Steve Dog - Vocals
Melanie "Mansalughter" Sharkwater - Bass/Vocals
Shelby Cobras - Guitar/Vocals
Enrique Del Tigre - Drums
LittleBook: Why did you start a band??
Dalton: I wanted to write a rock opera about Patrick Swayze defending the Earth from an alien invasion using nothing but Tai Chi and his righteous dance moves, and I needed a backing band and some killer tunes. And, you know, marketability. But two out of three’s cool.
LB: How did you find each other??
D: I found our guitarist Shelby flipping steaks at a greasy diner in San Jose. As soon as I saw him, I could tell he was a dude whose guitar solos made grown men weep. I was like, “Let’s make some fucking history bro,” and he was like, “Solid.” Then we bumped fists. We recruited our bassist Melanie from a rogue female biker gang, and there’s a sordid story behind it that I can’t recount in print, suffice to say that many heads were broken that day, as were many hearts. Our singer Steve Dog is actually a wizard from the future who is searching through time for his lost magical powers—but honestly, that’s pretty obvious to anyone who meets him.
LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??
D: Every moment in Dalton is priceless and irreplaceable, but if I had to pick just one, I’d say Budokan ‘88. Epic doesn’t even come close to describing it. A close second would be the time on Headbanger’s Ball when Steve Dog chugged that bottle of Beam and punched Ricky Rachtman in the face.
LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?
D: We have a serious band drinking problem. We kill several cases of beer at every practice, and usually a bottle of vodka too. We actually practice in Shelby’s basement just to hide our shame. About a year ago, all the other bands we know had a band intervention and convinced us to check into band rehab. We got sober and discovered band Buddhism, and for awhile we were, like, totally transcendental. But then we started drinking again at this party this one night, and one thing led to another, and pretty soon we were “practicing” in the basement again. It’s shameful, I know.
LB: What's the hardest thing about being a band in 2009?
D: First off, let me say that you should ignore everything that Erik has written so far. He is a pathological liar with mommy issues and a drinking problem. That being said, I guess the hardest thing about being in a band in this particular day and age would be all the d-bags one has to deal with on a regular basis. I mean, if I were playing in a band in, say, the 70's or 80's (hell, even the 90's), I would totally be hanging out with a bunch of mustachioed, hairy-chested, Camaro-driving uber-Bros. But here in 2009, I get stuck with a bunch of new school posers who dig Autotune and Phil Collins. All the real Bros died out a long time ago. It's sad.
LB: What's the best thing about being a band in San Francisco??
D: The burritos.
LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??
D: Considering legal ramifications and "age of consent" laws, the less you know about Dalton the better. What I CAN say is that we're recording our first full-length VERY soon, and it will be the best thing you've ever heard. Also, we're all getting together to watch "Mortal Kombat" on VHS tomorrow night after practice, if anyone wants to stop by.
LB: what’s up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??
D: You should NOT get our CD, it was recorded by the band in our basement practice space and it totally sucks. Wait for the full-length. But if you MUST have it, come buy one at a show. Better yet, save your money and download it for FREE over at Cosmic Hearse (http://www.cosmichearse.blogspot.com/). Just type "dalton" into the search bar. There's a link on our Myspace page, too (www.myspace.com/daltontheband). But I'd advise against it.
LB: Favorite local Band or a memorable show??
D: The Corruptors, Cobretti, Orb of Confusion, Fat Bottom Girls, The Ramoneskis, The Meat Sluts, Walken, Tres Hombres XXX, Officer Down, and Warriors of the Snake Pit are all awesome SF bands that everyone should check out. But the best band in the Bay Area (BY FAR) is this death metal band called CRETACEOUS that plays brutal fucking songs about dinosaurs. They are AMAZING. Seriously.
As far as memorable shows go, I don't really remember any.
LB: Favorite venue to Play??
D: Annie's is great but Bender's lets the bands drink for free all night. So Bender's.
LB: Have you played The Knockout before? What do you like it?
D: My other band has played there a couple times. But Tuesday's show will be the proverbial popping of Dalton's Knockout cherry. I think what I like best about The Knockout is its proximity to Taqueria Cancun. EPIC fucking quesadillas, bro. HELLA tasty.
LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice??
D: Only our pants.
LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??
D: Melanie's boyfriend, Mike.
LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??
D: Pre-show: Cough syrup and Whip-its.
Post-show: Oxycontin and Vitamin Water.
LB: Where do you think live music is heading??
D: That's a tough question. But a fair one. Live music is alive and thriving, as always. Despite the economic downturn and rising admission costs, there will always be demand for entertainment. People need that means of escape from everyday life, that chance to cut loose. So until people learn to spend their money on more worthwhile investments (like tacos or Pogs), the live music scene will carry on as strong as ever. People are pretty dumb.
LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free , do you offer free downloads??
D: Like I said before, we offer our songs for free download. No sweat. We are 100% in favor of free art. All music should be free.
Until we get a record deal. Then it's no longer OK.
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