recover from driving hours on tour and playing shows that don’t go well and not getting paid for it? Of course it was disappointing when our record wasn’t supported and it was supposed to come out in ‘86, but didn’t until ‘87. My brother quit a year later. Overall, there were more positives but you simply cannot have all the highs and no lows,” stated Kelly.
Mad Parade helped evolve California’s burgeoning punk community by infusing more melody within a genre renowned for aggressive tempos but as Kelly remarked, the group’s creative leap came during a divisive time.
“It was certainly a weird time because you had bands like Discharge putting out a ‘rock record’ while many people would say you sucked if you weren’t always playing fast. I’m all for bands growing naturally but that Discharge record made no sense at all. Then, you had the LA rock scene which didn’t fit with punk at all. Punk taught me to challenge myself and grow creatively, as well as think differently about everything I saw.”
Mad Parade’s future remained unclear and the band would go on several hiatuses, beginning in 1988 for four years and in 2004 for a year. The group still delivered energetic performances with new material but Kelly attributes the hiatuses to his tumultuous relationship with his brother. Mad Parade’s 2022 hiatus prompted Kelly to reflect on the current relationship status with his brother.
“The current status is not that good and I haven’t talked to him in two years but it’s always been an up and down thing. When it was good it was great! But when it was bad, it was horrible. I kind of see our relationship like Ray and Dave Davies from The Kinks. One of our problems was, we couldn’t separate family from music so that remained a big issue,” sighed Kelly.
He continued, “We had shows booked in 2005 with no lead singer but the guys in the band said I should sing. It was ok for awhile, good tours and good shows and I reconnected with my brother again and moved forward once again.”
Kelly has successfully guarded Mad Parade’s legacy with Gutterwail Records. Originally launched in ‘87, he revamped the label in 2014 to offer remastered Mad Parade releases, rare albums from 999 and The Wanderers. Mad Parade’s oft-overlooked album, 1994’s Jigsaw Reality is finally available and represents a missing piece within their discography.
“That was another difficult time because it was recorded in 1993 but came out in ‘94 with barely any promotion from Satellite Records. It had mediocre mixing and mastering and I decided in 2019 to add more guitars, an extra tune, and remix and remaster the way should have been done. It’s now called Caffeine Scream and to me, now this thing has balls,” laughed Kelly.
Kelly shares Gutterwail may be driven by nostalgia but it offers easy availability for records that were once long out of print while also offering revamped versions that improved the original presentations. He also shared the positive feedback he has been receiving from newer fans but laments there has to be a healthy and conscious balance between celebrating music and knowing when nostalgia can produce negative outcomes.
“I am really not a fan of bands touring without key members and it isn’t a real good idea unless you want to make some quick cash. That’s not for me. Can you imagine Dead Boys, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and Dead Kennedys without the original singers? Whoops, my bad. I’ll stick with 999, U.K. Subs, and others. Writing a tune like it was 1983 again seems impossible. It’s not realistic to replicate the same youthful energy so you have to be realistic when writing. If some band can prove me wrong I have an open ear to listen but it seems like a swing and miss to me,” stated Kelly.
For Kelly, he believes the original ethos of Punk still drive him but personal evolution and introspection have enabled stronger, new outlooks.
“I admit I certainly had an ego back then but in the moment I didn’t realize it was unhealthy. Punk helped carve my way of thinking. Who cares about all the debates of how and where it started? The important thing is how it impacts you. Punk helped and still helps me to be aware and question, ponder. I’m a father and I learn how to either put that ahead of music or intertwine it. It’s humbling and when you make a mistake you work to fix it. I quit drinking over two years ago and the so-called fog has been lifted,” shared Kelly.
For now, Mad Parade remains on hiatus but the newest reissues remind fans of the creative mark they sought to leave on California’s legendary punk community.
“Playing as a kid and hitting those chords, it’s thrilling and it was a newfound energy to believe we could all go out there and do it. With the label, it’s awesome to still turn people on to music and share what I created. I won’t have that feeling taken away. The ego of old days me is long gone and I still write and create because it’s a powerful thing. With Gutterwail, if I can turn just one person on a day to music, I know I’m doing it right,” concluded Kelly.
https://www.madparade.biz/home
Photo: Dina Douglas, courtesy of Joey Kelly
