Last updated 6/24/08
6/24/08
KEMPNER'S SAVING GRACE NOW IN STORES!
Scott Kempner's first solo CD in 16 years, Saving Grace, is now available, both on iTunes and at your local record store.
Read more and check some tracks out at Scott's MySpace page.
4/24/08
ROSS GUESTING ON SKULLSHIFTER DISC
Ross the Boss is guesting on Dictators' road warrior CJ Scioscia's upcoming album with his metal band, Skullshifter.
The press release follows:
SKULLSHIFTER, the New Jersey-based metal band featuring former INSANIAC members Tom Nolz and CJ Scioscia, as well as former EXXPLORER bassist J. McCaffrey, has completed the recording process and is now in mixing mode for their upcoming full-length CD, Inner Demons. Armed with the wealth of experience gained through working with producer Simon Efemey on SKULLSHIFTER's debut 3-song EP Here in Hell in 2005, this new 9-song effort is being produced entirely by the band at Scioscia's studio, Le Chateau Bow Wow Recording, in Watchung, N.J.
With tracking beginning in September 2007, and striving for nothing less than crushing metal perfection, the last piece of the puzzle was added this past Thursday as ROSS THE BOSS (THE DICTATORS, ex-MANOWAR) added his unmistakable lead guitar shredding to the song "Etched In Sand." Once again, SKULLSHIFTER will tap Alan Douches of West West Side Music for the mastering duties when mixing is completed.
SKULLSHIFTER's Inner Demons CD release event is scheduled to coincide with their appearance at NEW JERSEY HEAVY METAL MASSACRE 3 on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008, at Dingbatz in Clifton, N.J. The evening will also feature performances by DTA, COMBAT, MARTYRD and ETHEREAL COLLAPSE. Additional details and updates will be available at http://www.skullshifter.com and http://www.myspace.com/skullshifter.
4/20/08
HDM PLAYS STAR-STUDDED BOWERY BASH
Handsome Dick was among the artists performing at the star-studded April 17 opening of the John Varvatos store at 315 Bowery, the former site of CBGB's. Manitoba did "Sonic Reducer" with the house band, Cheetah Crome and CJ Ramone, before singing "Kick Out the Jams" with a supergroup: Perry Farrell, Slash, Wayne Kramer, Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and others.
Reports the Handsome One: "I introduced Johnny V and told the audience, that like the Pope will be blessing people in a coupla days in NY, I, HDM, am hereby blessing him into the neighborhood."
Check out a photo of HDM with Kramer and Slash here and video of the event here.
4/17/08
WILD KINGDOM TO ROCK RAMONE BASH
Manitoba's Wild Kingdom are confirmed for this year's Joey Ramone's Birthday Bash! The band -- four out of five Dictators -- will be playing 3-4 songs during the annual event, being held May 19 at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. This will be largest onstage amassing of Dictators since the band headlined the second-to-last night at CBGB's on Oct. 14, 2006. It is also the first time since Joey's death that the guys will perform at the Bash together (although those of you playing at home will have noted that some members have taken the stage every year individually). Get your tickets now!
4/11/08
J.P. HITTING ROAD WITH PATTI ROTHBERG
Your favorite drummer, J.P. "Thunderbolt" Patterson, is hitting the road with Patti Rothberg, in support of her new album, Double Standards (in stores May 13). Michael Imperioli ("Christufuh" of Sopranos fame) and his band, La Dolce Vita, are opening. Here are the dates for that run, plus the just-announced NYC record release show:
4/7 Jammin' Java: Vienna, VA
4/9 Toad's Place: New Haven, CT
4/10 The Turning Point: Piermont, NY
4/11 Bill's Bar: Boston, MA
4/12 Lucky Dog: Worcester, MA
4/19 Twin River Casino: Lincoln, RI
5/22 Blender Theater at Gramercy: New York City (record release show)
3/12/08
KEMPNER ANNOUNCES SOLO CD, DEL-LORDS REISSUES
Scott "Top Ten" Kempner is releasing his first solo album in 16 years, Saving Grace, on June 10. The disc, on the 00:02:59 label, features contributions from such artists as Dion, ex-bandmate Frank Funaro and the Smithereens' Mike Mesaros. Read more about Saving Grace in this article at antiMusic and in Scott's MySpace blog.
