Boston’s Burn Kit are out on the road with the legendary Dwarves, so we sat down Valentino from Burn Kit with Blag from the Dwarves to talk about music from the perspective of one band that’s been doing this for 40 years and one that’s just starting out. The result was a fascinating conversation you’ll definitely want to check out.
Valentino (Burn Kit):
You’ve been committed to this band for 40 years, moving forward through countless lineups and many albums. There is no crazy money in this level of punk rock. You’ve written books, music for TV etc. What is it that keeps you motivated to play in the Dwarves and not put your focuses elsewhere?
Blag (Dwarves):
Tino, I could be flippant here and just say- raw stupidity! But all of your questions are so well composed, I’m in awe. Clearly you are a connoisseur of all thing Dwarves, whereas I have only had the pleasure of knowing Burn Kit a few months. I hope I can come close to your level of thoughtfulness here.
Everyone in my family went to college and has advanced degrees. I often feel like I’m sinking in a morass of deep stupidity by being in the music industry at all, let alone a punk band, let alone the fucking Dwarves. I think the real reason I still do it is because since my earliest days all I really wanted to do was make cool records and play fun shows. Everything else seems like folly.
Knowing what was in store for my future, I resigned myself to being poor for the better part of three decades. While other folks had jobs and salaries and security of various kinds, I doggedly persevered, doing without basic stuff like a couch or a television for most of my life. I taught myself not to care about that stuff, a great lesson that Seneca describes better than anyone.
The crazy part is that eventually I wound up making money because I owned all of these cool records that no label, distro, or even any band members thought had any value. Paradoxically, I wound up getting rich by not caring what anybody thought about me being poor!
That’s the financial side of it. On the artistic side, I’ve written a few books, produced other folk’s records, done co-writes, made videos, written poetry. It’s all fun, but nothing will ever beat making a great record or playing a cool show with my friends.
But hey, let’s delve into the realms of Burn Kit now. I have much to learn.
Blag (Dwarves):
The music industry is dead. How does a newer band navigate the remains of it? When we were starting out there was a lot of loose money floating around at record labels, a lot of salaries being made at radio and publicity departments. How do you get rolling without having monster management these days in a world of zero budgets?
Valentino (Burn Kit):
We certainly missed the window to there being a clearer pathway to getting somewhere. From listening to folks that came before, there was a sense-making path to follow. You put together something presentable, you gather the attention of a label and manager in hopes to end up working with a major. In the modern era, a major is reserved for top 40 and good management is few and far between. All these things exist still, just with much more limited availability. Unless your uncle, dad, brother or friend is the A&R guy, you’re on your own. No one will give you the light of day, listen to you, or help you. It’s extremely hard to get traction or get through to people with such a bombardment of sensory entertainment existing around the clock. If you’re even going to try to, (which we are insane enough to) then you have to fund every aspect of this yourself. Recording, video production, record pressing, merch, plane tickets, travel expenses, advertising and so on.
So many stars have to align to even begin to have the opportunity to do it yourself: low rent/monthly expenses, no kids, a job that pays well and gives you full flexibility for touring. You can take the cheap approach where you record at home, don’t tour, no good visual content, and do the whole “don’t care” approach, but good luck getting any ears and eyes on your band. For every careless band that gets hype there’s 1,000 that don’t. For me, I prefer to do something well if I’m going to do it. The amount of money spent so far in this band’s year-and-a-half existence has been insane, but it’s my choice. We’ve done a ton and played in some crazy places. It wears on me immensely and is a tremendous amount of constant pressure always working for and funding something that does not give back, but this is what I want in life and need to pull it together to see this through. I envy the folks that got to do this 40-50 years ago when there was a record industry. It’s not hopeless today; it’s just chaotic.
Valentino (Burn Kit):
Of the roughly 20 times I’ve seen you play, you seem like you’re actually having fun up there, unlike many of your peers who phone it in. You connect with the audience and make everyone part of the show. I remember at 2000 Tons of TNT in Connecticut years ago, you threw me the mic 15 to 20 feet away. I did the part and tossed it back.
