Richard Bacchus – D Generation – Interview Exclusive
Written by Attila Timar
Friday, 10 June 2011 05:00
“Fuck fashion, this is all about passion.”
The long-awaited reunion of D Generation has reminded us all at URHQ (including our recently launched Hungarian Division) why we love one of the coolest bands on the planet so much. You should remember that whilst the rest of the world was turning plaid crazy D Generation were the band who secured not one but three major record deals, playing music that was so out of fashion they may as well have been singing about fucking peace and love. Thankfully for us they weren’t and although their story was ultimately filled with the usual industry bullshit, what they left behind was a three album legacy that would see their names etched in our hearts forever.
As the band’s singer Jesse Malin has already graced the interview pages of Uber Rock twice before, we decided to celebrate the announcement of the band’s 6 initial reunion shows by giving some space up to the thoughts of one half of the band’s trail blazing guitar partnership, New York Troubadour come Capitol Offender Mr. Richard Bacchus. Attila Timár was the lucky sod who got to hear some of the most astounding stories and comments ever told in the history of Über Rock, that also just happened to include a totally unprompted ‘Nordahl Incident’…. Legendary stuff !!!!
Hi Richard thanks for talking with us at Uber Rock, I am sure you realise that 2011 is a real wonder year for D Generation fans, who are already wetting their pants (and panties) just at the mere thought of the reunion shows. I am not going to ask the question ”why now?”, because basically any time is good time for a D Generation reunion. I would rather like to know whose idea it was?
Our friend David, at Heart Of Gold Productions in Madrid got in touch and offered us the headlining slot on their 2011 TurboRock festival in Spain. We figured that since we are getting together for those two shows, let’s make a whole international tour out of it.
So did getting together again come quite natural for all of you in the band? I mean were you in touch with your former band mates at all during the hiatus?
We all still hung in the same circles, until five years ago when I left NYC to move to Raleigh North Carolina. Jesse and I have done a few tours and shows in those past five years. We just got together for a rehearsal. I think it will sound better, than it did back in the day
As far as I know, up to now its four shows in the US and two festival gigs in Spain that have been scheduled. Are you planning some more shows, for example in Britain or other parts of Europe (Italy, Germany, Austria maybe)?
We’re working on other Europe dates as we speak, I believe Italy is close to confirmation right now. There’s been talk about South America too.
What about England? You can’t possibly miss out on it…
I’m not sure that many people realise that I’m actually English. Playing the UK is a huge deal for me, my Mum lives in Blackpool so the UK would be great to play, I’ve done some shows over there in the past with The Luckiest Girls.
What can the fans expect at the shows? How long your set is going to be? Are you going to play any songs from ‘Through the Darkness’, or you just stick to the first two records?
The set should be about an hour to two hours, not counting the slide show and Q&A portion. We’re playing most of the first two records and I’m learning a couple off of “Through The Darkness”.
Slide show and Q&A..??
(Laughs) I’m just being a wiseass. Of course we’ll be available to meet and greet and possibly exchange body fluids with you gys and gals, if that’s what you are into. We’re a lively bunch of boys, generally still up for anything, especially if it’s risky or dangerous.
Let’s get down to some of the questions which may still remain unanswered in the minds of many a D Generation aficionado. What do you think is the ultimate D Generation song? Or perhaps I should put it this way, which song(s) would you consider as close contender(s) to ‘No Way Out’ in that respect (laughing)?
The Ultimate D Generation is “Frankie”. The subject matter, the sound and the energy sum up our entire philosophy and approach to life in general.
I guess, most fans would agree that the production of the three records didn’t really do justice to these releases. Jesse also told us here at Uber Rock last year that he thought that the band showed its real strength live, and maybe some songs on ‘No Lunch’ and some of the early singles. What is your take on this?