Also in that posting, Scott says that all four studio Del-Lords albums are set for reissue in 2008. "This is my new strategy," he writes. "Take a decade or so off and then release five albums in one year, six if you count the Dictators' . . . Every Day Is Saturday.
2/6/08
HDM PENS LINER NOTES FOR CB'S SERIES
Manitoba's liner notes appear in the CBGB Masters collection, eventually to number about a dozen -- collect 'em all!
1/27/08
BEHOLD: FLESHTONES & MANITOBA
Watch a clip of HDM singing with the Fleshtones at their record release party Jan. 26 -- and see some photos.
11/14/07
HDM SET FOR NORTON HOLIDAY SHOW
Get your tickets here.
10/16/07
THE DICTATORS REMEMBER HILLY KRISTAL
Handsome Dick Manitoba amended his August piece on Hilly Kristal for Hilly's memorial in October. We reprint it here.
For My Pal, Hilly Kristal....
Hilly Kristal invented something amazing ... Unprecedented, to my knowledge, on God's green earth ... A rock and roll club that lasted & flourished, in the same spot, for over 30 years ... That type of success doesn't just come from just being a good businessman. It comes from someone who loves music ... someone who loves the people involved in the music ... someone who loves what they do.
CBGB'S started in an era when the Bowery was the Bowery! ... No velvet ropes, no "Do You Have A Reservation?" questions, no Apple Martinis ... Just a strip of land on The Rock that included flop houses, Christian missions, and tons of good old fashioned cheap, let's get drunk, gin joints.
What CBGB'S did, was shine a light on this most improbable piece of land, a land not used to the light at all. All of a sudden, limos and famous music industry types were coming down in droves to sign bands outta CB'S.
That's my recollection as a lifelong resident of New York City, of the impact Hilly's club had on the neighborhood.
Yes, by now, music fans all over the world, know of Hilly Kristal's famous Bowery club, and the impact it had on our culture.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
I don't know what life would have been like without CBGB'S, or Hilly.
That's because, for over 30 years, (uninterrupted) I played his club, watched others play his club, and visited Hilly and the staff.
From the early days of punk, in the mid 70's, all the way up to closing time last year, I got a smile (well, a "Hilly smile" anyway, his sort of "clenched grin") whenever I entered CBGB'S and saw him. He liked me. He liked The Dictators. I /We, liked him. There was a special chemistry. A friendship chemistry, that comes from sharing something important in life with another person. It was a person, a time, a place, and an experience that was powerful and symbiotic, between Hilly Kristal, myself, and my band.
That was the thing that comes to mind when I think of Hilly. Let others detail and document what went on in the club, and the great accomplishments. I just want to remember that grin, that feeling of belonging ... that special "second home" vibe, one rarely gets, in life.
In the last coupla' years I used to push my son Jake Koufax in his stroller, and visit the club, whenever I was near The Bowery and Bleecker.
I came through the drug addled 70's, where half of my contemporaries died from overdoses, relatively unscathed, clean & sober. So it was with great pride when I entered CB'S for the first time, with Jake in tow, and said, "Hilly, this is my son, Jake." Hilly was happy for me ... Maybe even proud of me ... It was like that between us. Hilly always made me feel welcome ... I always felt loved, whenever I entered Ceebs, and saw him sitting there.
Another piece of me, another piece of my life died when Hilly died. My story is inseparable from the CBGB story. It is intertwined. It is one.
Bye Hilly, and thank you so very much.
Love,
Handsome Dick Manitoba
New York City, October, 2007
* * * *
What I Always Loved About Hilly
What I always loved about Hilly: there was no great and powerful OZ behind
the curtain. He was right there sitting behind the desk at the front of the
house, and he'd treat everyone the same ... and the treatment was good. I love
you, Hilly; RIP.
