Category Archives: Top Ten

‘Tators Tracker: March Madness Edition

Shernoff Melnick posterHandsome Dick Manitoba is rebroadcasting his radio interview with Iggy Pop this Friday (March 12) in honor of the Stooges’ induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next Monday. Catch the interview, recorded last October, at 11 p.m. ET on the “Handsome Dick Manitoba Radio Program” in Little Steven’s Underground Garage, Sirius 25, XM 59.

Andy Shernoff is performing more of solo acoustic shows, starting with this Friday’s (March 12) appearance with Ramones tour manager Monte A. Melnick at The Record Collector in Bordentown, N.J. Next, he’ll be singing and telling stories at NYC’s Lakeside Lounge (Monday, March 15) and Hoboken, N.J.’s Maxwell’s (Saturday, March 27).

Thunderbolt Patterson will be performing songs from The LP Is Dead at Austin’s SXSW, backed by Dave Bone and the Troublemakers. He’ll be singing lead and playing drums. Shows already announced are being held Friday, March 19: 2:15 p.m. at Sonny’s Vintage, 7:15 p.m. at Spiderhouse Cafe.

Scott Kempner just wrapped up a tour of Spain with the Del-Lords. He currently is continuing work on the band’s new album. More info here.

Ross the Boss, who just played some dates in Germany with the Ross the Boss Band, is now in the studio working on the band’s second album. Check out a recent video interview with Ross at venue music.

— DFFD123

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YouTube Tuesday: “These Guys Are the Sh*t”

That’s the Joey Ramone introduction to the boys’ performance of “Who Will Save Rock and Roll?” in the 1999 movie Final Rinse — “Part This Is Spinal Tap, part Dirty Harry, and all tongue in cheek.” Read more at FinalRinse.com. In the meantime, enjoy the high-quality video, multiple camera angles and Joey R. acting.

— DFFD123

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Wishing Top Ten a Birthday Second to None!

Top Ten

Photo by Josh Lewis

The DFFD Blog wishes Scott “Top Ten” Kempner a first-class birthday celebration today (Feb. 6)!

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Jan. 24, 1986: The Musical Comeback of the Century!

THE DICTATORS RE-FORM TO HEADLINE
“THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF PUNK”

CONCERT AT THE RITZ, NYC
January 24,1986

The Ritz

Ross and Scott with the Dics at the Ritz in '86. Photo courtesy of CJ Scioscia

NYC? The Big Apple? Me? It was January, 1986. I was 32, and had never been east of Dayton. But when the call came from Salvi, telling me about the Dictators reforming to headline the “10th Anniversary of Punk” at the Ritz, I did what any red-blooded Dictators fan would do … I borrowed $250 from my then-girlfriend and headed to Midway Airport! I hopped a Thursday night flight to Newark via People’s Express, a budget airline that required passengers to pay in cash once the plane was in the air! People’s Express made traveling by Greyhound seem like a first-class trip in comparison. But I got there in one piece. Who knows what fell off that plane en route?

I landed at Newark, no plans, no room, ending up crashing at the Ben Franklin Inn (“Where a Penny Saved…”). Friday dawned bright and crisp, I grabbed an eventual bus to downtown Newark. A nice gentleman sat next to me immediately, asking me lots of questions, several times inviting me to hop off the bus for “a drink or two.” People sure were friendly in Newark! And I’d heard such bad things.

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Filed under Adny, Archive, Dictators Assembled, HDM, Live, Live Review, Mark the Animal, Ritchie Teeter, Ross the Boss, Top Ten

“New York New York” — A Hell of a Song

The Powers That Be behind the The New York Nobody Sings blog, dedicated to songs about New York, might not be the world’s biggest Dictators fans — at least according to a new post this week — but they did dredge up a cool clip of “New York New York” from Irving Plaza in ’81. For that, we salute you.



— DFFD123

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YouTube Tuesday: “A Little Cosmic Surf Jam, Perhaps?”

A “California Sun” filmed onstage — and we mean onstage — in Oviedo, Spain, in 1996.

Some more unobstructed Oviedo treats from YouTube user pacovigil for your YouTube Tuesday viewing pleasure:

“Channel Surfing”
“New York New York” and “Science Gone Too Far!”
“Who Will Save Rock and Roll?” and “I Am Right!”

Muchas gracias, pacovigil!

— DFFD123

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‘Tators Tracker: Mid-January Roll Call Edition

Roll callDictators roll call!

In random order, and with info courtesy of our friends over at TheDictators.com, here’s who’s been doing what and where and when:

Thunderbolt Patterson

Handsome Dick Manitoba

  • Performing two songs at the Continental in NYC on Sunday night (midnight with CJ Ramone and Daniel Rey, 12:30 a.m. with Cheetah Chrome)
  • Interviewing Cheetah Chrome for his radio program
  • Wrote the introduction to Clifford Meth’s Whorehouse Madrigals, available now for preorder
  • Massachusetts teens record tribute tune
  • Caught by the New York Times catching the Care Bears on Fire with his son, Jake

Andy Shernoff

Scott Kempner

Ross the Boss

— DFFD123

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YouTube Tuesday: “Dude . . . Put Some Pants On”

What an enchanting way to kick off a new year and new decade: Sit back, crank up the speakers and behold the Dics and their afros performing “Search and Destroy” in a clip that hasn’t lost a lick of its kinetic charm in the nearly 33 years since it was filmed. Manitoba takes the mic like he was fired from a rocket, Ross stares his singer down for an unsettlingly long time, Mark the Animal rocks ferociously, Ritchie Teeter punishes his drum kit, Andy hides in the background like a hired hand, and the otherwise cool-looking Top Ten, he wears short shorts.

This video of the performance is a bit better synced than most we’ve found, which ups the enjoyment factor considerably. Also adding to the fun: the 250 comments on this poorly synced version of the video. Look out, honey, they’re using technology! I’ll save you some serious scrolling by reproducing my faves — complete with original spelling and punctuation, for the authentic experience — starting with the uploader’s intro:

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