We were very much a live act. I feel that most of the recorded stuff was over produced. We should have been recorded basically live with no overdubs. Those albums all suffer from a severe case of overdubitis. It wasn’t the producers fault though, we were just all in love with overdubbing. Also Ric Ocasek wouldn’t let us get wasted in the studio, BIG MISTAKE!
Is it true that you hated the production of your Chrysalis debut so much that you threw the master tape to the sewer in front of CBGB’s?
We actually burned them, then snorted the ashes.
D Generation must still has some unreleased and rarities hanging around (early singles, ‘Age of Confusion’, ‘Never Gonna Marry’ etc). Can you foresee any chance of releasing all this stuff in one compilation in the near future?
We’ve been talking about that, I think it would be awesome. A ‘Nolunchboxset’?
Can’t wait to taste it that Rich! So, why did you actually leave D Generation back in 1997?
I played a show with a band I formed with Death Breath bassist Jim Heneghan, called Vasquez at NYC’s legendary Lakeside Lounge. All of the Lower East Glitterati showed up and fell in love with the band. The next day the D Generation guys told me I had to quit Vasquez and give them all the songs. I thought it would be funny to say “no”, it was.
I’d been sick of D Generation for a while. They didn’t take anything I had to say seriously, I’d lost a lot of respect for them. We were all, nearly at the point of losing our friendships with each other.
I feel that I lost them as band mates so we could remain friends.
The opening track of ‘Through The Darkness’, ‘Helpless’ has verses which are not a million miles away from the verses of Cheap Trick’s classic tune ‘Surrender’. Do you think Jesse ever realised this?
I say take it back to where Cheap Trick ripped off all their stuff, The Move and Wizzard for starters.
Incidentally what were your thoughts and feelings on the ‘Through the Darkness’ record?
I would have loved to have hung out with Tony Visconti, Marc Bolan is my all time favourite pop star.
What is your favourite D Gen song written by someone else in the band?
‘Too Loose’.
And which of your song(s) would you like to be remembered for as a songwriter?
‘Capital Offender’, I’m really proud of that.
So what was the basic inspiration behind that song?
I was engineering a recording session with a jingle writer that was working for a major label as a grammar teacher for Hip Hop artists. He told me that quite of few of the kids he was tutoring couldn’t read or write let alone figure out grammar. He was depressed because one of the kids he was teaching to read had just got busted for killing a liquor storeowner in a botched robbery. I tried to give the lyric a Hip Hop cadence, inspired by Rakim.
And what do you think of Jesse’s solo records?
I love them, especially ‘The Fine Art Of Self Destruction’. The new one, ‘Love It To Life’ is killer. ‘Disco Ghetto’ is in heavy rotation on my jukebox, I like “The Heat” a lot too. Driving on the latest Luckiest Girls tour, my bass player Jimbo, played the ‘Bellvue’ album, that’s really cool and weird, almost like a lost D Generation record.
You and Brijitte West had a band called Viva La Wattage in the early nineties, with some well-known guests, Dee Dee Ramone being one of them. Could you please share a classic Dee Dee story or recollection with Uber Rock’s readership?
Dee Dee was coming off a whole regimen of anti-depressants at that time. It was mid August and we were stomping around St. Marks place, chomping down chocolate covered espresso beans by the fistful. We were all wired as fucking hell and this goofy kid in a suit and tie comes bounding up to us screaming about how he was running for US President or some shit. He starts yelling “HEY LOOK! DEE DEE RAMONE JUST ENDORSED ME FOR U.S. PRESIDENT! Dee Dee, who of course was shirtless, grabs the kid by the throat, lifts him two feet off the ground and slams him into a steel gate and says to the kid, “How would you like me to break your fucking neck?” I managed to talk Dee Dee out of killing the kid, he put him down and we continued down the block like nothing happened. Dee Dee turned to me and said, “Why can’t I get through one day, without an incident?” I used that line in “Waiting For The Next Big Parade”, that whole song is about Dee Dee.
Wow, that is awesome. With so many great stories under your belt are you planning to write your autobiography sometime?