J.P. "Thunderbolt" Patterson
THE DICTATORS
* * * *
9/6/07
J.P. SIGNS WITH SABIAN CYMBALS
J.P. "Thunderbolt" Patterson is proud to announce his signing with Sabian
cymbals "Because Sound Matters"; huge thanks to Paul Cellucci. For those
keeping score at home, J.P. now endorses Vic Firth sticks, Pearl Drums, Remo
heads, and Sabian cymbals.
8/17/07
MC5, HDM TO ROCK AZKENA FEST
HDM to play with DKT/MC5 at the Azkena Rock Festival on Labor Day weekend, Saturday, Sept. 1. With Reverend Horton Heat, the Hives, Hoodoo Gurus, Roky Erickson and many more.
8/1/07
MANITOBA'S NEW BOOK: READ ALL ABOUT IT
Handsome Dick Manitoba's new book with Amy Wallace, The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists, won't be out for a few months, but mentions of it are already popping up on the Internet: Google Search. Meanwhile, take a gander at this article in online gossip mag BlackBook Online, written by Maxim editor and former Page Six contributor Chris Wilson. In addition, you can pre-order yours online now through
Amazon.com.
7/25/07
HOW HDM SPENT HIS SUMMER VACATION
Catch up with the Handsome One with a special photo essay.
7/24/07
ROSS SIGNS NEW RECORD DEAL
Ross the Boss joins forces with AFM Records.
6/19/07
MANITOBA EN FRANCE WITH DKT
DKT will headline the Musiques En Stock open-air festival in Cluses, France, which is in ze French Alps. There will be 10,000 fans attending per day. Bands perform July 5, July 6 and July 7. DKT will headline Friday night, July 6. Their support will be Scandinavia’s beloved Datsuns. DKT features MC5 members Wayne Kramer, Michael Davis and Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson. Special guests for this show will be the Dictators’ inimitable vocalist, Handsome Dick Manitoba, and the Sisters of Mercy’s guitarist, Adam Pearson.
5/1/07
T-BOLT GETS THE "W"
Our own J.P. "Thunderbolt" Patterson pitched AFTRA to a 6-2 win over
arch-enemies Irving Plaza in the Central Park Performing Arts league. The
Thunderbolt scattered 4 hits throughout the contest, and both Irving runs
were unearned. The knuckler was dancin'... (4/23)
4/10/07
SHERNOFF SONG ON NEW MARY WEISS LP
Mary Weiss, former lead singer for the Shangri-Las, just recorded a song Andy co-wrote with Billy Miller. It's available from Norton Records. Catch a sample of "You're Never Gonna See Me Cry" at Andy's MySpace page here.
4/2/07
NORTON RELEASES "16 FOREVER" SINGLE
Norton Records has released a 45 rpm single of the previously unreleased 1978 track "16 Forever" b/w the Bloodbrothers demo "Stay With Me."
HDM TAKES ON PUNK ROCK BOOK PROJECT
Handsome Dick Manitoba has joined forces with Amy Wallace, co-author of the No. 1 NY Times Bestseller The Book of Lists, to bring you THE OFFICIAL PUNK ROCK BOOK OF LISTS! With illustrations by the great Cliff Mott.
ROSS SIGNS ON FOR BROOKLYN METALFEST
Ross will play a full set of early Manowar at the Brooklyn Metalfest in June. For more Ross the Boss tour dates, see Ross-the-Boss.com.
2/26/07
ADNY FEATURE IN BASS GUITAR MAG
Andy was featured in the April 2007 issue of Bass Guitar magazine. See page 1 and page 2.
2/22/07
THE THUNDERBOLTS SAY GRACIAS
El supergrupo the Thunderbolts thank all their Spanish fans for a terrific tour. Watch a great video from IndyRock here, plus much more on YouTube: Santiago, Ponferrada and Gijón.
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