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DIRTY DEEDS: Success Don't Come 'Dirty Cheap'
by Shelly Harris
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I knew something unusual was going on when, during Iron Maiden's 1998
summer tour, IM's founder/bassist Steve Harris was emphatic that I come up to
the back of the stage to watch one of the opening acts, Dirty Deeds.
Although I have known Harris for nearly 20 years, but I had never seen
him quite this revved up and animated about a Maiden support act, though
there have certainly been many worthwhile ones over the years.
Like most of the audience, I knew very little about Dirty Deeds. It was
only later (when away from the PA system!) that I learned that they were the
first band signed to Beast Records, the new label created by Harris and
Maiden manager, Rod Smallwood, and that there had been a distinct rumbling
going on about the four-man band in Europe since the mid-'90s.
Hard rock/metal fans overseas, knowing that the popularity of certain rock
genres, like everything else in life, runs in cycles, have pointed to Dirty
Deeds as one of the few bands with the capabilities to lead the next "New
Wave of British Heavy Metal", just as Maiden had done many years earlier.
Nevertheless, when I recently spoke to Dirty Deeds bassist Tony Newton at
his London home in late February, he tried to distance his band from any
strong association with the old-school "heavy metal" scene. It's a label he
does not want to have hung on them.
The occasion of our conversation was the eve of the U.S. release of
Dirty Deeds two CDs (1999's Real World and 1997's Danger of Infection...see
CD Spins this issue). The release of those albums has prompted the group to
return to these shores to tour. This time out, they are road dogs with DIO
and Riot. That triple assault bill will hit Chicago on April 21 at the House
of Blues!
"They're trying to bring it 'round again...the term 'heavy metal' that
is," said Newton. "But to me, heavy metal is like an '80s used genre. I know
journalists have to use pigeonholes and labels and stuff,but to me, when you
used the term 'heavy metal', it's more like '80s types of bands with soaring
high vocals like Priest and Maiden I suppose. Dio, Dokken and stuff like
that. To me, Dirty Deeds is just a heavy rock band. I don't want the term
'heavy metal' to be tagged on us.
In fact, the name Dirty Deeds was NOT inspired by the AC/DC song as is
popular belief, but rather by the phrase that is quite common in British
vernacular. In all truth, Dirty Deeds really do defy categorization. A
quick study of their international press clips certainly does not clarify the
issue, as they have been compared to bands as diverse as Rage Against The
Machine and Extreme, to Queensryche and early Van Halen.
Newton, of course laughs wryly about all the comparisons. "Yeah, they
call us everything. There always seem to be different bands that they
compare us to, but that's a good thing!"
Something that Deeds definitely do have in common with their '80s New
Wave of British Heavy Metal forebearers, is the importance of the "live"
aspect of their performances, a fact not lost on Newton, who states
unequivocally: "What we're really known as is a live band!" Certainly,
despite the fact that Deed's vocalist, Pete Franklin, also plays rhythm
guitar (i.e., there's no "traditional frontman"), onstage activity and antics
are not in the least restricted, as Pete, along with the rest of the band, is
mad-dog rampant onstage (and sometimes, offstage as well).
Now, with the release of Real World, Dirty Deeds (which also includes
Barry Fitsgibbon on lead guitar and Dave Cavill on drums), were chomping at
the muzzle while they finalized the scheduling of their current U.S. summer
tour. Thus far, the band has honed its live capabilities as openers on
other European legs of Maiden tours, and as the support act for the UK dates
of the 1997 UFO "reunion tour".
Newton laughs while recalling the group's excitement when they first went
out as support for Maiden during the band's X Factor tour. "In December of
'97, Steve (Harris) rang me up from Germany and asked, 'What are you doing
this January? Would you fancy coming to Italy, France, Slovenia and Ireland
with us?' I said, 'You've got to be joking, of course I'll go!' He then
said, 'What about the others, hadn't you better ask them first?' I said
(joking), 'Bloody 'ell...if they don't want to do it, I'll get someone else
to do it, I'll get me a new band together!'"
In regards to the UFO tour, Newton recalled. "Oh I loved it. UFO were
one of me favorite band when I was growing up. Michael Schenker especially.
I loved it (the tour) because I'm a fan you know, I've got all his albums and
stuff... Plus Simon Wright was drumming for them, and I was a big fan of
AC/DC years ago. They were all really nice people, that was a good thing.
Sometimes you can be a bit worried about meeting people who you looked up
to, but they were great, really nice to us..."
However, is emphatic that Dirty Deed's '97 Chicago appearance, the band's
first ever gig in America, was especially memorable. "I'll never forget it,"
he states. "It was just fantastic. Steve always said to us, 'Don't get too
excited when you go there, because the reaction for the crowd may not be what
you are used to in Europe.' He warned us that audiences might be a little
more reserved in America. From then on, every gig was brilliant; we didn't
want to come home!"
The story behind Harris' connection with the band is an interesting one,
as it's more than a little steeped in providence. Newton, who is by all
accounts a top notch soccer player, would up playing on a local team who,
unknown to him at the time, also included fellow star forward Steve Harris.
The two became fast friends, having tennis in common to boot. Newton was
determined not to take advantage of the friendship and did not tell Harris
that he too was a bass player and had a band himself.
"I wouldn't tell him," Newton said. "I didn't tell him anything about
us. After I joined the team, I didn't want him to think that I joined for an
ulterior motive. So, it was actually someone else that eventually gave him
a tape, many months after we had met and he came to see us play."
Because Bruce Dickenson has left Maiden at that time, Newton thought
Harris was only "singer shopping" at the time he popped in to see his band.
"He mentioned that he liked Pete's voice and I thought, 'Oh, he's going to
come down and see what he thinks of Pete and get him in with them (Maiden).
But it didn't work out that way. He was actually coming out to see us play
because he liked the tape he had heard."
Eventually, Harris lent Dirty Deeds his support and access to his
Barnyard Studios to record a demo, which lead to the formation of Beast
Records, and the band's signing. In fact, Harris was the executive producer
on Danger of Infection (a title inspired by a lab job Newton once held ad a
VD clinic), while Maiden's longtime sound engineer, Doug Hall, debuted as
producer on their Real World.
But despite this extraordinary vote of confidence and the substantial
buzz that was generated in Europe, the UK and Japan since the band first
started touring on a large scale, Dirty Deeds, themselves certainly still
have their eight feet firmly planted in the "real world".
"We know that we'll never be hugely popular playing this kind of music
that we do," said Newton. "I haven't got any visions of taking over the world
or anything like that...I don't want to say anything that ridiculous!"
Collectively, Dirty Deeds understands that at the end of the day, it is
the pure love of the music - as well as the old-fashioned work ethic - that
matters most. "We just want to do well enough to make albums maybe once
every year or two and tour," concludes Newton. "That's what it's all about!"
(Appearing April 21 @ House of Blues with DIO and Riot)