LADIES AAAAAAND GENTLEMEN!!!
Boy howdy, do I EVER have a different sort of band for you today! You know how we all have our own quirky record collections? How most of us have a lot of our favorite genre and then we have a little something of everything else?
Imagine a band that somehow managed to put ‘everything else’ onto a single record …
That band would be DIRTY SPACE GROOVE!!! My new friend Dave Neri was kind enough to have a chat with me, representing his band and explaining some of the ‘stories behind the songs.’
So, without any further ado …!
K, here we go … Dave, can you tell us about Dirty Space Groove and how you got together?
Okay, about three years ago, MTK3 the vocalist posted for a side project band on Mondays. I knew of him from his prior band Kocosante, they were very popular and he’s is a great front man, I was in between projects at the time, so we met up with former drummer Marc from another local band Toasted Marshmallow Zombies, clicked immediately, and began writing songs that night
MTK3?
Mike Thomas Kennedy the Third. This is his stage name
Ah! For our readers, what is your local area? I like to know where my favorite bands are so I can show up, get hammered, and usually land myself in trouble!
We are in south Florida
Lucky … I’m freezing my patootie off at the moment! I’d like to chat about this MTK3, if we may. I’m listening to the single ‘Nancy’ as we’re talking. VERY unique singer! The first thing that comes to mind is ‘edgy nerd rock.’ And I DO hope he takes that as a compliment! See also Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and, of course, Geddy Lee of Rush. I’d be curious as to what drove him toward his unique singing style when rock in general seems to have gravitated toward darker, snarly vocals. Can you share a little about that?
Well, when we got together we were going to write heavier material, but I write more of a dark pop kinda rock style with melodies, so I brought this. MTK3 changed his normal style and really brought that unique voice you hear now. Most people say he sounds like Ozzy, or we sound like Faith No More meets the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But, he really learned a new way to sing, and it’s been really good to be able to stand apart from what is going on and focus on new sounds and vocal melodies
I also hear echoes of Rob Halford. ‘Nancy’ is a pretty heavy song, and the note at the beginning of the video talks about mental illness. Is that a running theme in Dirty Space Groove’s music?
No , we all have family members that fall into all of the categories of mental illness discussed in the opening segment of the video. I worked in memory/ Alzheimer’s care for a while and it really broke my heart, but our music jumps to different genres from we want to party to until the world ends or the climate/ pollution issues just being straight up silly. (V’s note: Yeah, ‘climate change’ is just fuckin’ silly. It’s called ‘weather,’ dipshit!) So, there’s really no path we follow when writing; whatever comes out comes out. We like to play around with the whole ‘alien’ thing; it’s fun, and we’ve all had encounters for our whole lives. When you hear our EP on iTunes you will see how different each song is.
Alzheimer’s really is heartbreaking. Yes, ‘diverse’ DEFINITELY describes Dirty Space Groove! A lot of bands would chase me down and beat me with the mic stand for saying this, but I’m hearing a definite eighties pop influence. Echoes of Wham!, A-Ha, and David Bowie, you know? And, also excellent use of pianos and keyboards. Was it deliberate, adding those elements to the music or did it just kind of evolve?
With My Sweet Space Dream, we did want the eighties elements, the Miami sound, KC and the Sunshine Bands horns, electronic drums reminiscent of the drums on Miami vice, and a bit of the Latin flair. You have a good ear. The synths are played by Carlos we played together in a band prior. I always play with synths, keyboards rather than another guitarist to open up our musical pallet and more soundscapes.
When our good friend Cheri Belfiore-Kane first sent me your music, that was the one thing that really blew me away. Most bands tend to revolve their music around one or two elements, whether it be vocals, lead guitar, bass, etc. With Dirty Space Groove, no one element jumps out … which somehow makes them ALL jump out—perfect balance. You don’t often hear that; I honestly think that’s what made Guns N’ Roses such a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. So, how do y’all write? Is your process structured or do the songs come from jam sessions? Do one or two of you write and the band fleshes it out, or is everyone involved from the get-go? DO share! I’m always fascinated by the writing process.
It’s different with every song. We all bring elements to the songs; someone will have a riff or a complete song and bring it in, or we take some elements from jam sessions that we play every night as a warm-up before rehearsal. But, everyone brings their style to the songs and we all write and play multiple instruments so we have many songs
Wow … I really appreciate the bass and drum players. They almost sound like different musicians with every song. It’s very tempting, I think, to settle on a ‘pet’ set of riffs and tempos. Do y’all do your own sound mixing, or is that subbed out to a studio?
