Dicky Barrett
Interview by Clint from Shortfuse Records and James from Three Found Dead. It appeared in The Kids Will Have Their Say #1 in 1999
SSD, DYS, Jerry's Kids, Negative FX, Gang Green, F.U.'s, Deep Wound, The Freeze, just some of the names that come to mind when talking about early 80's Boston hardcore. What about fucking Impact Unit? Relatively unknown and definitely underrated. Songs such as "My Friend The Pit", "Regular Boys Haircut", and "Nightstalker" are every bit as classic as "Glue", "Wolfpack" and "This is Boston not LA". The following interview was conducted with Dicky Barret, one time Impact Unit vocalist and current singer for popular ska band, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, on Sunday 26th July 1998 at the Metro, Sydney. Present were Dicky, Clint and James Floor Justice. "MY FRIENDS, THE PIT, THAT'S ALL THAT I LIVE FOR!"
Clint - Who was in Impact Unit?
Dicky - Sam, a black kid from the toughest part of Boston, there was Julie, who is actually going out with our soundman, and he used to be the drummer for Slapshot. She was the drummer. Then there was Ross, who is now in charge of the biggest shopping mall in Boston, and me.
Clint - What motivated you to start the band, and what bands inspired you?
Dicky - I was in high school and I was really into the hardcore punk rock and the time, I liked going to see SSD, the F.U.'s, DYS, Jerry's Kids. I was a big part of that scene and Sam asked me if I wanted to start and band with him and I did.
Clint - And what was the scene like in Boston around then?
Dicky - It was the greatest scene ever. It was more unified than anything I have ever seen in my life. It was a hundred fucking guys all wearing leather jackets with bald heads and believing in the same thing, which was unity and brotherhood. We were hanging around, we lived together. There was 10 or 15 apartments and the guys from the scene all lived in different places.
Clint - Did you form the band with the intention of spreading a message or...
Dicky - Our main message was harmony, unity. Scene unity.
Clint - Were any of you guys straight edge at the time?
Dicky - No, there were enough straight edge bands. I was probably the only guy they let drink!
Clint - How long did Impact Unit last and what caused the band splitting?
Dicky - About 3 years, 6 shows, and 4 people. The band split because I wanted to start another band called The Cheapskates, more ska punk, not hardcore.
Clint - What brought about the 7" on Crucial Response records?
Dicky - We recorded it at Radiobeat and the guy who produced it, he went on to do a lot of other things.
Clint - Lou Gioradano?
Dicky - Lou Giordano. That's him.
Clint - Were there any other songs recorded?
Dicky - Just the six. That's all we could afford.
James - Do you get pissed off that Impact Unit are one of the last bands people think about when they think about Boston, yet they were the greatest?
Dicky - Oh nice of you to say that, but the scene is more important than the band. And it's fine with me 'cause I don't do things in my life to get attention or recognition, it happens inadvertently. I did it 'cause I believed in it and love doing it.
James - I just get annoyed...
Dicky - It's the type of thing that if everybody knew about it, that would get annoying too...
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