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scott kempner

  • top ten scott kempnerThe reformed Dictators have announjced the sad news that Scott "Top Ten" Kempner is being forced to retire due to ill-health.

    The band made the announcement on Facebook overnight, saying the rhythm guitarist and member of the Del-Lords has early stage dementia:

    The Dictators are sad to announce that our brother Scott Kempner will be leaving the band due to health reasons. Scott has been diagnosed with early stage dementia, We spoke to him yesterday and he wants everyone to know he is feeling fine. 
     
    Our relationship with Scott goes back 50 years. The band was a shared vision and Scott’s sense of rock and roll history and our place in it along with his arrangement and songwriting skills kept us on the right course over the years. We will be forever grateful. 
     
    As many of you know, The Dictators recently reformed, Scott’s enthusiasm played a major role in our decision to make music again. We will miss his contributions in the future.

  • dont-fade-awayWhatever happened to Andy Shernoff? He might have turned his back on his old band but the Dictators’ main songwriter is alive and well enough to be charting his own solo musical course these days. This is his debut solo EP from 2012 and there’s a lot to like about it.

  • dictators 2024 keith blueNew Dictator Keith Roth flanked by (from left) Andy Shernoff, Albert Bouchard and Ross The Boss.  

    As far as reformations go, it was a longshot at best. We speak not of Oasis, but the much more seminal and important Dictators,out of New York City, who all and sundry figured had drawn their last collective breath after some bitter internal fallings-out.

    The May 2020 announcement that the Dictators were reassembling - sans longtime frontman Handsome Dick Manitoba) - caught the world unaware. Before the first single, “Let’s Get The Band Back Together”, hit the Interwebs, it seemed similarly implausible that the new line-up was recording.

    A new album, the plain language-titled “The Dictators” will be released online and on CD in September, with vinyl to follow in October. Which leads us to ask: How did punk rock’s original misfits and premier proto-punk influences find their way to being a band again?

    Co-founder and songwriter Andy Shernoffgives us all the answers, live and on the line thanks to the wonders of Zoom…

  • Back in town after a year away

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The Living Eye


Right eye

Spitting Chips
(ex Cosmic Psychos)
+ Slack Punks
+ The FNCs
Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
- Sep 20
Tickets

“Punk Fest”
Commemorating Ian Krahe
Spitting Chips (ex-Cosmic Psychos)
+ Houndog Harry (feat Mark Evans)
+ Slack Punks + The Missing Link
+ Love Me Fuck Me
+ Shit Fetish
+ Handmade
(feat Geoff Holmes, Jim Dickon
& John Butler)
Crowbar, Leichhardt, NSW
- Sept 22 (3-8pm)
Tickets

The Stallers
+ 1978 + Balkan Grill
MoshPit Bar, St Peters
- Sep 28
(2.30pm)

The Prehistorics
(Album launch)
+ The Blindfolds + The Dangermen 
+ The Remnants
Marrickville Bowlo, NSW
- Sept 28
Tickets

I-94 Bar presents
"The Johnnys Back In The Saddle"
+ Brando Rising
(CD launch)
+ Pete Ross & The Sapphire
Marrickville Bowlo, NSW
- Oct 5
Tickets

Starcrazy
(album launch)
+ Pocketwatch
+ Sereia
Darlin’ Nikki’s,
St Peters, NSW
- Oct 19
Tickets

 

Buzzocks Australian Tour
OCT
25 - Brisbane - The Triffid
26 - Adelaide - The Gov
27 - Fremantle - Metropolis
31 - Newcastle - King St Bandroom
NOV
1 - Sydney - Metro Theatre
2 - Melb - Northcote Theatre
3 - Lorne - Lorne Theatre
4 – Castlemaine - Theatre Royal
Tix

Chimers Australian Tour
OCT
3 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
w/ Party Dozen
NOV
8 - Old Bar, Melbourne
w/ Bench Press + No Hoper
9 - River Rocks Festival, Barwon Club,
Geelong
10 - Poison City Records
in-store (afternoon)
20 - Freo Social, Fremantle
w/ The Saints ’73-’78
21 - Old Habits, Perth
w/ Spacerhead + Lounge Tourist
+ Ten Cent Tiger
23 - Princess Theatre, Brisbane
w/ The Saints ’73-’78
SOLD OUT
24 - Sonic Sherpa in-store (afternoon)
w/ Kellie Lloyd (solo)
24 - Princess Theatre, Brisbane
w/ The Saints ’73-’78
SOLD OUT
25 - Princess Theatre, Brisbane
w/ The Saints ’73-’78
29 - Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul
w/ The Saints ’73-’78
DEC
7 - Trocadero Room, Sydney
w/ Antenna + Cammy Cautious & the Wrestlers
+ The Sevilles
15 - The Tote, Melbourne
JAN
31 -  La La La’s, Wollongong
+ special guests

The Saints ‘73-‘78
NOV
13 - Adelaide Hindley St. Music Hall
+ Double Agents
15 - Castlemaine Theatre Royal (SOLD OUT)
+ Parsnip
16 - Melbourne Northcote Theatre (SOLD OUT)
+ The Double Agents
17 - Melbourne Northcote Theatre 
+ Alien Nosejob
20 - Fremantle Freo Social 
+ Chimers
22 - Sydney, Enmore Theatre
+ Kim Salmon & The Surrealists
23 - Brisbane, Princess Theatre (SOLD OUT)
+ Chimers 
24 - Brisbane, Princess Theatre *new show*
+ Chimers 
Tickets

“Pig Out On Punk #2”
I Hate People
+ The Owen Guns
+ Nunchukka Superfly
+ Flowers For Jayne
+ The Dark Clouds
+ The Pingers
Marrickville Bowlo, NSW
- Dec 14

The Stranglers
50 Years In Black  
2025 Australasian Tour
MAR
NZ
13 - Powerstation, Auckland
15 - Meow Nui, Wellington
16 - Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch 
AUS
19 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney
20 - The Tivoli, Brisbane
22- Forum, Melbourne
23 - The Gov, Adelaide
25 - Astor Theatre, Perth
Tickets

 

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