Staff Blog
The “Everything You Wanted to Know about Rick DiFonzo But Were Afraid to Ask For Fear He’d Butt-End You With His Strat” Chat
 |
As promised in this week's Icepack: Follow the jump for A.D. Amorosi's chat with Rick DiFonzo of Philly rock vets The A's.
The guitarist and songwriter, who's played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and Roger Waters, is releasing two albums this year — Bright Shiny Pop and InstruMENTAL.
He's performing this Saturday, May 24, at the North Star.
City Paper: This'll be short and sweet.
Rick DiFonzo: No, I'm tall and sour.
CP: Glad to see you're on. So all that flying around and all those famous friends: What took you so long to drop something of your own — fear, loathing, love, lust, disgust?
RD: Well, it was more like settling in and raising my child. I started to write and produce music for TV at home, and the money was really good. Still is. [DiFonzo's written jingles for Pepsi, Miller Lite, Stove Top Stuffing, Fruit of the Loom and Nerf Footballs]. And I enjoyed not having to live on a tour bus. I always loved playing live, but that was only for an hour or two a day. The attendant bullshit involved in getting from gig to gig was never much fun.
CP: Never?
RD: Well, there were moments for sure, but mainly it's a grind. I always wrote songs and lots of wacky instrumental music for my own bad self. As a matter of fact, I wrote a song on the second Outfield record called "Long Way Home." I also had a record deal with Manhattan Records to do a bizarro instrumental record in 1993 — we finalized the deal two weeks before they went belly up. I was also involved with Cy Curnin from The Fixx in the early '90s. We had a bunch of great songs, I felt. And his voice is amazing — it was a very strong project that could not get arrested.
I suppose I was disenchanted with the industry. And that, coupled with the fact that I was doing well on my own ... I went in a different direction. I always missed playing out and recording, but to tell the truth, no one could afford me. At that point I was long past playing for peanuts, and I didn't really want to tour extensively because I didn't want to miss my child growing up. So I wrote, but never really put the energy into making a full record and putting a band together — it's a lot of work, I've done it many times. Being a hired gun is easy. Putting a band together is not.
CP: So why both a pop record and an instrumental thing at one time?
RD: Because I can. I want to do everything I like, and I like lots of things. You'll see on Bright Shiny Pop that there are very diverse songs. Some are loose, boozy, strummy gritty songs, some are really precise tight pop, one is even so dumb that I shudder when I hear it, but hey, it makes Sgt. Pepper look like a classic! If there were no stupid songs, the great ones wouldn't seem as great. I can indulge myself. Why not?
Also, the records will not be released simultaneously. They're out within a few months of each other. The pop record is fun. I consider parts of it alterna-bubble gum. There are also heavy bits too ... it's fairly eclectic. The instrumental record is interesting, I hope, because it is so diverse, very musical, moody in places, flailing in others, but never masturbatory guitar hero pyro poop.
 |
CP: So what was the biggest incentive to get back in the game now? Did The A's show in November have anything to do with your current return, negatively or positively?
RD: Chicks, man. Only kidding — that was for my wife's benefit. It was totally The A's' fault that this is happening. We'd sent out feelers to see if there was interest in some dates, and when I got the call for the Factory show with The Hooters, I was thrilled.
Our first rehearsal was a little scary. We did not pick up where we left off. But by the second one, we settled in and had fun. We were never known for our Yes-like precision anyway, so it was just a matter of not falling down on stage, and remembering some words. We managed both. It was so much fun that I wanted to do it again, and we will, but I wanted to do something more up to date and something of my own.
I felt I could express myself, and if I could find guys who were into the musical direction, well, what could be better than that? I was lucky enough to find three guys who are on the same page, and play and sing their butts off. One of them is Mikey, the drummer for The A's, who brings a lot of enthusiasm (and some comic relief) to the table. The others are Joe Hosey on guitar and vocal, and Kevin Joy on bass and vocal. Another factor is that my child is no longer a child — I can take some time and devote it to forming a band. By the way, she was shocked to see the old man play with The A's. She'd seen me on video of course, but this was different — this was daddy's band.
Hmmmm, dont you have two children? you keep mentioning that you have one child, but really you have two.
Sounds like Anonymous is jealous or is afraid he/she will be cut out of the will.
Hmmmmm….
Leave the guy alone…he’s doing well and you scumbags have to try and ruin it. Bunch of dopes.
LOL, FUNNY ROUGH JUSTICE, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. ONE SHOULD NEVER LEAVE A DEAD BEAT DAD ALONE! HE IS DOING WELL B/C HE LEFT HIS FIRST FAMILY HIGH AND DRY TO BECOME “FAKE FAMOUS”—HE’S A NO ONE
TRUST ME, HIS OTHER CHILD HAS NO DESIRE FOR HIS MONEY/WILL WHATSOEVER OR ELSE HE/SHE WOULD TALK TO HIM BUT HE’S SUCH A SCUMBAG THAT HE/SHE WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM, TRUST ME, JEALOUSY IS NOT A FACTOR
ANY “MAN” WHO DID WHAT HE DID SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF. KARMA WILL COME BACK TO HIM! IT ALWAYS DOES.
dont knowany exstuff but a.s not his band he plays no songs in his lame live gigs ive been to two,,, both sucked