Violent Femmes bassist loves Australia, '80s drummers
Brian Ritchie and band have S.F., Berkeley shows
It's been nearly 40 years since the Violent Femmes unleashed their self-titled debut on the world.
That 1983 alt-rock/folkpunk offering — featuring the classic cuts “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Add It Up” and “Blister in the Sun”
— set the firm foundation for the successful career that the Milwaukee-born act is still enjoying to this day.
“Violent Femmes” remains the group's bestselling effort. Yet, the troupe has also released a number of other terrific albums, including 1984's “Hallowed Ground” and 1991's “Why Do Birds Sing?” A special 30thanniversary deluxe format version of “Why Do Birds Sing?” is available to order on the band's website, vfemmes.com.
I recently spoke with Femmes co-founder and bassist Brian Ritchie in advance of the band playing two shows in the Bay Area.
First up, the Violent Femmes perform at 8 p.m. Monday at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Tickets are $59.50; livenation.com. The band also visits UC Theatre in Berkeley for an 8 p.m. show Tuesday. Tickets are $59.50; etix. com.
Q
Hi, Brian, thanks for taking the time to talk with me. It's always great to have the Violent Femmes back in the Bay Area. It seems like the band is always on the road.
A
We've probably played between 2,000 and 3,000 concerts — maybe more — in the band's history.
Q
And you are involved in music projects outside of the band as well.
A
I'm the music curator at Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) down in Tasmania, which is a museum that has over a thousand musical events a year. It is the most active musical program of any museum in the world. Q Do you live in Tasmania?
A
Yeah. That's how I spend a lot of my time. But I still play with the Femmes. That was part of the deal. If they wanted me to work at the museum, they had to let me off the leash and tour and have fun playing music.
Q
What's it like living in Tasmania?
A
It's pretty great living in Australia — anywhere. And Tasmania is one of the best parts of Australia, in my opinion.
My wife and I have been there for about 15 years and we are pretty happy.
Q
Is it a little different than Milwaukee?
A
It's quite similar to Milwaukee in a lot of ways. (Laughs) But, yeah, there are differences.
We just wanted to get away from the American political climate about 15 years ago. It turned out to be a pretty good idea.
Q
I'm not sure if you're a sports fan, but as a proud Milwaukeean, were you thrilled when the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship last year for the first time in 50 years?
A
Well, interestingly the arena that they play in — the Fiserv Forum — we were the first thing that happened there. They had like an opening party and the Femmes played and the Killers.
So, we kind of blessed that arena and that's the reason why they won the championship.
There's definite correlation — there's no doubt in my mind. Q
Absolutely no doubt! I hope the Bucks sent you a championship ring for your part in all this.
A
It's still in the mail. You know, Australia is pretty far away.
Q
We were both down in Pasadena a few weeks back for the big Cruel World festival with all those fabulous punk/new wave/modern acts from the '70s and '80s. What was that experience like for you?
A
A lot of the bands, we have a history with. For example, we've done gigs with Blondie and we've done gigs with Devo.
It was interesting to meet Johnny Rotten, because we were sharing a trailer with him. I should say John Lydon.
He was kind of like holding court. He was a pretty gregarious and interesting person. Of course, the Sex Pistols were a big influence on us and the whole punk movement, so it was interesting to watch him at close range. We've also played with (Lydon's band) PiL in the past.
So, we've played with a lot of the bands on that bill.
And we knew Morrissey and the Smiths decades ago. But he has since become insular, let's say.
Q
I thought maybe it would feel like one big high school reunion for the musicians backstage.
A
There was an aspect of socializing backstage that was much greater than it was last year when we toured. It's thawing a little bit — like the COVID freeze. Last year when we toured, we were in a bubble, basically.
It was good to be able to chat with a few people, especially Johnny — John Lydon. I talked with Mark Mothersbaugh (of Devo). But I didn't see any of the Blondie people.
Q
Speaking of Blondie, I have been telling anyone who will listen that drummer Clem Burke delivered the single most impressive musical performance that I saw at Cruel World.
A
That's what I thought, too! I was watching him and I was in awe of how he just controlled the music so much. He was like conductor, basically, but he was also playing flawlessly and with a lot of emotion.
Q
Why do you think that era/ style of music has continued to hold the fascination of people for so long?
A
I think in the Los Angeles area, it would have to be the radio stations who continue to play that. What we call “alternative rock,” I hear that in the environment a lot more — like when I go to a restaurant or like when you are in a taxi — in Los Angeles than in Australia, for example.
So, I think the media is driving some of it. It's fanning the flames of, perhaps, the dying embers of some of these bands.
I'm not counting us in that category, because I think we're still able to put on a show like we did in the past.
Q
There's also so much variety in that genre/era of music. It's not like, let's say, grunge — where there is one sort easily recognizable sound.
A
All the bands at the festival have their own unique identity. They are not just examples of a genre. That was what punk was about.
People think that punk just means buzz-saw guitars and fast rhythms and kind of shouted lyric. That's not it. In the early days of punk, it just meant uncommercial music played by people who don't care what other people think. It was kind of outsider music.
Q
That's an excellent point.
A
Also — this might sound like a mundane point, but I think it's a huge point — all the bands I heard at Cruel World had excellent drummers. They were really drumming — and that is lost now, because almost every recording is made by computer.
It's just a different way of making music now. So, maybe, the '70s, '80s, '90s was the last hurrah for people making music together.