People randomly jump up and sing songs. You let whatever happen, whenever. It’s a real punk show. There are people like you and Mark Adkins of Guttermouth that let the chaos ensue and keep it real. And there are bands like the Adicts that will stop playing if anyone sets foot on stage to stage dive. Or, even more pathetically, people like Mike Vallely (during his Black Flag stint) that will stop the show for anyone crowd surfing or diving and kick them out in a very jock meathead fashion. Reacting like they’ve never seen a punk show before, as if it’s a culture shock for them. At your age, do you feel like most of the other classic bands you appear on stage with are phoning it in? Or are there other honorable mentions out there still keeping it a real punk rock show?
Blag (Dwarves):
Well Tino, most bands, in any time or place, are just phoning it in. Thinking about their job or their girlfriend or their dog, rarely thinking about making interesting music or doing anything different than they have already done. To start with some specifics from your questio—Vallely is a skateboarder, not a singer. California goofiness aside, skateboarders are basically jocks with wheels, so of course they don’t make very good bands most of the time.
I don’t mind the Adicts, but they do get very sensitive about their props and stage stuff. The Fresh Prince of Darkness had to head butt one of their roadies once to let them know that we don’t wear little outfits or blow up beach balls; we’re an actual punk band. But that doesn’t mean that their band isn’t good, or that they might not make a cool album at some point. Who knows, maybe Vallely will eventually become a singer; I hope he does. I don’t like to shit on other bands, but other bands so often do dumb stuff or just mediocre shite that it’s hard not to.
Getting old is a bitch. Lots of bands stop growing almost immediately after they are formed, so what you witness of their career is just a slow, lazy, bumbling decline until death. And even the best of acts, the cream of the crop like the Beatles, or Stevie Wonder or Paul Simon, eventually run out of ideas and do hack stuff. I really try hard to avoid that for myself and for the Dwarves. Everybody in the group writes songs. Show me a band with one songwriter; I’ll show you a boring band with little depth. And to keep expanding my horizons I made up a new alter ego, Ralph Champagne, to do more vintage pop, lounge, novelty, country kind of stuff. By adding new things to my arsenal, I can continue doing the Dwarves without feeling like I’m stagnating.
The most important thing when playing live is to have fun, that gives the audience permission to have fun. The better the crowd, the better the show. Which brings me to my next question for you.
Blag (Dwarves):
You are a wild and unpredictable front man when you play live. How many venues, or other bands, or angry drunks took your high-spirited hijinks for an insult and came after you guys? What ensued?
Valentino (Burn Kit):
To my surprise, most people seem to be receptive and good-spirited. When you break ice and connect with their energy, it’s amazing how many people want to have fun and be themselves. Getting a 20-, 40- and 60-year-old in the pit together in the same song is always a good feeling. When some folks appear to me like they’re not vibing with it, they generally stare forward, look extremely serious, and have limited eye contact with me. Some of these people I feel like I can read, and they come off as shy more than they do upset. There hasn’t been one person that’s insulted us over it. I’m sure that’s coming, but not yet.
In Copenhagen last fall apparently I knocked the venue owner to the floor during one of our songs, and he was quite upset from what I was told. I didn’t even notice him, and he didn’t say anything to me. He wasn’t even old either, like 45 maybe. I approached him after, and he wasn’t thrilled. But didn’t make a huge deal of it and wished us luck on the rest of the tour. There was an old guy at this awful NJ show we played on the Dead Boys tour that was back by the bar, and he said, “Get back on the stage” when I was doing my thing. So, to honor him, the next song the entire band except Andy got off the stage and we did the full song on the ground, where he apparently didn’t want us.
On the flip side, I’ve had the audience join me on some of the madness. A dude climbed a roof with me in Reno during Terranean Memoir in April. I remember another kid two-stepping on tables in London as he followed me around the venue. At a festival we played in Guaymas, Mexico I started knocking over the barrier, and the audience helped me tear it down so they could come pit in front of the stage. Coming together with our audience in one interesting way or another is why I do this.
