The*Ga*Ga's talk about rock and roll, embarrassing moments, and soiled cuddly toys.....
First off, how has the tour been so far? Are you enjoying it?
J: It's been great, very cool.
Tommy: Yeah it's been cool. Unfortunately about 4 dates into the tour I did something to my back, I dunno whether I've slipped a disc or something or done something to a disc at the top of my spine, so I've been going back to London to go to an Osteopath to get it sorted. Apart from that, the drugs and alcohol are great... and the tour, the tour's good too!
Your name, is there any particular story behind it, any particular reason why you chose it?
Tommy: There's not really a story behind it. Originally I wanted to call the band The Go Go's not realising there was already a Go Go's so I changed the letters around. We sat and discussed it, we just wanted something that had a nice family vibe about it and sounded like a gang. The Ga Ga's fitted that and we just felt comfortable with it. So many people hated it, but then they heard the band and they were like 'Great name!'. So it's the music that makes the band, not the name that makes the band.
Do you think that your recent support slot with Kelly Osbourne has helped to bring you to the attention of a different 'type' audience than you yourselves might otherwise have attracted, and if so, do you think this is a good thing?
Tommy: Yeah I mean any audience is a good audience really. The idea that you wouldn't want to sell records or appeal to a certain market is kind of weird to me as for me the whole point of making music is to get as many people as possible to hear what you're doing. I want to share it with as many people as possible. Some people might not think it's cool to support Kelly Osbourne but I dont care. What was it like touring with Kelly?
Tommy: It was really cool, we didn't know what to expect, it was very last minute. We didn't know what to expect from the audience, whether they'd like us or not but what it's done for the website traffic and the vibe around the band is amazing. To be able to even drop that name when we're talking to people, it's a fucking good thing for us.
What is your favourite song of yours and why?
J: 'The Real World', it's a great song and I love playing it.
Tommy: Probably the one I haven't written yet! I don't know, I like all the songs for different reasons. I think 'Left Of Centre' is probably my current favourite to play live.
Rob: 'Sex', because it's a dirty song
Toshi: 'Sex', because it's got my bass solo!
Your video was recently #1 on Scuzz TV,is it strange seeing yourself on tv and your adverts in magazines?
Tommy:It was weird seeing it for the first time on TV.
Rob: Even to see the name flash up on the bottom of the screen was funny.
Tommy: Now we're just fucking sick of it! Do you watch it or do you turn it off?
J: I watched it once and that was it!
Tommy: Looks embarrassed. I usually watch it.... It was #1 then went to #6 but now it's #2 which is cool
What has been your most embarrassing moment?
Tommy: I felt like a right proper cock when I fell over onstage at the Kelly O show at Manchester. Right at the end of the gig, there were two monitors either side of me. One of them had a foam grill on it so it wasn't slippery, I'd knocked a bottle of water over earlier so it was slippery everywhere. I stood on the monitor and I was fine. Right at the end of the gig, I stood on the other monitor but that had a metal grill on it, which I didn't realise and I just went arse over tit with the guitar in the air! Stood up in front of 1200 people like that was really cool wasn't it!
Toshi: At Manchester gig, I was trying to climb up the PA, my trousers ripped right off at the back, thank god I was wearing black underpants so noone noticed but I was thinking "Oh shit!".
What were your best and worst gigs?
J: Last night was one of our best gigs.
Tommy: Yeah, last night at Carlisle was fucking amazing. None of us were expecting it, but everyone went mad. My favourite show to play was here at rock city for Kelly O.
Rob: I think the worst show not just playing wise but for the fact that whatever could go wrong, did, was at The Metro the other week, our gear just fell apart.
J: My ride stand snapped halfway through, two cymbals broke.
Tommy: I didn't enjoy one of the gigs in Holland. We were up the night before partying until stupid hours, but then the next night at the venue there was all this shit with the local bands and stuff and it was just a really weird town.
Where do you get inspiration for your songs from?
