Sean: So
thanks to you guys for being here.Band: No problem.
Sean: If you could just introduce yourselves to the folks at home, tell ‘em who you are and what you play?
Ryan: My name’s Ryan; Mr. Bass.
Mike: Mike, I play rhythm guitar.
Anders: I’m Anders, I play drums.
Tommy: I’m Tommy, I, uh, sing (mostly).
Lance: Lance, on lead guitar. [Pause. Band laughter]
Band: Good job guys; sweet! Thanks! Goodnight! We’ll be here all week…
Sean: So tell me a little bit about you guys’ style – how would you classify yourselves?
Lance: Mad style, mad style.
Ryan: Mad dope style, I’d say.
Anders: Yeah, bordering on fly….Nah, just Punk Rock, we don’t try to be anything else. Just play music. I mean, we don’t try to be, like, a hardcore band, or a fuckin’ Oi! band or blah blah blah; we just write songs that we dig.
Lance: We try and bring the rock though, man.
Anders: Well we, you know, we bust out the rock a little bit.
Band: A little bit? C’mon now! Jesus Christ…
Anders: Hey, when I’m slappin’ my ballsac on the drums nobody’s complainin’!
Mike: That’s true…
Anders: Except my ballsac.
Mike: I mean, we just write songs, I mean all of us write so we have different styles mixing together. We all come from similar but different backgrounds, so it’s mixed together.
Sean: That’s actually a really good point, what are your backgrounds? I mean, I know you were in a couple different bands before this…
Mike: Yeah I was in All System Stop and Above and Beyond before that, which was like our little [chuckle] kid’s band where I met these guys, who were in Time Will Tell…at the time, that’s how basically we all know each other.
Band: Yup. Pretty much man.
Sean: So everybody comes from different bands then?
Mike: Yup. Definitely. Lance from uh…
Tommy: L.B. from the South
Mike: From below the Mason Dixon
Lance: That’s right.
Sean: From where?
Anders: Lance was in a Ska band! [Band laughter]
Lance: I was in a Ska band in New Orleans…
Tommy: Talk about that for a while! [Band laughs]
Lance: Well, I was the rudest of the rude! [more laughter]
Mike: Still is – literally!
Lance: (to Tommy) I actually saw someone wearing my band shirt last night at Silhouette, that was giving me some serious shit.
Anders: What band was that?
Lance: Can’t tell ya! [laughter]
Anders: Can’t Skel ya? [laughs]
Lance: From New Orleans…
Sean: So, uh, what do you guys usually like to write your songs about? Any particular theme you guys stick to?
Lance: Tom doesn’t really like to write the lyrics til the day of recording, I’m pretty sure. [laughs]
Tommy: I’m just that kinda guy! [Band laughs]
Ryan: It’s Tom, makin’ ‘em up as he goes…
Mike: And then when we go to record, he’s gotta write some songs…
Ryan: Do some brilliant writing in the 25 minutes he has…
Mike: On the car ride over…
Sean: (as Tom) “This song is for the cab driver who fucked me on the way over here!” [Band laughs]
Mike: Pretty much, yeah!
Sean: (as Tom) “I want my tip back!” Nice…
Anders: There’s no particular theme, some of ‘em are personal, depending on who write ‘em, some of ‘em are like – stories, I guess.
Lance: You’re doin’ a great job, here, Anders! [laughter]
Anders: Somebody’s gotta keep it real…
Sean: He’s the balance! Any particular favorite songs you guys have?
Mike: I wish there were! [band agreement]
Ryan: We have a couple of new new songs that we were diggin’ that he [Mike] wrote the lyrics, which really kicks ass.
Mike: Yeah we have one that I wrote, one that Anders wrote that we haven’t even started playing live yet, then we have a couple that we recorded for the 7 inch we played a few times…. “Outbound”, uh, “What About Me?”, Ryan’s first song that he wrote since he’s been in the band, which is a kick-ass song.
Lance: Even though Ryan wrote it. [laughter]
Ryan: Always the new guy…[Band laughs]
Sean: Still going through that initiation phase?
Ryan: It’s only been three or four years…
Sean: Have they stopped peeing on you yet?
Ryan: Yeah, that’s done with, thank god! No more peeing…
Anders: As far as the old stuff goes we only like what we wrote, personally – I only like the stuff that I wrote…[room busts into laughter]
Lance: Know any drummers? [laughter]
Mike: Me neither!
Anders: Them’s jokes, man, c’mon!
Sean: Alright, so, favorite album of all time? If you had to be trapped on a desert island with one album, what would it be?
[Room pauses]
Mike: Oh man…
Lance: How can we say that?
Anders: That’s the hardest question ever, man…
Ryan: It would have to be “La Bamba”. [laughter]
Tommy: I’d say Pogues, “Rum Sodomy & the Lash”.
Sean: Nice! I was just checkin’ that out the other day, it’s funny you should mention that! It’s a great album…
Ryan: I really don’t know, I couldn’t tell ya, there’s so many…
Sean: Any particular favorites?