Valentino (Burn Kit)
Of all the times I’ve seen you, HeWhoCannotBeNamed has only been there one single time. What’s the deal with that guy? Is he involved anymore to any degree? Is he alive or has he committed happy birthday suicide?
Blag (Dwarves):
HeWho is alive, that much I can verify. Also, that he’s one of the greatest live performers I’ve ever seen, and he can write a hell of a song, too. He’s a very mysterious guy; it’s hard to get a bead on him. I’ve known him since 1983, but new layers of confusion rise up every time we meet. Which reminds me—
Blag (Dwarves):
Who are the other members of Burn Kit? Are you all original, or have there already been defections, firings, quitings, temper-tantrums and everything egotistical wannabe rock stars are prone to?
Valentino (Burn Kit):
Andrew – Drums
Joshua – Guitar
Frank – Guitar
Padraic – Bass
Chris, our original bassist, did a smart thing and got a degree in architecture. So Padraic came in and is our full-time official and live bassist. He’s so down for the cause and belongs on the stage. We’re lucky to have met him. Chris, however, is still in the band too. Padraic lives in Austin, TX, and we’re in the Boston, MA / New Hampshire area. So we still do all our rehearsals and studio recordings with Chris.
He’s still super involved and an increasingly excellent player. So, we’re technically all original and Padraic. Padraic came into the band 10 months into our existence, so I think filing him under original may be appropriate depending on who you ask. Before him, it was just friends filling in because we didn’t have a touring bassist, minus our first tour which Chris was actually on.
Valentino (Burn Kit):
“Blood, Guts and Pussy” yields a blatant Earth A.D. worship, one of the many reasons why it’s so damn good. Have The Misfits had you on one of their original lineup arena reunion shows yet? Are there any bands you haven’t played with yet that are still active that you’d like to cross off the list?
Blag (Dwarves):
To play with the Misfits would be an honor; I really hope it happens someday. I’m so old I saw them in Chicago, 1983! They are one of my favorite punk bands and a huge influence, especially on B,G&P. More than playing with other bands though, I really want to connect to an audience. If you’re a Misfits fan, you’d probably love us. I’d like to play with more thrash bands like Midnight, more garage bands like the Darts. We tend to get pushed into the punk genre when often our stuff fits in other categories, too. But most of the artists I admire don’t even play rock ‘n’ roll. I wish I’d gotten to play with Cab Calloway or the Boswell Sisters! But these days I’m happy getting to play with someone new so I can say I saw them right at the beginning. The Dollheads are a great group like that I hope to play with. And Burn Kit, too!
Blag (Dwarves):
You guys seem to defy genre somewhat, not really a punk band, or a garage band, not mainstream. Where do you think you guys fit in? Is it a kind of ’80’s post-punk revival vibe you’re going for? Bands like the Stranglers with the brooding, dramatic stuff?
Valentino (Burn Kit):
It’s been a challenge to pinpoint exactly what we are. Which may be a good thing. The different feedback and comparisons we receive every night has been one of the most interesting parts of being in this band. Post-punk, new wave, hardcore, punk, indie, emo, grunge, rock, garage are all things we’ve been told we are. Sometimes we call it post-wave-punk. It’s the darkness, the jangle and the melody of post-punk with the spirit of hardcore. Sometimes things get fuzzy and shoegaze-like. Other times it’s a bit dancey and new-wavey. Other times it goes hard. Sometimes darker, ambient and slowed down for a minute.
No matter what form we present ourselves in, the energy remains consistent and is the most cohesive element of the Burn Kit mindset. One person might compare us to At The Drive-In, while the next compares us to the Smiths, as the next compares us to R.E.M. and the Damned and T.S.O.L. We’ve had people say all of these at the same show. You never know what someone is hearing. It’s fun for us to take all that in.
