By D.C.S. Murray
When I first heard the story of Krazy Madness I honestly thought it was a joke. The idea of a heavy-metal loving dad with knee-length dreadlocks starting a band with his family that exclusively played metal and reggae music seemed too over-the-top to be anything but a practical joke. Skepticism prevailed until I actually met the band. However, the reality of such a phenomenon wasn’t the most surprising part about this group – the first time I ever saw Krazy Madness rehearse I was absolutely blown away by the sheer skill and charisma possessed by every member.
Patrick Bellemare, a rock ’n’ roll veteran who has toured Canada extensively with bands like Lace and Whiskey, Brighton Rock, Helix, and Nazareth, has played every possible role at a gig, from roadie to lead singer. He has taken all of his experience and practice with him into Krazy Madness, leading the way for a younger generation and providing lead vocals the likes of which haven’t been heard since the eighties. Patrick’s two sons Kevin, age 17, and Kelsey, age 15, have inherited their father’s virtuosity, and are quite talented musicians in their own rights. Kevin has been playing drums since age three, and it shows in his steady yet ridiculously energetic performance, while younger brother Kelsey has been playing bass for the last four years and has become a more than competent bassist in that time. Not only does he hold the band steady with his relaxed and almost carefree style of playing but he tackles even the hardest of breakdowns and scales with ease (and sometimes a smile). Both of them claim to be heavily influenced by the way their father acted when they were young. “I would watch him really closely and [that] developed my skill,” Kevin reminisces.
Krazy Madness began in 2007 after a meeting with heavy metal titan Zakk Wylde, whom Patrick claims as being one of his biggest musical influences since he was a teenager. Since then the band has grown quickly, establishing a fan base of roughly 2,000 people in the three years they’ve been active, and religiously maintaining a Facebook page. As rock and roll fans themselves, Krazy Madness takes their responsibility to the fans very seriously. “We love you all,” is the message that Patrick wanted to relay to his fans. And for everyone else he simply states, “We’re taking over the world one by one, starting with you. What are you gonna do about it?”
While a demanding practice schedule keeps this band in pristine form, and an ever-growing fanbase including rock gods like Rudy Sarzo and Black Label Society keeps them motivated, the really entertaining part about Krazy Madness is their energy and presence. Each member brings something different to the table, but they are totally uniform in the love of what they’re doing and the music they play. “I don’t think I could be doing anything better than rock ’n’ roll,” stated an enthusiastic Kelsey. “I have such a great life and such a great family.”
With an album in the works and live shows that are growing more and more frequent, Krazy Madness shows no signs of slowing down and with younger siblings that are starting to pick up instruments of their own, it looks like they’ll be dragging the past kicking and screaming into the future for years to come.