IPOD
RADIO
The Dictators
By Daniel Robert Epstein
Jan 2, 2006
The Dictators have been around and cranking out punk music as long as I have been alive. Their latest album is a live album entitled Viva Dictators. I got a chance to talk to their famous guitarist Ross The Boss.
Check out the official site for The Dictators
Daniel Robert Epstein: What are you up to today?
Ross The Boss: I’m not doing anything.
DRE:
Are you at home?
RTB:
I’m at home finally.
DRE:
Have you guys been on tour?
RTB:
Yeah.
DRE:
How did that go?
RTB:
Unbelievable. We played in the south and the Midwest.
DRE:
What kind of people are showing up?
RTB:
Everybody, older, musicians, wannabes.
DRE:
[laughs] Any real punks?
RTB:
Yes. They’re just jumping up and down a lot and drinking and getting a lot of tattoos and the girls are getting tattoos and they’re going to regret it when they’re like 65. These girls that are tattooing themselves up. It’s so unbelievable, it’s not even funny.
DRE:
You got any tattoos?
RTB:
Yeah, I got a few. I got one in 1980 and I got one for my son when he was born in 1991.
DRE:
Everyone’s got a tattoo now.
RTB:
Yeah, everyone’s just going crazy with that.
DRE:
I spoke to someone the other day who says that if back in the 80’s, someone got a tattoo, they were considered somewhat dubious.
RTB:
It is much different now. Everybody and his mother is getting one. They aren’t cool anymore. Actually if they’re good, they’re good. Any good art is good.
DRE:
What are your tattoos of?
RTB:
I got an eagle on my left arm and my son’s name on my right arm.
DRE:
What’s your son like?
RTB:
He’s a baseball player. He just got recruited to go play high school. We’re getting money for it.
DRE:
Oh my god.
RTB:
I know.
DRE:
Is he making more money than you?
RTB:
No not yet. But I hope he will so one day so I can retire. But he’s a switch hitter and the trainer’s say he’s stronger than a man now, most men in the gym.
DRE:
Holy shit.
RTB:
He’s quite an athlete. I don’t know where the hell it came from.
DRE:
What kind of music does he like?
RTB:
He likes Manowar, The Dictators and hip-hop. But he doesn’t think that there are any real good rock bands now. That’s his problem.
DRE:
When did you first play your music for him?
RTB:
As soon as he could stand.
DRE:
[laughs] As soon as he could stand the music or as soon as he could stand up?
RTB:
As soon as he was a baby I started playing it for him.
DRE:
What do you think of him not playing music?
RTB:
It’s fine.
DRE:
How are The Dictators getting along?
RTB:
Things are fine. We have our problems, like everybody else.
DRE:
When you guys argue, what’s it about? Stupid stuff?
RTB:
It’s all stupid. Everything is stupid. Just to be around this long, to be survivors, to be iconicized by some is a great honor. It’s a blessing to be able to play.
DRE:
When did you guys realize that The Dictators was going to be around forever?
RTB:
Probably around 1986 when we sold out The Ritz and we hadn’t played for a while. Our legend grows in our absence. Just like the White Castle chain.
DRE:
Is it still as much fun?
RTB:
It’s more fun than ever. You go onstage and you play a song that you’ve played in 1975 and people know the lyrics.
DRE:
How was putting together Viva Dictators?
RTB:
We recorded a lot of shows back a few years ago and now it’s a live album.
DRE:
Have you tried to metal-up The Dictators lately because of Manowar?
RTB:
No. I play the same way I play in any band.
DRE:
What’s going on with Manowar?
RTB:
They’re huge. I just played a couple months ago in Germany to 28,000 people. We headlined a festival. All my records are gold in Germany, that’s 250,000.
DRE:
Holy cow, when did that happen?
RTB:
It happened when I left in 1988, they exploded. I’m like a most beloved figure.
DRE:
What’s pissing you off right now?
RTB:
The Mets. They’re just hovering. They’re doing good, but they could do a little better. Put it this way, they win three, lose one. They just can’t get rolling.
DRE:
Are people always pressing demos in your hands?
RTB:
Everybody gives me CDs and demos. You wouldn’t believe what I come home with. It’s not even funny.
DRE:
Do you want to produce anybody else’s music?
RTB:
I’d like to. I don’t know if I can stand it anymore. I’d have to get a lot more money than I was getting. I enjoyed it like when I produced the first Anthrax single back in the day.
DRE:
Are you still married?
RTB:
Yeah, for now.
DRE:
How’s that going?
RTB:
Not good.
DRE:
No?
RTB:
Not really.
DRE:
Why? What’s going on?
RTB:
That’s my business.
DRE:
That’s your business. [laughs] I agree, but you started talking about it.
RTB:
Rock and roll. It just doesn’t go for some people. They sign on for it, but they’re not into it. Instead of the great rock and roll guitar player, they want Donald Trump or John D. Rockefeller.