Valentino (Burn Kit):
You’re a crazy good songwriter. Songs like “Salt Lake City” and “Better Be Women”…. the melody, the arrangement, is just top notch. People not even into punk can, and I’m sure have, resonated with tracks like these. There’s countless other melodic bangers like “Looking Out For Number One,” “The Dwarves Must Die,” and “Working Class Asshole” that don’t get as much spotlight, but hold up so well and showcase your ability to deliver. To the point where you were called in to do music for TV—appearing on the soundtrack for the movie Hostel, and you even did a song for Spongebob that appeared in an episode and on the soundtrack.
How did things evolve from GG Allin-inspired Misfitscore to ending up in TV? From “Gash Wagon” to “Doing The Sponge” is a big jump. Tell us your path to getting involved in that world. With you being the sole constant member, what is the songwriting process like for the Dwarves in 2025? Is it mostly you bringing the riffs to the table, or do you work with other folks?
Blag (Dwarves):
If I had to pick just one thing to do (assuming that fucking is still allowed) it would be songwriting. There’s nothing like that feeling when only you and your friends have heard the song, and you enjoy that delicious anticipation of, “Wait until the fans hear this one!” Writing songs is so crucial, and like I said, everybody in the Dwarves writes songs because people who don’t write songs do a lot of thumb twiddling.
“Salt Lake City” and “Must Die” are all me, “Number One” is HeWho, and “Working Class” is HeWho played the chords; I wrote the lyrics and vocal melody. “Better Be Women” was, Wholley Smokkes did the chords, and I wrote the lyrics and vocal melody. I do a lot more cowrites now than I used to, I enjoy the collab. Spongebob was a wacky coincidence; Saltpeter knew the creator’s wife. The first season, they had no budget for music or anything else, and needed a Cramps-like song. Saltpeter wrote it on a four-track, and I sang it doing my best Lux imitation. It went on to be the most popular thing either of us will ever do, and the show is now considered a classic.
I’d love to write lyrics for musicals if anybody from that world wanted me to. I’d like to think I can write a song about anything, although breasts and vaginas are generally the first things that leap to mind, followed by violence and nihilism. But I always had a weakness for musicals, the more square, outdated or even downright queer, the better! Which brings me to this question—
Blag (Dwarves):
What songs turn you on that your fans wouldn’t expect? What are some guilty pleasure songs and bands for you?
Valentino (Burn Kit):
A majority of my listening is instrumental music. Smooth jazz (sometimes now referred to as Vaporwave), new age and ’80’s/’90’s video game soundtracks represent a good chunk of what I’m spinning. The visual connections I get when I hear some of these songs is really deep to me. I can’t get that feeling when I listen to “Ruby Soho.” Great song, but this type of thing is enjoyed in a different way.
The Rippingtons, Kenny G, Don Harriss, Acoustic Alchemy are some of the mainstays. I don’t know if I would call it “guilty” because I think it’s rad. There are a lot of folks I know that have a secret listenership with modern pop and hip-hop etc. To me, most of that stuff is god awful, and I genuinely have no interest in exploring that. I’m more about looking for that 1987 obscure new-age record that I am about to some soulless AI pop. The pop of the ’80s ’90s and early 2000s I’m so down with, though. Lot of good radio songs in that era. You asked about songs. I can communicate feeling better through melody. If you want to understand what I mean:
The Rippingtons “Dreams”
Don Harriss “Motion #4”
The Rippingtons “Wednesday’s Child”
Ecco The Dolphin (Sega Genesis Version) “The Vents”
Valentino (Burn Kit):
If you go to see a band like Dead Kennedys or The Offspring, they play largely or in many cases exactly the same songs tour after tour, year after year, decade after decade. It only caters to people who are seeing them for the first time and disregards the interest of long-term fans. You have something like 12-plus albums. Yet for your crowd, you’ve never been boring with your set list. You’ve consistently changed it up pretty well in-between each tour. How do you decide what to play, and how out of your comfort zone do you go when it comes to revisiting tracks that you’re not routinely used to?