Ryan: Uh, maybe something from the Clash.
Tommy: “Sandinista” would be good, fuckin’ as long as you were stranded…[laughter]
Ryan: If I was stranded, yeah, that would work out well, I guess! Any double album!! [band laughter]
Lance: Any discography you can get…
Ryan: Or boxed set! Preferably! I’ll pick ‘D’ All of the Above…
Anders: Dio?? [room laughs]
Ryan: Yeah! Dio!
Sean: Anybody else?
Mike: I’ve got, like, the top of every genre, but…
Lance: Pretty much anything I wrote…is good, and I wanna hear that [laughter].
Mike: Awesome Dance Mix Tape! [big laughs]
Anders: I will say, personally I find myself liking everything I’ve ever liked – more. You know how, you’re growing up, you go through phases, you know, you like this, you like this, you like this…now I just like everything.
Lance: Man, that’s fuckin’ deep, dude! [laughter]
Anders: I know, it’s….[laughs]
Ryan: There he goes again…
Anders: What do you want, man, I just woke up!!!
Lance: You’re doin’ a great job today!
Anders: Getting’ philosophical on your asses…
Lance: I was about to cry…
Mike: The albums that come to mind are like, Guns’n’Roses, Anthrax, Beastie Boys; but then there’s Sheer Terror, Sick Of It All, (interrupted) Misfits, all the genres from all the parts of my life.
Sean: That’s interesting that you’d say Guns’n’Roses, cause everybody seems to love them, there’s this whole Heavy Metal connection with Punk that I’ve personally never understood…
Mike: Well, I grew up in the Metal; I hit, I got to Metal before I got to Punk, it’s kind of how it lead me there, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Metallica, that kind of stuff…Ozzy & shit; and then I found, you know, harder metal, and it eventually led to punk rock and shit, so there’s definitely a love for it. Cuz I was actually there, but even in our scene I know what you mean, it seems like, no matter what, those 17 year-olds still like that album.
Sean: And it’s interesting, nobody ever covers Guns’n’Roses. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anybody play it…
Lance: Cuz it’s too fuckin’ hard to play! [laughter]
Anders: It’s Slash, man!
Lance: Except for me, you know, I rock those hidden tracks in there sometimes…
Tommy: Which song was that on?
Lance: I’m not telling! It’s on the 7 inch. Ben Whitesnake, man….
Anders: Free sticker if you find the lick…
(off camera) Win the t-shirt!
Lance: You’re lookin’ for a lick, huh? [laughter]
Anders: Hey hey, like I said, I just woke up man, my dick is hard! [room groans]
Sean: Alright, interview’s over! [laughter] What’s the best show you guy’s have ever played?
Anders: Cock Sparrer.
Lance: You think so? I don’t think so...
Tommy: See, I don’t know about that…down in Virginia, that show with the Twisters, that was fun!
Mike: Well that depends, it depends…I mean, highlight of shows, I guess, not necessarily best show…
Tommy: Dream show, Cock Sparrer, no doubt about that.
Mike: Right, that’s I think more the case. Biggest show we ever play was, uh, D.C. Hardcore Fest.
Tommy: Yeah, that was fun.
Mike: Yeah, that was great, we got a great reaction out of a thousand people there. But then there’s like, yeah, like you said we headlined down in Virginia that one time, people like running all over the stage, jumping all over, singing all the songs,
Tommy: Straight-edge kids pouring beer on each other… [laughter]
Lance: People stabbing babies…
Tommy: [laughs] Yeah!
Lance: Wild dogs running in the streets…
Sean: It’s like being back home.
Anders: Any show where people aren’t uptight and fuckin’ just rock out – is awesome.
Lance: So basically you mean anytime we play out of town? [laughter] Did I say that??
Anders: No comment…
Mike: Where was that, Salem, recently?
Ryan: This is gonna be edited, right?
Tommy: That was good, dude, Salem was awesome!
Sean: Ah, no, this is gonna be one of those spur of the moment type things.
Mike: I mean we just played a little show in Salem recently…
Tommy: Yeah, that was good…
Lance: What was Salem?
Mike: Salem was that show with Out Cold, and…
Lance: Oh yeah, that wasn’t Salem, that was Haverhill.
Mike: Was it Haverhill?
Lance: Yeah?
Mike: Thought we played Salem.
Lance: We dig Salem, too, though you know!
Mike: No we played there, though.
Ryan: Salem was a bad show…
Lance: Salem was a bad show…someone drank a lot of whiskey before that show…[looks around the room]
Tommy: Me…Mike? Salem? [laughter]
Mike: You don’t even remember that show! [laughs]
Lance: That and I always like playing with big straight-edge bands, cause the kids love us!
Band: Yeah…
Ryan: All three of ‘em.
Stu: Anything special about Massachusetts shows that you like or dislike?
Anders: When they’re great, they’re great, when they’re not, they’re not.
Ryan: Well said.
Anders: Yeah, thanks.
