Biography
When a journalist inquired whether the Dictators qualified as new wave, their frontman Handsome Dick Manitoba shot back, "We ain't no new wave, Jack. We're the tidal wave." Born Richard Blum in the Bronx and raised partly in the Catskills, Manitoba first entered the group's orbit as roadie and cook. After repeatedly damaging gear during load-ins, the band concluded it was cheaper and safer to place him behind the microphone instead. From that vantage he became notorious for piloting the Dictators' van straight through the facade of a venue, pelting Geddy Lee admirers with fast food while the group opened for Rush, and trading blows in a brawl with Wayne/Jayne County.
The band's debut album, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy, arrived in 1975, its cover depicting Manitoba in wrestling regalia and its songs celebrating television, beer, cars, and girls. Credited as a "secret weapon," he assumed lead vocals full-time on the delayed follow-up, Manifest Destiny. Bloodbrothers, another strong release, surfaced in 1978 before the Dictators dissolved in 1981. Manitoba and guitarist Scott "Top Ten" Kempner subsequently joined the Del-Lords, while a live album kept the original band's reputation circulating. A decade afterward, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom surfaced on MTV; the lineup featured Manitoba alongside bassist Andy Shernoff and guitarist Ross the Boss, the latter also known for his work in Manowar. The trio issued the album And You?
During the 1990s, Manitoba's New York City bar turned into a neighborhood landmark and the Dictators regrouped for occasional shows in the region. Their next studio effort, DFFD (Dictators Forever Forever Dictators), appeared in 2001, delivering yet another lasting jolt from Handsome Dick Manitoba.
The band's debut album, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy, arrived in 1975, its cover depicting Manitoba in wrestling regalia and its songs celebrating television, beer, cars, and girls. Credited as a "secret weapon," he assumed lead vocals full-time on the delayed follow-up, Manifest Destiny. Bloodbrothers, another strong release, surfaced in 1978 before the Dictators dissolved in 1981. Manitoba and guitarist Scott "Top Ten" Kempner subsequently joined the Del-Lords, while a live album kept the original band's reputation circulating. A decade afterward, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom surfaced on MTV; the lineup featured Manitoba alongside bassist Andy Shernoff and guitarist Ross the Boss, the latter also known for his work in Manowar. The trio issued the album And You?
During the 1990s, Manitoba's New York City bar turned into a neighborhood landmark and the Dictators regrouped for occasional shows in the region. Their next studio effort, DFFD (Dictators Forever Forever Dictators), appeared in 2001, delivering yet another lasting jolt from Handsome Dick Manitoba.
Albums
