Mick Collins' Favorite Dirtbombs Shows...

So Mick had a reply to my list. He said I could post it here. He didn't say I couldn't add my own comments. Mick's actual typing in bold, mine in plain.

1. Barcelona 2005 - "We walked with giants, that night..."

5/28/05 @ Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona, SPA (#3 on my list)

2. Groningen 2001, or was that 2002? The night we re-opened VERA Club – "Playing the Dutch national anthem is still the most gratifying applause I've ever gotten."

First off, this shows how bad Mick's memory is. The show was 4/3/98. I wasn’t even in the band yet. Band flew in for one show and flew home. Must’ve been fun.

3. Berlin 2004

9/9/04 @ Mudd Club, Berlin, GER
Definitely an amazing show. Made my short-list of nominees and easily on-par with our Paris show of the same year. Mick busted two legs off my floor tom that night…not just the legs, but the actual screwed-into-wood metal mounts as well.

4. The festival in Belgium where we were the headline act (2005) - "It's not that we played all that great or anything, but we were the *headliners*!"

We didn't headline any festivals in Belgium in '05. Mick may be thinking of 6/18/05…the Eysines Goes Soul Festival in Eysines, France. We definitely headlined that night. Or maybe the Highway to the Hills Festival in Lessines, Belgium in 2004? But we definitely didn’t headline that…I think Tony Joe White and John Hammond both played that festival.

5. (Tie) Those two nights we played the Bowery Ballroom with the Cobras

First night was 7/12/02 w/ Bantam Rooster and Ko and the Knockouts. Dirtbombs headlined and did it well. Second night was 7/13/02 w/ the Sights and the Buzzards. Was the last Buzzards show ever. They were great…I taped their set. Cobras headlined and it was not pretty. Had to go on after us and people started to walk out on them.

6. The New York Harbour Cruise, 2005

#5 on my list. And it was just 6 months ago…this year, dingus.

7. The Italian festival (2004) where we carved up New Found Glory like cheap hams and sent 'em packing. "The audience that day learned the difference between Rock'n'Roll and New Found Glory. I don't toot my own horn that often, but we're better than they are and we *proved* it that day. And we can do it AGAIN."

9/5/04 @ Independent Days Festival, Bologna, Italy
Also on the bill were the Darkness, Velvet Revolver, Auf Der Mauer and the DKT/MC3. No idea why we went on AFTER New Found Glory, as our only shows in Italy before that were two gigs in small towns in 2002 in front of a total of 20 people. But yes, we did carve them and send them packing. ‘Twas glorious. I tossed my drums.

8. The Troubadour, Los Angeles, 2001 or 2002 with all the screaming girls (you'll have to check the exact date; it was the last time we played there with Diamond, 'cause I was playing his Laney amp)

Diamond’s last LA show with us was actually 1/30/04. I don’t think it’s the show Mick is thinking of. Mick could be thinking 2/28/03 with the Von Bondies or 3/2/02 with the Go. I seem to remember the screaming girls at the ’02 show.

9. The first Ottawa Bluesfest performance, where we got those swank hotel rooms

On 7/13/03, we all got our own rooms at the Marriott. Partied with the Sights and watched “Saved by the Bell” in their room and ordered pizza. Nathaniel Mayer had a party in his room and we left the D-Bombs cooler there. Don’t really remember the show, but remember that the crowd had been waiting for a long time for us to come up to Ottawa, which has always been a great town for us.

10. The second Nashville show

With the Lost Sounds at the Exit/In on 3/4/04. Patrick Keeler’s first show in Pat Pantano’s spot…our first and only practice with Keeler was earlier that day. The Lost Sounds were badass and the place was packed. Believe it was a weekday. Surprisingly awesome.

Honourable Mentions go to:

That Toronto show where Jack (White) played drums on the encore

(7/16/04 and it wasn’t during the encore but during half of “I Can’t Stop Thinking About It”)

The Italian show by the pool where I was tanked on that guy's homemade wine

(6/2/05 @ Tijuana Rock Club, Treviso, Italy…entire band saw a shooting star that night and it was magical)

The Knitting Factory show where those Air Force guys rioted

(7/29/05 is also known as the show where Ko sliced open her hand and bled all over the damn stage and we had to play pretty much an entire show with any fuzz bass. But yeah, Mick remembers that as some Air Force dudes being pricks in a mosh pit. Whatever.)

A Toronto show before you were in the band where we were actually *terrible*, but my amp (that Silvertone of mine you're hoping I forget you have) sang like angels. I remember thinking "These are the sounds I always wanted to make! Yeah! I *ROCK*!!!" and looking out at people in the audience with their hands pressed over their ears.

(No idea of the date…maybe the show where there was only one drummer? And he's not getting that amp back)