Ben Weinman: Dillinger lyrics are about me and Greg Puciato

Ben Weinman
Insane submissions: Ben Weinman

The Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman believes most of Greg Puciato’s lyrics on their recent albums have been about their co-dependent creative relationship.

The band are gearing up to release sixth record Dissociation before they split up after a final world tour, and Puciato has stated that the imminent split didn’t influence his songwriting.

Now Weinman tells Loudwire: “I didn’t write the lyrics. But to be honest, I think most of the last few records have to do with the tug and pull of me and Greg.

“We rely on each other to step up so much. We make our living off each other’s output and the decisions we make. If he does something it affects me – if I do something it affects him.

“Co-dependence falls upon couples, work partners, friends. Everyone has these deals where you tug and pull.”

He describes his relationship with Puciato as “the ultimate co-dependency” and adds: “We also enjoy the outcome and the process so much. We’re really close.”

But he observes: “Brothers want to kill each other!”

Weinman, the band’s only remaining original member, has also recalled the public auditions that led to Puciato’s recruitment in 2001, after the departure of Dimitri Minakakis.

“We asked people to submit a file – we sent an instrumental and said, ‘Send us a file with your singing on.’

“I don’t know what we did with them, but some of those submissions were insane. One person rapped over it, one person was screaming, one person was just full death metal. He even said in the note, ‘I’ve never heard your band, I just like your record label.’ He was laughing over it.

“Greg’s sounded amazing – it was like, ‘he’s our only choice!’”

Dissociation is released on October 14. The Dillinger Escape Plan tour North America, the UK and Europe in the coming months, with further dates to be added to the schedule below.

The Dillinger Escape Plan tour dates

Sep 16: Chicago Douglas Park, IL
Oct 12: Baltimore Soundstage, MD
Oct 13: Providence Fete Music Hall, RI
Oct 14: Poughkeepsie Chance Theater, NY
Oct 15: New York Webster Hall, NY
Oct 17: Pontiac Crofoot Ballroom, MI
Oct 18: Cleveland House Of Blues, OH
Oct 19: Indianapolis Vogue, IN
Oct 20: Sauget Pop’s Nightclub, IL
Oct 21: Lawrence Granada, KS
Oct 22: Denver Marquid Theater, CO
Oct 23: Salt Lake City Urban Lounge, UT
Oct 25: Seattle El Corazon, WA
Oct 26: Portland Dante’s, OR
Oct 27: Berkeley UC Theatre, CA
Oct 28: San Diego Brick By Brick, CA
Oct 30: Los Angeles Regent, LA
Oct 31: Phoenix Marquee, AZ
Nov 01: El Paso Tricky Falls, TX
Nov 03: San Antonio Paper Tiger, TX
Nov 04: Dallas Trees, TX
Nov 05: Austin Sound On Sound Festival, TX
Nov 06: Houston White Oak Music Hall, TX
Nov 07: New Orleans Southport Hall, LA
Nov 09: Ft Lauderdale Revolution, FL
Nov 11: Atlanta Variety Playhouse, GA
Nov 13: Knoxville Concourse, TN
Nov 15: Philadelphia Union Transfer, PA
Nov 16: Boston Paradise Rock Club, MA
Nov 17: Burlington Club Metronome, MT
Nov 18: Huntington Paramount, NY
Nov 19: Hartford Webster, CT
Jan 18: Norwich Waterfront, UK
Jan 19: Glasgow QMU, UK
Jan 20: Manchester Academy 2, UK
Jan 21: Nottingham Rock City, UK
Jan 22: Birmingham The Institute, UK
Jan 23: Cardiff Tramshed, UK
Jan 25: London O2 Forum, UK
Jan 26: Brighton Concorde 2, UK
Jan 27: Tilburg 013, Netherlands
Jan 28: Amsterdam Melkweg, Netherlands
Jan 30: Hamburg Markthalle, Germany
Jan 31: Odense Muiskhuset Posten, Denmark
Feb 01: Arhus Voxhall, Denmark
Feb 02: Oslo Rockefeller, Norway
Feb 04: Helsinki Tavastia, Finland
Feb 05: Tampere Klubi, Finland
Feb 07: Stockholm Debaser Strand, Sweden
Feb 08: Gothenburg Pustervik, Sweden
Feb 09: Copenhagen Pumpehuset, Denmark
Feb 10: Berlin Columbia Theatre, Germany
Feb 11: Warsaw Stodola, Poland
Feb 12: Krakrow Kwadrat, Poland
Feb 14: Leipzig Conne Island, Germany
Feb 15: Prague Rock Cafe, Czech Republic
Feb 16: Vienna Szene, Austria
Feb 17: Budapest A38, Hungary
Feb 18: Zagreb Culture Factory, Croatia
Feb 20: Munich Backstage Halle, Germany
Feb 21: Lausanne Les Docks, Switzerland
Feb 22: Turin Hiroshima Mon Amour, Italy
Feb 23: Bologna Zona Roveri, Italy
Feb 24: Lyon L’Epicerie Moderne, France
Feb 25: Barcelona Apolo, Spain
Feb 26: Madrid Barcelo, Spain
Feb 28: Toulouse Le Bikini, France
Mar 01: Paris Le Trabendo, France
Mar 02: Strasbourg La Laiterie, France
Mar 03: Wiesbaden Schlachthof, France
Mar 04: Cologne Gloria, Germany
Mar 05: Brussels AB Ballroom, Belgium

Dillinger Escape Plan reflect on chaotic past

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Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.