You’ll have to pry those stories out of my cold dead head with a crowbar. Or you can just cruise on over to “The Capital Offender – Richard Bacchus Rock and Roll Diary’ at http://richardbacchus.blogspot.com/
You were also very much involved in early NY Loose, as for example you were the co-writer of the two first NY Loose singles and even one song off the ‘Loosen Up’ EP. What did you think of NY Loose major label debut? Do you still keep in touch with Brijitte? (if it is not too personal to ask)
I thought that record was great, what I heard of it. Sadly for better or worse, Brijitte and I are bound by blood. We met at a crucial point in each others lives and hence are bound by blood. I’m not sure I can explain it but I’m sure some readers will understand. We don’t speak, but acknowledge each others existence with the deepest reverence, love and respect.
Do you know the music and/or the guys in European Rock ‘n’ Roll bands like The Wildhearts or the Backyard Babies? If yes, what do you think of them?
Dregen is God, I’ve never met him but I’m awed by everything he’s done, he’s like a Beyondo Rockstar. Genetically engineered super rocker.
I will let him know some of these praises, so perhaps he will call you tomorrow begging for some more endorsements.
Now what about the Wildhearts?
Ginger is playing with my best friend and blood brother, Sami Yaffa, so he must be amazing, ‘cos Sami only plays with the best.
Well, then you need to check out at least ‘The Earth vs. the Wildhearts’ record..
Thanks, I’ll do that.
There was an exciting band in early nineties hailing from NYC who put out only one record and then split: The Throbs, Danny Nordahl (later NY Loose and also Faster Pussycat) being their bass player. Did you know these guys and their music at the time? Were they part of the same scene like you?
I’m really good friends with their original guitarist. Pete Trainor. Danny is one of my favorite people in the world. Danny used to manage a shop called Butterfly, on W 8th St. I managed a record store called The Record Factory, across the street. We used to routinely stink bomb each other’s shops for fun.
Naughty… What about the music of The Throbs, did you actually care for it, or it was not for you?
They were great, and snazzy dressers too.
Now getting over to your own project, how would you describe the music of The Luckiest Girls to the curious?
A Mournful And Massive, Rollicking Good Time (laughs).
It’s me at my most honest. Digging into my unhealthy obsessions with Punk, Boogie, Blues and Funky Reggae. I don’t have a filter in this band which pisses off my bass player but delights the rest of the rhythm section. We share a Sax player, Danny Ray, with Mad Juana. Sometimes Sami and I put both bands on the stage at once and call ourselves “The Juanic Street Preachers”.
I usually ask my interviewees which 5 records they would rescue from their home, if it was on fire. However, as one of your band mates has a record collection of 30 000 plus, I must change it this way: which 5 record would you nick from Howie Pyro’s collection first if you had the chance?
I only need one, “Funkier Than A Mosquito’s Tweeter” By The Ikettes.
And the question I guess everyone wants to ask you guys is “What chance do you see for a new D Generation record?”
I see absolutely no reason to do another D Generation record. We’ve all moved on with our lives, grown as players, for better or worse. Any attempt to cash In would betray what we were all about. This is a group of amazing people. I don’t think people realise how multi – dimensional we all were. We were trying to communicate very 21st century ideas that kids are just starting to get now.
We were way ahead of our time. Listen to the albums we’ve already made.
We were singing about Facebook Isolation and Bedroom Freakazoids. Turn on Chatroulette and come face to face with “Frankie” “WHAT YOU ARE IS JUST WHAT YOU ARE!”
Finally, what do you expect from the second half of 2011?
I have no expectations whatsoever, I just know it’s gonna be great fun. FUN! FUN! FUN!
Thank you so much Richard its been a pleasure, we wish you all the best with the reunion shows which we hope to see you add a few more of across Europe sometime soon.
In the meantime you can keep in touch with Richard and the D Generation boys by following the link below.
