Violent Femmes - Horns of Dilemma

Horns of Dilemma

In many of their shows, Violent Femmes employed a horn section called the Horns of Dilemma. For many years, it consisted of Peter Balestrieri and Steve Mackay, from The Stooges, on saxophones, with Sigmund Snopek III on keyboards and various instruments. It was augmented by whatever musicians the band invited to play with them on a particular night. The band also employed local acquaintances, famous or otherwise, friends, relatives, or associates of the band. Instrumentation varied widely and included saxophones, trumpets, trombones, sousaphone, flute, clarinet, antique hunting horn, kazoo, and percussion. When the band played "Black Girls" or "Confessions", the only instructions given to the players were to play as freely and wildly as possible. The group did not back up the band in the way that a traditional horn section would; rather, they provided a free-form noise jam. Famous members included John Zorn, Dick Parry, Blaise Garza and The Dresden Dolls. Longtime band associates and employees who played with the Horns included soundman and Oil Tasters' saxophonist Caleb Alexander and manager Darren Brown of Boy Dirt Car and Texar. Additional Horns of Dilemma included John Sparrow, who played cajón box, multi-instrumentalist Jeff Hamilton on guitar, bass, mandolin, bass trumpet and harmonica, and saxophonist/biologist Robb Brumfield. Various bassists stood in for Ritchie during "Gone Daddy Gone", when he played xylophone, including audience members.