KEEPING IT REAL (did I really just say that?)

These are dark, murky times. The country is demanding health care reform, one party is struggling with itself to find enough common ground to move it forward, while the other is outside with its faces pressed against the window sticking their tongues out and name calling, in lieu of actual ideas or participation. We are picking pop stars on game shows. One musician out there has even made the “auto tune” software part of their “style”. Rock’n’Roll has once again had its fangs removed, and put into cages and relegated to the margins. The popular phrase “keep it real” has become one more saleable commodity, and something of a false prophet. As the great philosopher, Lawrence Peter Berra (ok, Yogi) once said, “It gets late early around here these days”.

As for me, I find myself back home, in the city of my birth, huddled together once more in the warm comfort zone of my band for the first time in not one, but two decades. As Yogi also said, “It’s déjà vu all over again”. This is just where we started. That fuck Reagan was in the White House, about to unleash the largest tax cut in history, for the rich of course, to be immediately followed by years of the biggest tax hikes in history, except for the rich, of course. Once again, there’s a job for us to do, and once again, we’re up for it, older, wiser, and stronger and tighter than ever.

The Del-Lords are back in the studio recording, and tonight we hit the stage as a unit, a real (there’s that word) Rock’n’Roll band, two guitars, bass and drums (the way God intended). Somehow we all saw the Bat Signal in the midnight sky from our respective homes in different parts of the country, and now, suddenly, here we are. We have been rehearsing, and experiencing the joy of hearing that sound again, the one that could only come from the four of us, the one that we couldn’t shake if we tried, the one that fills a hole that without it, would remain empty.

Among other things we are struck by the continuing relevance of many of the songs we sang back in the 80’s. I once wrote a song called I’M GONNA BE AROUND. It was a song that made a promise to our audience, our country and to ourselves, that when the darkness comes, we would be there, and if necessary, we would keep coming back, and back. We are here to renew that promise, and without a solid business plan, or any kind of self-conscious overview, we are simply doing what it is we do. Only this time, we are stronger than ever, using the music we make as a map to guide us, and help us keep putting one foot in front of the other. Personal turmoil and one of the toughest New York winters in many years notwithstanding, and nobody shoveling money into the coffers to help keep gas in the tank, we are in forward motion, into the sun, and just as in the darkest days of trickle down economics, and in stark contrast to that fuck Reagan’s cynical manipulation of facts and numbers to disguise the growing economic plight of so many of our countrymen, we do not believe any of us are expendable or merely the price of doing business in America. We stand united and we are gonna be around.

Eric has posted a rough mix of one of our new songs on the site here, and some samples of a few others that are also Under Construction (shameless plug, I admit) for our friends and fans to check out. We are starting pre-sales of an EP of rough mixes of songs from the forthcoming new record; sort of an update of the mom and pop business we always were at heart, except that our dad can kick your dad’s ass. And, I would submit that our mom could kick a little ass herself.

Check it out, let us know what you think. Come see us and say hi when we come to your town, as we will most definitely be coming to your town in the near future. Stay strong, stay hungry, keep fighting the good fight. Our promise is to ALWAYS keep it real. There’s that word again.

10 thoughts on “KEEPING IT REAL (did I really just say that?)

  1. God bless you Scott- I have needed this so badly, you boys have not left my turntable for some 25+ years now- see you in Providence / Boston soon!!!

  2. I bought Frontier Days and Based on a True Story last summer in my first trip to USA. I love the records so It was nice to know you are coming to Spain… see you next weekend in Barcelona!

  3. Scott, I really miss your words,,,and some time ago, you all said it best, this county, this land, is “Being Held Against My Will”. See you guys this summer,,,I’m sure we can count on it.

  4. We’re glad your gonna be around again. Book those U.S. tour dates so we can enjoy a shot of much needed truth …

  5. Dig the new songs! Just ordered mine and lookin’ forward to hearing some new Del-Lords after 20 years!

    Hope you guys have a safe and successful tour of Spain. Hope to see you in Indy – maybe race time in May!!

    Keep Rockin’

  6. I’ve waited a long time for this. The records haven’t dated, the CD re-issues are excellent and hopefully I’ll finally get to see the band live. The new track sounds fantastic. Please don’t forget to come to England.

  7. …the rain in Spain is falling in Las Vegas at the moment! Sheesh and grrr…was checking out the youtube stuff this a.m.(awright Rich!)… too Kool! Been doing the muttermutter campaign from the desert as to the Great and Righteous Resurrection, Brothers and Sisters!…ahem. Where was I? Oh yeah…wishing youse guys my heartfelt best. May God keep you all safe in your travels….and rockin loud and long, singing ‘those songs’! Amen. And at some point could you kindly ….um… Get your happy asses out to the American Great Wide Open and give some uh, ‘Lessons!’ ( if you will), public-like, on the Art of 2GB&D?!!? Huh??? Hehehe… Crank ’em up fellas, it’s been WAY too damn long! One last thing…Frank, fer fux sake…where’s your hair, man….i mean really! the rest of the guys have HAIR. Wassup. Sheesh. Always the fargin’ drummer…what is WRONG with doze guyz!?!? j/k and Big Love. C yas sometime in the not-too-distant future. Yes that’s yer only warning….! Go Get ’em Del-Lords! Knock ’em silly! Leave them standing in pools of their…k that’s enough. Rich, keep them well, brotha. bullet out.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*