We talk Barrymore, Korea and the future with Dustin's Bar Mitzvah's frontman
Mention Dustin's Bar Mitzvah to young west Londoners in this day and age, they'd probably recall memories of dodgy hassidic dance moves and skull caps in the air. But if you mentioned them to college kids back in 2006, then you’d probably get stories of how they were pretty decent when they supported Vincent Vincent & The Villains at ULU, or how they went to drive Japan wild and other such anecdotes. The reason why they're slightly unkown nowadays is that back in 2007, they split up, reformed as The Von Erich Family and completely dropped off the radar.
Anyway all that’s in the past. Dustin's Bar Mitzvah are back now and they’re playing an exclusive gig at The Lexington this coming Saturday. We’ve never forgotten so we decided to have a little chat with frontman Dave Lazer to find out what 5 years in the musical wilderness does to a man...
So have The Von Erich Family been put to rest? Like most members of the actual Von Erich family.
Yeah that stopped a few years ago. Keep up.
What's been keeping you guys busy lately?
Baco became a missionary for a bit, building ovens in Bolivia or somewhere like that, but he’s back now. Rob has grown a beard, G. Wolfe is currently building a studio and I’m currently trying to get a visa to visit North Korea. I’m thinking of trying to defect. I really wish that were a joke. It’s not.
Any plans to re-visit Japan? Maybe a mega-comeback tour?
I would play anywhere, I haven’t left the country since March. I went to Berlin and ended up having an operation as I severed two arteries in my foot. I refused a general anaesthetic, as I had no health insurance, it was horrible.
I’d happily go to Belgium or Luxembourg, only for the cheap tobacco. I smoke a lot.
Seeing as you're from Acton, do any of you still live in west London? Or have you all moved to pastures new?
We all still live in west London.
Does anything happen in west London? Apart from dodgy rock nights.
Of course. West London is wonderful. Come down to Acton for the day, you’ll see. We’ve got everything: white people, black people, brown people, polish people and gay people. Everyone’s welcome in west London.
Even Michael Barrymore, he lives in Ealing, and since he’s been living here he hasn’t killed anyone. NOT.ONE.SINGLE.PERSON. It’s the vibe of the place, it’s mellowed him right out.
Could you see yourselves playing in west London any time soon? Maybe in Acton Assembly Hall or something?
Acton Assembly Hall is for “corporate conferences and business presentations” according to latemeetings.com, so probably not there. I think we are playing our manager's 50th birthday party next year, which will probably be in Monty’s. It’s a curry house, it’s amazing and it was in the background of Men Behaving Badly once.
Are you guy’s glad to be back playing live shows? How excited are you for Saturday?
No and no.
What plans do you have for the future?
Depends how quickly my North Korean visa comes through.
And finally, do you have a message for the youth of today?
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
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