Ross The Boss On New Music From The Dictators, His New York Roots, Future Plans & More
Known for their sarcastic lyrics and aggressive sound, The Dictators released what Uncut Magazine called “the first punk rock album,” The Dictators Go Girl Crazy, in 1975 — a full year before The Ramones’ self-titled debut album. Having played shows early on with The Stooges and New York Dolls, The Dictators became regulars at New York’s CBGB venue, while influencing bands around the world.
The Dictators released 2 more records (Manifest Destiny and Bloodbrothers) in the 70’s before breaking up. Dictators guitarist Ross The Boss went on to found heavy metal overlords Manowar, while guitarist Scott Kempner started roots rock pioneers The Del Lords. Singer/bassist Andy Shernoff worked as a producer and songwriter while also performing with Joey Ramone and The Fleshtones.
An early 1980s get-together produced the classic Dictators live album F**k ‘Em If They Can’t Take A Joke, and the band performed sporadically until 1995 when — realizing the extent of its fanbase and international influence — it once again reformed full-time. Numerous international tours culminated in 2001’s D.F.F.D., the band’s last studio album. After playing the final weekend of shows at CBGB in 2006, the members of The Dictators once again went their separate ways… until now.
It took a worldwide pandemic to once again unite The Dictators. After a socially-distanced recording session, the band — comprised of Andy Shernoff, Ross The Boss and Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard — finished new recordings by trading files over the Internet; Scott Kempner sadly had to bow out of this long-term reunion for health reasons, and a replacement guitarist will reportedly be named later on. The first release is “God Damn New York,” a love/hate song to the band’s hometown. The reunited Dictators’ second single release, “Let’s Get The Band Back Together,” had its debut on the Little Steven’s Underground Garage Radio show on April 12, 2021. More music from The Dictators is slated to be released later in 2021, while the group has plans to be touring in 2022.
On April 25, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ross The Boss via Zoom, as embedded below. We first spoke about the reunion of The Dictators, then transitioned into discussion about his New York roots, the early days of punk, Jews in punk rock, musical projects outside of The Dictators, whether he will work with Manowar again, and the batting cage business he owns in Queens. More on Ross The Boss and The Dictators can be found online here, here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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