an interview with
TOMMY from THE GA-GA's!!!...
1. HEY GUYS, WHO ARE YOU AND HOW ARE THINGS ROCKING?
WE ARE THE*GA*GA*S � TOMMY, TOSHI, ROB AND J AND THINGS ARE ROCKING LIKE A MONKEY WITH ITS KNACKERS ON FIRE!
2. YOU'RE A MULTI-CULTURAL ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND. HOW DID YOU ALL MEET AND HOW COME YOU'RE PLAYING THE HIGH-ENERGY MUSIC YOU ARE?...
I (TOMMY) MET J THROUGH AN ADVERT THAT I PLACED IN THE MUSIC PRESS. IT SAID �ROCK STAR DRUMMER REQUIRED�. WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT J WAS THAT ROCK STAR. WE THEN RAN THE SAME AD FOR BASS PLAYERS, BUT NOTHING CAME THROUGH. I TOOK A DAY OFF AND WENT TO THE DISTORTION FESTIVAL IN NOTTINGHAM WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO GINGER FROM THE WILDHEARTS. HE PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH TOSHI WITH WHOM HE HAD WORKED IN A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES. I ACTUALLY LOST HIS NUMBER, BUT MIRACULOUSLY BUMPED INTO GINGER ON DENMARK STREET A WEEK OR SO LATER AND HE HOOKED ME UP AGAIN. A FEW DAYS LATER, TOSHI SWAGGERED INTO THE REHERSAL STUDIO AND BLEW J AND I AWAY. WE THEN PLAYED TOGETHER, WRITING AND JAMMING AND GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER WHILST SIMULTANIOUSLY AUDITONING GUITAR PLAYERS. IT ACTUALLY TOOK US 5 MONTHS TO FIND ROB. HE WAS PLAYING IN A BAND BASED IN THE MIDLANDS THAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT THROUGH A FRIEND. I JUMPED ON A TRAIN AND WENT TO SEE THEM PLAY, AND WAS ONCE AGAIN BLOWN AWAY. ROB WAS FRONTING THE BAND TOO, WHICH MEANT HE WAS A REAL CONFIDENT SINGER. HE CAME DOWN TO LONDON AFTER LEARNING SOME TRACKS WE HAD DEMOED AND WE JUST KNEW THIS WAS THE MISSING LINK. I GUESS THE HIGH-ENERGY COMES FROM US BEING SO HUNGRY TO MAKE THIS THE BIGGEST ROCK BAND ON THE PLANET. WE CAN HAVE OUR PIPE AND SLIPPERS MOMENTS SOMETIMES TOO, THOUGH. IT�S GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
3. IN LIGHT OF YOUR SINGLE 'BREAKING AMERICA,' DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANY CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING?
YES. WTHOUT A DOUBT. I THINK WE ARE THE FIRST BAND TO COME OUT OF THE U.K IN A LONG TIME WHO CAN SHOW THE AMERICANS HOW TO PLAY ROCK N ROLL AGAIN.
4. DO YOU ENJOY TOURING THE TOILET VENUES OF THE UK?
IT�S BEEN GREAT TO TAKE OUR MUSIC TO ALL THESE PLACES ON THE TOUR, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE SIZE (OR SMELL) OF THE VENUE. OBVIOUSLY IT FEELS GREAT TO PLAY BIG SHOWS IN FRONT OF SCREAMING CROWDS, BUT THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL ASPECTS TO THE INTIMACY OF THE VENUES WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING. IF WE HAVE TO CONQUER THE WORLD ONE PERSON AT A TIME, SO BE IT. WE BELIEVE IN IT THAT MUCH.
5. YOU'VE DONE SOME DATES WITH KELLY OSBOURNE. DID YOU GET ON, OR DID THE OSBOURNE EGO PRECEDE HER?...
THE KELLY � O SHOWS WERE GREAT. WE DIDN�T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WE SHOWED UP FOR THOSE GIGS. NOT SO MUCH FROM KELLY BUT FROM HER AUDIENCE. AS IT TURNED OUT WE STORMED THE PLACE EVERY NIGHT AND MADE A LOT A NEW FRIENDS WHICH DID WONDERS FOR BUILDING OUR FAN BASE. KELLY WAS GREAT TOO. SHE TOOK THE TIME TO COME AND INTRODUCE HERSELF AND CAME OUT TO WATCH OUR SET ON TWO OCCASIONS. PLUS SHE�S REALLY CUTE; ALTHOUGH THE BAND ARE GONNA KILL ME FOR SAYING THAT.
6. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OTHER ROCK 'N' ROLL BANDS IN BRITAIN AND THE WORLD AT LARGE RIGHT NOW?
BANDS LIKE THE DARKNESS, LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM, HAVE AT LEAST OPENED ANOTHER DOOR FOR BANDS LIKE US TO COME THROUGH AND LEAVE THEM HOLDING THE KNOB. THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT MUSIC OUT THERE, AND A LOT OF SHIT MUSIC TOO. BUT THE ONE THING THE WORLD IS REALLY LACKING IS TRUE ROCK STARS FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM. THE ONLY GUYS OUT THERE THAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE PROPER ROCK STARS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AGES. THE WORLD NEEDS SOME NEW BLOOD. IT NEEDS NEW GUYS TO COME ALONG WITH SOME NEW SHAPES AND IDEAS. HOPEFULLY THE*GA*GA*S ARE WHAT EVERYONE NEVER KNEW THEY ALWAYS WANTED.
7. RELEASE-WISE, WHAT HAVE WE SO FAR MISSED AND WHAT IS UPCOMING?
OUR DEBUT RELEASE IS A THREE TRACK E.P THAT CAME OUT ON AUGUST 11th. IT�S CALLED �BREAKING AMERICA� AND IT�S JUST A TASTER OF WHAT WE ARE DOING. I WRITE ALL THE TIME AND WE ARE WRITING MORE AND MORE AS A BAND, SO THERE�S NEVER A SHORTAGE OF MATERIAL. AS SOON AS WE HAVE A DEAL IN PLACE, WE WILL PLAN MORE RELEASES, POSSIBLY SINGLES OR AN E.P AND THEN A RECORD SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.
8. GIG-WISE, WHERE'S OUR BEST BET OF SEEING YOU AS AUTUMN 2003 NEARS?
WE ARE JUST WRAPPING UP A MONTH LONG U.K TOUR, SO THERE ARE NO MORE GIGS CONFIRMED YET, BUT AS SOON AS WE HAVE COME BACK DOWN TO EARTH WE CAN PLAN SOME MORE SHOWS. WE WANT TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SO THERE WILL ALWAYS BE LIVE PERFORMANCES OR NEW MUSIC AVAILABLE FOR AS LONG AS WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
9. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO TELL US OR TO PLUG?
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.THEGAGAS.COM AND JOIN THE FAMILY ON THE MESSAGE BOARD. IT�S THE BASIS OF OUR FAN COMMUNITY AND WE ARE ON THERE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE ANSWERING EVERYONES QUESTIONS AND HANGING OUT. APART FROM THAT, I�D JUST LIKE TO SAY DON�T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ IN THE PRESS, PARTICULARLY REVIEWS. LISTEN WITH AN OPEN HEART AND MAKE YOUR OWN MIND UP :O)
Oh yeh!!!... www.thegagas.com