Day 7 is just about in our rearview mirror, and I’m the new drummer in ZZ TOP…hahahaha.
Dave Bone and I have been doing the Replacements’ “Alex Chilton” the past few nights; Friday tears, Saturday the whole audience joining in on the chorus. YouTube on the way.
GREAT farewell lunch with the 11 new members of the Thunderbolt Texas family. Thanks to both Matt the founder and Matt the waiter on the lunch service. SPECIAL THANKS at this point goes to Dave Bone and the Troublemakers and the (mighty) Sons of Hercules, their wives, girlfriends, friends and fans. You took great care of me.
SXSW is Dead (for the moment), that’s what I said.
From Austin…The Thunderbolt
Tag Archives: Music
Thunderbolt @ SXSW: That’s What I Said
Filed under Live, Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt @ SXSW: Getting Caught Up
OK, let’s try to get caught up here on day 6 in Austin. Finally got that chicken fried steak at Hoovers. Will probably skip the jalepeno creamed spinach next time. My two shows yesterday went well, though a monitor would be helpful when singing lead from behind the drums, don’t you think? I opened out front with Dave Bone and me doing the Replacements “Alex Chilton” as a hymn. Many tears in the audience, which was the point; I got choked up myself while singing it. There IS footage, so hopefully it’ll show up on Youtube. I believe we’re going to do it tonight during the Sons of Hercules show. Spoke to old friends Cheetah Chrome and Syl Sylvain and saw their band the Batusis. Also spoke to Lisa From the Bell-Rays; gonna see them later today. In the hunt for a chorizo burrito…
T-Bolt
Filed under Live, Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt @ SXSW: Day 3
Well, day 3 at SXSW went by in a flash of Shiner Bock and rehearsal. I guess I should’ve considered playing live when I was overdubbing 14 tracks of background vocals. Saw the Muffs and some old friends last night.
Day 4? Too early to tell, but tonight…chicken fried steak!
New artist spotlight interview up on vicfirth.com.
“Children by the million wait for Alex Chilton…” My heart aches.
From Austin….The Thunderbolt
Filed under Live, Thunderbolt
A Faith ‘Completely and Utterly Justified’
Note: This is one of a series of posts in The DFFD Blog Goes Girl Crazy! special — a monthlong commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the release of ‘The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!’
I guess it was Spring of ’75. My friends and I would take trips to hit up the import racks at Listen Records in Glasgow’s Cambridge Street. 
Something in the deepest recesses of my mind tells me that I read about The Dictators Go Girl Crazy in Hot Wacks magazine. This was an Edinburgh based maga(fan)zine run by a guy by the name of Bert Muirhead who also had an amazing record store called Ezy Rider. Being a huge BÖC fan and ergo interested in what Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman were up to, it was a natural gravitation thing.
In those days records wore their hearts on their sleeves. Literally. There was no question of this being anything less than a belter. I didn’t even listen to any of it on the cans in the store. Four of us bought a copy each, Jack Seath (RIP) , Bert McMillan, Roy Litts and myself. All it took was a few seconds for our faith to be completely and utterly justified.
The author, Lindsay Hutton, with Andy Shernoff, at Andy's place in September 1983
Filed under Archive, Dictators Assembled, Go Girl Crazy! Special
Thunderbolt @ SXSW: Day 2, Part 2
Day 2, part II
The Sons of Hercules tore it up at Emo’s. Ah, Emo’s…remember playing it with the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, outdoors, in January, and, of course….the whole band was near nude on stage. Chilly, even for Texas. Saw my old friend from Madrid, Barnaby; a lovely treat. Also saw Kim Fowley, but why would he want to talk to me? Maybe if I had a vagina?
Tomorrow is another day, and another opportunity for chicken fried steak.
T-Bolt
Filed under Live, Thunderbolt
Congrats, Stooges! Nice speech, Billie Joe!
No matter what you think of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you gotta be happy for Iggy and the Stooges (“Roll over, Woodstock!” “Come on, let’s get some rich ladies up here!”).
And you’re definitely gonna like this speech if you’re a Dictators fan — especially if you appreciate the eloquence of our own Top Ten.
— DFFD123
Filed under Dictators Assembled, Top Ten, Video
Thunderbolt @ SXSW: Day 2
AUSTIN, Day 2
GREAT rehearsal with Dave Bone and the Troublemakers last night; we might actually be able to pull this fucker off…and thanks to Gretchen for the wonderful pasta. Stopped by Waterloo Records and both venues with posters today, followed by Tortilla soup and one beverage (haha) at Z Tejas. Tonight, The Sons of Hercules and another beverage at Emo’s. Tomorrow…the world…or at least….6th St. Again.
That’s what I said.
T-Bolt
Filed under Live, Thunderbolt
What’s Going On: Rich Teeter’s Birthday!
The DFFD Blog sends a hearty happy birthday today (March 16) to former Dictators drummer-vocalist extraordinaire Rich Teeter!
Filed under PSA, Ritchie Teeter
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