DRE:
Yeah, that’s not happening.
RTB:
The Dictators have been around and cranking out punk music as long as I have been alive. Their latest album is a live album entitled Viva Dictators. I got a chance to talk to their famous guitarist Ross The Boss.
Check out the official site for The Dictators
Daniel Robert Epstein: What are you up to today?
Ross The Boss: I’m not doing anything.
DRE:
Are you at home?
RTB:
I’m at home finally.
DRE:
Have you guys been on tour?
RTB:
Yeah.
DRE:
How did that go?
RTB:
Unbelievable. We played in the south and the Midwest.
DRE:
What kind of people are showing up?
RTB:
Everybody, older, musicians, wannabes.
DRE:
[laughs] Any real punks?
RTB:
Yes. They’re just jumping up and down a lot and drinking and getting a lot of tattoos and the girls are getting tattoos and they’re going to regret it when they’re like 65. These girls that are tattooing themselves up. It’s so unbelievable, it’s not even funny.
DRE:
You got any tattoos?
RTB:
Yeah, I got a few. I got one in 1980 and I got one for my son when he was born in 1991.
DRE:
Everyone’s got a tattoo now.
RTB:
Yeah, everyone’s just going crazy with that.
DRE:
I spoke to someone the other day who says that if back in the 80’s, someone got a tattoo, they were considered somewhat dubious.
RTB:
It is much different now. Everybody and his mother is getting one. They aren’t cool anymore. Actually if they’re good, they’re good. Any good art is good.
DRE:
What are your tattoos of?
RTB:
I got an eagle on my left arm and my son’s name on my right arm.
DRE:
What’s your son like?
RTB:
He’s a baseball player. He just got recruited to go play high school. We’re getting money for it.
DRE:
Oh my god.
RTB:
I know.
DRE:
Is he making more money than you?
RTB:
No not yet. But I hope he will so one day so I can retire. But he’s a switch hitter and the trainer’s say he’s stronger than a man now, most men in the gym.
DRE:
Holy shit.
RTB:
He’s quite an athlete. I don’t know where the hell it came from.
DRE:
What kind of music does he like?
RTB:
He likes Manowar, The Dictators and hip-hop. But he doesn’t think that there are any real good rock bands now. That’s his problem.
DRE:
When did you first play your music for him?
RTB:
As soon as he could stand.
DRE:
[laughs] As soon as he could stand the music or as soon as he could stand up?
RTB:
As soon as he was a baby I started playing it for him.
DRE:
What do you think of him not playing music?
RTB:
It’s fine.
DRE:
How are The Dictators getting along?
RTB:
Things are fine. We have our problems, like everybody else.
DRE:
When you guys argue, what’s it about? Stupid stuff?
RTB:
It’s all stupid. Everything is stupid. Just to be around this long, to be survivors, to be iconicized by some is a great honor. It’s a blessing to be able to play.
DRE:
When did you guys realize that The Dictators was going to be around forever?
RTB:
Probably around 1986 when we sold out The Ritz and we hadn’t played for a while. Our legend grows in our absence. Just like the White Castle chain.
DRE:
Is it still as much fun?
RTB:
It’s more fun than ever. You go onstage and you play a song that you’ve played in 1975 and people know the lyrics.
DRE:
How was putting together Viva Dictators?
RTB:
We recorded a lot of shows back a few years ago and now it’s a live album.
DRE:
Have you tried to metal-up The Dictators lately because of Manowar?
RTB:
No. I play the same way I play in any band.
DRE:
What’s going on with Manowar?
RTB:
They’re huge. I just played a couple months ago in Germany to 28,000 people. We headlined a festival. All my records are gold in Germany, that’s 250,000.
DRE:
Holy cow, when did that happen?
RTB:
It happened when I left in 1988, they exploded. I’m like a most beloved figure.
DRE:
What’s pissing you off right now?
RTB:
The Mets. They’re just hovering. They’re doing good, but they could do a little better. Put it this way, they win three, lose one. They just can’t get rolling.
DRE:
Are people always pressing demos in your hands?
RTB:
Everybody gives me CDs and demos. You wouldn’t believe what I come home with. It’s not even funny.
DRE:
Do you want to produce anybody else’s music?
RTB:
I’d like to. I don’t know if I can stand it anymore. I’d have to get a lot more money than I was getting. I enjoyed it like when I produced the first Anthrax single back in the day.
DRE:
Are you still married?
RTB:
Yeah, for now.
DRE:
How’s that going?
RTB:
Not good.
DRE:
No?
RTB:
Not really.
DRE:
Why? What’s going on?
RTB:
That’s my business.
DRE:
That’s your business. [laughs] I agree, but you started talking about it.
RTB:
Rock and roll. It just doesn’t go for some people. They sign on for it, but they’re not into it. Instead of the great rock and roll guitar player, they want Donald Trump or John D. Rockefeller.
DRE:
Yeah, that’s not happening.
RTB:
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