Upper [Duc d'Istortion] Crust


His Dukeness The Duc d'Istortion has the distinction of being the only member of the Upper Crust whose name is used in the lyrics of one of their songs!

In the song "Minuet," Lord Rockingham sings that he's "gonna dance like Dave Fredette." Well, it turns out that Rockingham is referring to none other than the Duc himself. Dave has been playing in bands since at least the mid '80s, when he was in the Oysters. (Click on the covers below to see larger images of the front or back covers; 47k and 37k, respectively.)
Oysters Front Cover Oysters Back Cover
Later, he joined forces with with Lord Bendover -- first in the Titanics and then the Satanics before the two of them hooked up with the rest of the band in the Clamdiggers.

Dave plays the guitar like nobody's business; he truly belongs in the pantheon of Guitar Gods. He attacks his instrument as if it were trying to kill him, playing with a fervor unmatched even by his peers in the Crust, especially during the Lord Rockingham composition "Beauty Spot." Another high point of the band's live shows -- and of The Decline and Fall -- is Dave's song "Highfalutin" and his dual-lead vocals with Lord Bendover on "Vulgar Tongue." Dave also sang the theme song for the Comedy Central special Town Hall, which aired in the Spring of '97.

His guitar sound is certainly one of the key reasons the Crust are often linked to AC/DC -- not that there's anything wrong with it. The artwork on the Upper Crust t-shirt is by Dave's brother Stephen, who is also a musician and was in the Boston band Scruffy The Cat (among others).

At last report, Dave's day job is working in a used bookstore.


[unwigged!]




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