I just got the sad news that earlier this morning Dennis DiPianto aka D.D. Meanie lost his battle with lung cancer. He was 45.
D.D will be remembered by those who knew him as a loyal, intelligent, dedicated person who had a sharp sense of humour. Despite ongoing health problems through most of his life, D.D. overcame these to complete many national and overseas tours with The Meanies and record their two full length albums and many singles, eps and compilations. His guitar playing created a relentless sound of firey down stokes and powerchords that was easily identifiable.
Post- Meanies he released one record with The Oxymorons before deteriorating health forced an early retirement.
So today if you've got an old Meanies record - Play it loud.
R.I.P. Dennis
10% wierd
that's fucked....vale DD
puts on Come'n'See at extremely volume
I remember countless occasions seeing The Meanies with dudewolf when we were in highschool. I wonder if he still has all the 7'''s.
RIP DD.
sad day indeed. RIP.
I'm very sad to hear this. I met DD at a mutual friend's place once and he struck me as a lovely feller. And a way-cool muso.
Rockin' in heaven.
Some of my early gig memories are watching the Meanies at such events as Rock Against Work at the Tote.
oh, what sadness. thanks for the gigs DD. RIP.
thanks for letting us know monkeyman. a sad day.
too young. poor dd meanie.
rip
Very sad.
i find it difficult to know what to say except fare well and thanks for all the fish
xxx
very sad news, i'll certainly give 10% Weird a spin tonight in honour
xx
RAMBOMANIA and STEVE SEX GOD for me. maybe GANGRENOUS.
Wow, I had no idea. I used to sneak out of home to see The Meanies when I was a young 'un.
Vale DD.
Hope you've found peace DD.
shit, I knew he wasn't well, but this is sad
RIP Dennis
that's very sad news. gangrenous was my teenage anthem
fark, that sucks arse. Vale, duder.
just found out
horrible news
I should have guessed there was a thread.
Meanies @ MCG hotel is quite possibly the first gig I remember sneaking into and getting drunk
Thanks DD
RIP DD Meanie.
DD would have been so happy and proud to know that many people cared for him and his music. Thank you for your comments, everyone.
Thanks monkeyman for letting everyone know. I totally agree with everything that you've said. Dennis was an inspiration to non-able bodied people everywhere. Despite his struggles, he managed to pump out great music. He will be sadly missed by those of us who loved him.
thanks DD
my favorite band when i was 16
the meanies were never quite as good after you were forced to leave
the last time I saw DD play with the Meanies was in Jan 1986 - just got back from the UK the day before and the Meanies were supporting the Celibate Rifles at Waves in the Gong + Reef + The Tomorrow People + others I've since forgot
anyways, the Meanies started in their usual blistering form and Linky's going mental as usual all over the place and I don't think it was two or three songs into the set when Link does a daisycutter and takes down DD who promptly takes off his guitar and says fuck you cunts I quit or similar, after a bit, I think it was Wally who takes the mic and says thanks, I think that was our last gig, see ya's !!
I was jetlagged and half tanked and didn't know whether to laugh or cry
It was the last time I saw the Meanies with DD and about the second or third last time I saw DD play after then
still sad about him going tho I think he's outta his pain now tho
1996 that is
oops
yeah.. sad to find this out on Friday night
from the meanies website
I first met DD when answering an ad to play drums in the Meanies – he said on the phone he was from Adelaide – my first impression was that he looked like he was a short version of an Exploding White Mice band member. He had the long hair, red flanny and connies – not sure if he had much else in his wardrobe.
Have great memories of hanging with DD, Link, Dave (first bass player) and Wally at Lambert st in Richmond, DD’s house. Rehearsals often merged into talking crap, which Dennis was very good at. He watched way too much SBS political shows. The song Big Bertha, a song about the weird lady living next door in Lambert st, will always bring back visions of DD, Tony et al and that grotty hallway.
Like DD Ramone, he will have a special place in the band having played in the key years when the band developed both its sound and following. He played with and became a great colleague of many Australian Bands – Headache, Hard-ons, Root Beer, Cosmic Phsychos etc. He also played with Nirvana, shared beers with Pearl Jam. (still remember Eddie Vedder putting a hard hat on DD’s head to protect him from Links mic that was flying around) and smoozed with other international bands such as Beastie Boys and Lemon Heads.
With the challenge of dealing with muscular dystrophy, he still managed to tour and see the world – Japan, few times to Europe, The States. Must have been tough going for him at times, being restricted in mobility. Poor bloke got stuck on the 8th(?) floor when we got holed up in Hamburg for a week before a tour – no elevators, only stair! He generally accepted his lot and enjoyed the experiences that many musicians would envy. He watched pixilated porn in Japan, spoke to fans in Italian when in Italy and enjoyed the sites of Berlin.
Once, after a few local beers in Holland, a girl DD had picked up from the front bar offered him a ride home on her bicycle. DD ended up on the road and attracted a few serious looking policemen. Was great the way the band rallied around to not only ensure DD wasn’t arrested, but made sure he got to his intended destination!
Touring could be full on – crowded vans, long drives, no sleep. DD could be grumpy bugger on the road, god bless him. But he was always a good shotgun passenger when driving the long legs – he wouldn’t shut up!, so you wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel.
As a guitar player, DD always put in. He was no guitar wizard – he was always telling our lighting girl/bloke to turn more lights on so he could see the dots on his guitar. But DD would always put in a solid performance regardless of his surroundings - stage divers knocking mics into him, avoiding Link, or falling into drink riders - he wouldn’t miss a beat.
DD will be missed by the Meanies and other Bands he has played with. He was a good friend to many. He was immensely proud of his achievements and it gave him great joy to talk about the “good days” like some old retired rocker. Have no doubt that he inspired a heap of kids to join a daggy punk rock band and be cool. I’m sure he is swapping tour/gig stories with the other DD.
Ringo
That's a nice piece by Ringo.
D.D. was very happy and proud that the doco '100% weird' got made.
He also told me that watching the Howard Government lose on election night was ''One of the best nights of my life''.
I wouldn't play fast music if it wasn't for the meanies - the only band I ever wrote the name of on my school books. R.I.P