Last May, Dead Pioneers, the indigenous punk rock band from Denver, played their debut headline London gig at The Dome in North London. Over two albums – their self-titled debut in 2023 and ‘PO$T AMERICAN’ from earlier this year - the band have concocted a unique blend of politically charged spoken word, hypnotic post-rock and punk roots that really came alive within the sweat drenched walls of The Dome.
This first London appearance was such an important show for the band that Ron Rom Scalpello, the film maker and music journalist who started his career at seventeen years old working for legendary English music paper Sounds, wanted to document the event. Among many other creative works, Ron has directed many music videos (including The Prodigy’s ‘Voodoo People’) and was the perfect person to capture this unique band at a pivitol point in their career.
“It felt like this was an important moment in the band’s trajectory,” explains Ron. “They had released two amazing albums and ‘PO$T AMERICAN’ was such a prescient, urgent album, it felt that their prestigious first London gig needed to be filmed as we are at a unique moment in time when freedom of speech is under intense pressure on both sides of the Atlantic. They are in the middle of the storm, unapologetically holding power to account and independent venues like the Dome have always been the natural home for grassroots counterculture to interrogate, explore and make us question the stories we are fed.
“I was brought up with alternative music with bold voices, like Gil Scott Heron, Public Enemy, Dead Kennedys, The Clash, Gang of Four, The Slits and The Specials, Rage Against The Machine who used punk, hip-hop, spoken word and ska to supply audiences with an education in dissent and encourage confidence to challenge class politics, power dynamics and the rapacious nature free market capitalism,” continues Ron. “Music, like books, was always a place for personal and political growth. They shape us, define us and challenge preconceived ideas around identity and your place in the world.”
Through interviews and live footage from the gig, “Everything Counts Presents Dead Pioneers Live From The Dome” really gets to the heart of the words and sounds that make Dead Pioneers so distinctive. Produced by Suji Naik and directed by Ron Rom Scalpello.
“We are thrilled to have been part of this short film with Ron,” says frontman Gregg Deal. “Ron reached out to Hassle Records about documenting our headlining show at The Dome. He had already connected with our music and its subject matter, and he was eager to capture that first London headliner in a sold-out room Downstairs at The Dome. We were honoured to have him and his crew there.
“This feels like the first of many moments of growth for Dead Pioneers, and we’re grateful to have shared it with Ron,” continues Gregg. “Documenting not only our performance but also our words — within this political and social movement, through a cultural and Indigenous lens — is something deeply meaningful to us. As we continue to find our voice, we also find action, healing, support, and compassion through this medium of music. Ron’s care and thoughtfulness, both in his documentation and in his interview questions, were essential to capturing this moment — and we’re truly humbled by his work.”