Nancy and My Sweet Space Dream was played by Marc, our first drummer. The rest of the EP was a drummer named Alfredo; he has since left the band and we are working with a new drummer: Jeremy Staska. https://www.discogs.com/artist/261969-Jeremy-Staska from Studio 13; he also co-produced the EP with us and played some Latin instruments on it. Jeremy also mixed the EP and mastering was done by https://coladamix.com/ . We brought our good friend Oski Gonzalez https://www.facebook.com/oski.gonzalez.10 in to play congas on a few tunes, so we have an amazing team behind us.
Indeed you do! Tell me, who made that GORGEOUS video for My Sweet Space Dream? It SO reminds me of one of my favorite films: Heavy Metal!
That was made by Odette, the bassist David’s wife. It is very electric and eye-catching; she did an amazing job. Heavy Metal is one of my favs, too, I seen it in the theater when it came out. The song is about someone that is obsessed with Lady GaGa (Stephene) and he can only see her in his dreams.
Lucky! My mother wouldn’t let me see Heavy Metal when it came out. And, wow! Dreams are a running theme in my writing; I often think we don’t attach enough importance to them. Speaking of theaters, I’m told Dirty Space Groove has a major event coming up?
Yes, we are playing two nights at Deafstock, the first of its kind event to help all walks of life enjoy music and celebrate life.
Nice! I once knew a deaf fellow who loved going to metal shows. He said he could feel the beat even if he couldn’t hear anything, and he loved the energy. And, that does kind of sound like the first of its kind. How did Deafstock come to be?
This is taken from the page Story of Deafstock Music & Art Festival About Deafstock, Inc.: ‘David Ritchey, a passionate advocate for inclusivity in music and art, founded the Deafstock Music & Art Festival to bridge the gap between the Deaf and hearing communities. Inspired by the idea of Woodstock and frustrated by the lack of accessibility at traditional events, David envisioned a festival where everyone could enjoy music and art together for all walks of life. One evening at a local music festival, David felt frustrated by the lack of accessibility for Deaf individuals. This idea inspired him to create the Deafstock Music & Art Festival, where Deaf and hearing people could enjoy music and art equally. He envisioned a three-day festival with visual art installations, live performances with sign language interpreters, and tactile experiences. David assembled a dedicated all-volunteer team and faced numerous challenges, including funding and skepticism. They launched a successful crowd funding campaign and secured a spacious, accessible park for the event. Partnering with local Deaf and hearing artists, they also incorporated innovative technologies like vibrating dance floors and visual light shows. Deafstock features visual art installations, live music performances with sign language interpreters, and tactile experiences that let Deaf attendees feel the music through vibrations. The festival celebrates the talents of Deaf artists and musicians, providing them a platform to showcase their work. With the inaugural event set for April 2025, Deafstock aims to create a vibrant, inclusive environment. David and his dedicated team have worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life, transforming a spacious park into a celebration of music and art for all. Join us as we break down barriers and foster unity through the power of creativity.’ I seen his post on Facebook about five months ago, and we said we have to be a part of this event. We help out any organization that is for the betterment of humans and brings awareness to any worthwhile cause. We were the first band to apply to play.
Truly a noble cause! Rockers are and have always been the most charitable people I know. Always looking out for others! So, what’s new on the horizon for Dirty Space Groove? What does the far future hold?
Well, we are working with Irongate records, we are putting together a tour, and going back to record another six songs. We’ll have new videos and we’re looking forward to connecting with new fans around the world
WOW! Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes! I for one—to quote Senator Palpatine—will be watching your career with great interest! So, before we wrap up, I have one final question for you. I always ask this one because I think it’s the most important question: What advice would you give a young/aspiring musician?
Learn about the business part as much as the music part. Be yourself and don’t follow trends. Write, write, and write music. Get knowledge on publishing and all aspects of the biz. Collaborate with other artists, and don’t be a dick!
‘Don’t be a dick!’ LOVE it! And, I absolutely agree about learning the business end. I struggled with that as an author but I had some great mentors, as I’m sure you did, too. Thank you, Dave, so much for your time today! Here’s wishing both you and Dirty Space Groove ALL the best going forward!
Thank you, Virginia.
You are most welcome. Cheers!
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