As reported yesterday, Victor DeLorenzo has once again been kicked out of the band he co-founded, the Violent Femmes. After three reunion shows to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band’s first album – including one at Summerfest’s Marcus Amphitheater – the Femmes have replaced DeLorenzo with Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione.
Seems the reunion of Milwaukee’s most famous band was short-lived.
Early this morning, DeLorenzo issued this statement:
It's always hard to write a eulogy for a lost loved one. In this case, I sadly lament the loss of a dream and an ideal that was once Violent Femmes.
When I first heard the news about the possibility of the original Violent Femmes reuniting, I was excited that once again our group might be able to play music for the fans that love us and for the new fans that have never had the chance to see us create the music live. The only conditions that I had were that the three of us move forward to repair our relationships within the band, and that we would strive to attain a fair business agreement that would reflect a new way of handling the business that wouldn't be "business as usual." Sadly, my open-hearted approach to finding a way to move forward wasn't shared by Violent Femmes. What was finally being offered to me was "business as usual" with a great deal of disrespect, dishonesty and greed.
After having found out that the promoters of our recent concerts weren't interested in booking our group unless it was, "the reunion of the original band," I spoke to two of the biggest concert promoters in the world that handled two of our shows, and they told me directly that this was true. So it confuses me that fans and the promoters see the value in presenting the original band, but not the band itself. I realize that I'm no longer part of the copyright after having given up my business interest in Violent Femmes years ago, but I will always be part of the birthright of Violent Femmes, for which I will always be very proud! I'm sorry and I apologize that the fans, promoters and agents won't get to see the Violent Femmes show that was being offered and that people bought tickets to see ...
As John Lennon once said, "the dream is over" ... In regards to my history with Violent Femmes, "the dream never quite got there."
So...
On the evening of June 26, 2013 ... on the stage of the Marcus Amphitheater at Summerfest ... I gave to the world my last performance with Violent Femmes ... Milwaukee ... we were yours for the night, and now ... FOREVER!
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