Tommy: Anywhere and nowhere really. The most random times really! A lot of time I'll be lying in bed and stuff will pop into my head, words and melodies, sometimes whole songs that I'll just have to go downstairs and record. It's also whenever I have any emotional high or low it's my outlet to do it and it makes myself feel better. It's just something I feel I have to do.
What would you say is The*Ga*Ga's manifesto?
J: Rock and fucking roll!
Tommy: That'll do, rock and fucking roll. Die young. It's just rock and roll, you're not reinventing the wheel!
There are a lot of people on your message board, the section where fans can ask you questions is particularly popular. How does it feel to have people wanting to know every detail of your life, for example some of the questions have been of a fairly personal nature?
Tommy: Initially it pissed me off as it's not why I did this, I did it as I loved playing music and I didn't think it was relevant but then I remembered how I wanted to know every last thing about my favourite bands that I was into. I ajusted to it pretty quick, treat everyone with the courtesy that I'd like to be treated with by my favourite bands.
J: There are certain questions that are intrusive but it's a part of it
What was it like making the video for breaking america?
Rob: Long.
Toshi: Surrounded by cocks!
Tommy: It was a long day, we went the night before to where our gears stored to find that it was shut, so we had to go back the next morning at some ridiculous time to get it all. We got to the shoot and most of the rider that had been laid out had been eaten by these lackies!
Rob:There was this one scene we didnt use, in the intro and outro there was this idea to shoot it in this big warehouse then zoom in on the band into this black room.
Toshi: In a carpark!
Tommy: Next to a gas cylinder!
Rob: It had been raining all day, so whenever there was a break we had to run out and do it, get it done before it gets dark!. The cameraman was in the boot of this Ford Ka, Tommy nearly broke Toshi's nose trying to start the generator!
J: Left my stand back at the studio!
Rob: Running out of light turning carlights on so they could see us.
Tommy: We got there in the end thought and it looks like it's paid off!
Which do you prefer then, performing live, recording in the studio, or filming videos?
Toshi: Live
Rob: Live definitely.
J: Live for me definitely.
Tommy: I'm a studio rat.....
Rob: Goddamn!
Tommy: I love it all... actually no I hate videos, videos can fuck off. I dunno, I love live but I really love studio as well. For arguments sake I'll say live so I don't get beaten up later!
Describe yourselves individually in three words.
Rob: Smoked pancake. laughs
Toshi: Rock and Roll.
Tommy: Oh god...
Rob: That's two...
Tommy: Man! Come back to me on that! I don't know if I can be condensed into three words...
J: Stoned, funny, rock!
What are the best and worst things about being in a band?
Tommy: Being in a band with my best friends! To know you're going onstage every night with them, and to know that if I'm having a bad show it doesn't matter 'cos they're there.
Rob: The worst thing is the amount of spare time you've got on your hands, just waiting all the time, all the build up just for the half hour you go onstage.Resist the temptation of alcohol!
Tommy: Groupies, thats always a good one! laughs
If you could tour with any band, past or present, who would choose?
Tommy: Stone Temple Pilots personally.
J: Alice In Chains for me.
Do you ever worry that people will concentrate more on your image than on the music?
Tommy: Not at all because I don't really care. Once the music's out there and the photos are out there we can't control it. We hope they'll like it, if they don't, fuck off!
Have you received any strange presents or requests from fans yet?
Rob: I received a stained, soiled cuddly dog.
Tommy: It was Snoopy wasn't it? I got this bracelet from a girl called Julia at a gig.
Toshi: I got the same one.
J: There were two girls were quite adamant that they wanted to see my package, in the hotel lobby!
Tommy: Those two girls in Peterborough....
J: The odd requests of "please sleep with me! Marry me!"
Tommy: At Manchester we were signing and this dude came up to me, he had long hair, he was absolutely crying his eyes out and just went, "What conditioner do you use!?!". Herbal Essences.
J: Nice plug there!
Finally, What are your ambitions for the band, what do hope to have achieved by this time next year?
Tommy: To have a record out. The aim of this tour is to generate interest from record companies. We can't wait to make a record. Hopefully we'll either be on a tourbus or in a studio for the rest of our lives!
Toshi: Coooooool!.
