If you are unfamiliar with The Dresden Dolls you must stop what you are doing. Go dig up their past catalog and close and lock your door until you have had at least three listens. They were and always will be one of the most dynamic bands no one ever knew. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione were gorgeous, dark and oozed filthy sex appeal.
But time moves on and Amanda’s ego got so big (and is still growing) that you just want to stick her with a pin. That arrogant blabbering woman with the gorgeous voice and lyrics is more annoying than your worst nightmare. The queen of Boston and the absolute opposite of what you would hope she would be.
While Amanda was busy getting naked and hairy for the Flaming Lips and singing about her thicket of shrub between her legs I often wondered what happened to ‘the other’ Doll. Brian Viglione was the perfect yin to that woman’s yang.
Brian is a fantastic drummer and a flamboyant showman. Supermodel looks with talent and diversity he was also a part of the punk rock cabaret and worked with Nine Inch Nails. Now? Brian has joined up with the Violent Femmes. What an odd pairing. I despise the Femmes but wait, with Brian there is a great chance that I could give them another shot. With his style the blobs of monotone may actually get some punch!
Violent Femmes is now Brian Ritchie, Gordon Gano and Brian Viglione.
‘We did those two Coachella gigs and two more including Milwaukee with Victor to celebrate 30th anniversary of the first album,’ Brian Ritchie tells Noise11. ‘And now for the future we want to play with Brian Viglione’.
Violent Femmes are planning more shows around the world. ‘We’re just getting going here with some gigs and haven’t discussed the future very much aside from wanting to show our faces around the world a bit after 6 years away,’ Brian said.
The next shows for The Violent Femmes are Central Park NYC on Sept. 12