Blag (Dwarves):
Like all old, decrepit bands, we can fall into a rut. But unlike most bands, as we “evolve,” we made sure to keep devolving as well. So every record has some nasty punk rock in it that allows us to mix the new material in with the old and not turn anybody off. If you need to hear something new, you’ve got it; if you only like Blood, Guts or Young and Good Looking, you still get to hear that.
We’re also very minimal on live production. On a record, we pull out all the stops, but live, there is very little artifice. I think that keeps the focus where it should be, on songs and performance, not costumes and lights and pyro. We’re not a Vegas act.
Blag (Dwarves):
Are there any bands you guys are actively fueding with? What about clubs, radio stations, websites? Feel free to not name names, but if feel free to name them if you want. Fuck being careful!
Valentino (Burn Kit):
Short of dealing with some idiots here and there, it’s largely been very smooth. You’d have to try really hard to be our enemy. We don’t have the intentions, the drive, or the time to waste on negative energy. With the mental state of the planet and how tiny some people’s worlds are, I’m sure we’ll run into someone that gets mad at something at some point. But I’m not hoping that’s the case, and that’s all on them, not us. We’re here to make art and create an understanding with people. It’s not that complicated, and it’s nothing to be mad about, ever.
Valentino (Burn Kit):
We never formally met until the Dwarves/Burn Kit Hawaiian tour this past January, but there were two other times that I’ve interacted with you in my life. Once in 2011 in CT when you came up to my car window as I was driving away from the show and asked if I had any drugs. And then last summer after your Boston show where you came up to me and asked if I had any weed. Both legendary instances, and I loved that 14 years later, you were still classic Blag. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Those Hawaii shows were way better than I expected. Looking forward to this East Coast/Midwest run together coming up. Feel free to plug anything else you’re working on that we should know about or anything else you want to say. Catch you in August.
Blag (Dwarves):
I used to beg for drugs before every show because I was too paranoid to travel with them. Now it’s just the last night of the tour, like in Boston with you. Quitting just isn’t my style!
Look out for Ralph Champagne’s picture disc coming in time for Xmas season, with covers of the Grinch and a jazz version of “Drinking Up Christmas.” Then look for the Ralph Champagne Revue full-length in 2026. There’s also a whole new Dwarves record in the can for release summer 2026. We can’t be stopped! Until we die that is, which brings me to my last question-
Blag (Dwarves):
If you had to die young, like on this upcoming tour with the Dwarves, how would you like to go? Anyone you need to get even with before the final curtain? What if you could take the whole world with you in a blaze of Armageddon? Wouldn’t that be a trip?
Valentino (Burn Kit):
Damn, this is a first. If it had to happen this quick in my journey, I’d want it to happen while I was doing something extreme. Maybe cliff jumping. If we run across a 120-footer that I think I can handle. I always depth check it first. But a lot of the times these guys don’t want to get wet and be the safety team at the landing. If I jumped and it was such a big impact that I needed help, but it took the guys 10 minutes to get down there …. That’d be it. I don’t put myself in situations like that, but if I had to go some way I guess it’d have to be that or something equally thrilling and crazy. As far as getting even, yes there are definitely some people I would outright destroy while I had the chance. It’s not my imagination, I’ve got a gun on my back. Revenge.
Tour Dates
Aug. 1 – New York, NY @ The Racket Aug. 2nd – Medford, MA @ Deep Cuts Aug. 3rd – New Haven, CT @ Café Nine
Aug. 4 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Wild Air Beerworks **Sold Out** Aug. 6th – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
Aug. 7 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere’s Aug. 8th – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
Aug. 9 – Cumberland, MD @ Savage Mountain Punk Festival Aug. 10th – Millvale, PA @ The Funhouse At Mr. Small’s
Follow The Dwarves on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Follow Burn Kit on Facebook and Instagram.
Photo courtesy of The Dwarves
