This past weekend, I attended Victoria’s Rifflandia music festival (more here). And among enjoying some of Canada’s best indie music, taking photos, and enjoying roasted-pepper and goat cheese bunwiches, I got to have a chat with one of the headliner’s, The Dude’s, lead Dan Vacon.
State your name and what you do.
My name is Dan, and I am a semi-pro rock and roll musician.. for The Dudes!
So, how’d The Dudes become The Dudes?
I dunno; We were kind of all born dudes and, you know, the powers that lead specific people together, and were just met and it was like “Hey, man, do you like rock?” “As a matter of fact, I DO like rock!” and we’ve been rockin’ ever since.
“The Dudes”? Where’d the name come from?
I don’t know, man. We always thought that it was kind saying that you’re every man. Like, even broads can be dudes. Everyone’s a dude. It’s kind of like Oprah Winfrey, because she’s every woman.
To someone who’s never heard your sound, how would you describe it to them?
We’re trying to make rock music, and I hope we’re pulling it off. But it’s kind of heartfelt and some clapping and singing along. It’s supposed to be a party; and I think that’s what it is.
What’s the idea behind your album artwork? It’s got four dudes on it?
We actually just have a favorurite artist, and we said, “This is the name of it, ‘Blood. Guts. Bruises. Cuts.’. Go wild, man, do your art thing.” And he came up with Mexican wrestler.
So, when you’re not touring or recording, what do you do in your off-time?
I actually try not to work as best I can; and I’m pretty good at it now. You get a couple songs on the radio, and you get a little income, not a full income. So we just learn to live really cheap. So I drink really cheap beer, I live in a shitty house, I hang out with poor-ass friends, and you tend to get in that routine. But once in a while I’ll have to do odd jobs. If I’m really screwed I’ll go be a bike messenger for a while. Yeah, it’s good because it’s like a rebel’s job; you got no boss, no uniform. You wake up, turn your radio on; it’s a real kick-ass job if you’ve got a problem with authority.
So, when you’re sitting in your shitty house, drinking your shitty beer, where do you find the inspiration to make music?
Aw, dude, living. You, honestly, just gotta live hard, you gotta get out there and do all the things, you can’t just stay home. If anyone says “Let’s go do something”, you’ve got to go do it. And, like cool shit happens to you when you live, and it’s just so easy. Like, my life is just up and down, up and down, shitty then great, and it keeps you on that artistic edge.
What’re you doing after Rifflandia?
Well, we’re doing two shows immediately in Vancouver tomorrow, and we did Kelowna last night. So it’s just a little interior BC tour for however many weeks, and the last week of October he head out and do Canada and a little bit of the States for like six weeks, or something like that.
Where do you see The Dudes in five or ten years?
You know, it’s kind of part of my big philosophy not to have any goals. I’m just completely goal-less, and I just do whatever makes me happy, and rockin’ out. Hopefully I’m doing this, maybe making more money. And if I’m doing this, and I’m still feelin’ it, then that’s what I want. Actually you know what, I’ve thought about this. Maybe not in ten years, but in like thirty years, I see my future: I get hit by a car, by some rich old lady, and she lets me live in a trailer on her land, and I just try to milk it until the end of my days. But you gotta have dreams. I don’t have any goals, but I have one little tiny dream. That’s the thing: little tiny dreams that are see-able.
The Dudes went on to perform a wicked-awesome set at one of Rifflandia’s many venues, the Market Square, in Victoria that Friday night. I want to truly thank Dan for taking the time to chat with me, what with his busy schedule and all.