Lance: More deep fuckin’ thoughts, from Anders.
Stu: Oh yeah! [laughter]
Sean: I’m curious, there’s a question that really kind of popped in my mind this morning, and I think it’s actually coming around full circle now is – where do you guys think the punk scene is at right now?
Lance: In Boston? Dead.
Sean: Totally?
Lance: Lot of good bands, nowhere to play, don’t you think?
Tommy: That is the problem, no doubt about that.
Mike: There’s definitely good bands around but…
Lance: But they don’t even play…
Mike: But that’s the thing though; a lot of the bands they’re tough to get ‘em to commit, tough to get ‘em to play, they don’t play that often…
Ryan: A lot of ‘em are lazy bastards! [laughter]
Tommy: Back out at the last minute and shit of playing…
Mike: Seriously, I mean, we set up shows, we try to play as much as we can, we try to go out of town, which a lot of bands don’t do. I mean you should at least try to get out of here…I mean we’re trying to spread out, we went to Columbus, Pittsburgh, go down to Virginia and stuff. I mean, we’re at least trying to get out there…make a name for ourselves, you know, whereas a lot of bands don’t go anywhere, they just sit here and barely even play.
Sean: Now because you guys travel do you see the same thing in the other cities that you’re going to?
Tommy: No.
Sean: Everybody else is giving it everything they’ve got?
Tommy: They go nuts at shows…
Mike: A lot of times, not every time necessarily but…
Tommy: Fair enough, yeah
Mike: Definitely different scenes. Uh, New York’s a real, real hardcore scene, like we were in Upstate New York, not even New York City, and uh, they knew us cause we were on the Slapshot tribute and stuff, and it’s just that kind of scene – there’s a lot of kids that came out, they all got into it no matter what…whereas in Boston a lot of times, like, people only come to see the band they came to see, then they kind of take off or whatever…they’re hard to impress.
Anders: Boston’s got so many bands and so many like, so many punk bands, so many different styles of punk bands that its, it’s almost so diversified that it kinda spoils itself in a way…
Mike: I totally agree with that.
Anders: You know, it’s just, its almost like Nashville is to country, it’s almost like punk is to Boston. There’s just so many bands…and there’s no real…
Lance: But we’re not bitter! [laughter]
Anders: But we’re not bitter, I mean, you know. It’s just when we go out of town, you know, when there’s that much there…there’s no, really, like, you know…
Sean: Do you think the spirit’s still there?
Anders: I think it definitely exists. I think it’s a little hidden now. You know, I think it goes like that [arms up and down]…goes up and down…every once in a while, like, the streetpunk thing, in the 90’s really went like ugn! [raising arms up], and then Boston was huge again. And we still have great bands, and great people and stuff, it’s just a little spread and kind of weird…
Mike: A lot of it is loss of clubs…
Anders: And loss of clubs, exactly.
Mike: Cause it’s hard to do all ages shows, so now we’re playing O’Brien’s, which is a good club, but now we’re looking for a 21+ rock scene kinda crowd, and they’re like, they’re just a different scene.
Sean: That’s actually interesting that you bring that up, cause I’ve been talking with Kristen Bennett of Suspect Device and she’s running into the same thing, she’s been trying to set up all ages shows all over the place. Like the guy that set up the show tonight that got cancelled with Blood for Blood, um, the Peasants, I think his name’s Pete, the guy that’s in the Peasants set that up, but it’s like, how do you get connections like that? I mean, it’s at the VFW in Southie…
Lance: And you can guarantee that it would never happen again if it had gone on tonight.
Mike: Yeah, that’s true.
Lance: Kids would’ve gotten in and been like, pissin’ on each other’s heads, and fuckin’ drinkin’ Robitussin…[laughter] fuckin’ smoking crack in the hallways and all kinds of shit…
Anders: Listening to Ska…[laughter]
Lance: What the hell’s that mean?
Anders: [laughing] I’m just joking…
Lance: Dick.
Sean: Now, uh, I did a little, uh, did a little bit of research and I was out on TKO’s website, and I was looking at tour dates and getting some information on different bands and stuff, and I checked out Slaughter & the Dogs and their tour dates, and you’re playing with them, in Providence, on the 16th – them and the Beltones and Toxic Narcotic. How did that come about?
Lance: Cause we rule? Is that it?
Sean: That’s gonna be an awesome show!
Mike: Basically the show…
Anders: It’s another dream show, I’ll tell you that much…
Mike: Yeah, no kiddin’, that’s another one to put on the list with Cock Sparrer.
Lance: Moreso the Beltones than anything, you know?
Tommy: Yeah, Beltones are awesome!
Mike: Basically, they tried to get a show in Boston, and they were having trouble booking a club, and after a while they finally went to Bill Narcotic, and um, he runs our label, so he got them on the show, and got us on the show, basically and he set up the show down in Providence. So he got the date, you know made it happen, did all the negotiations that were necessary, and we were lucky enough to get thrown on the show.
Sean: And that’s just gonna be a huge show.
Tommy: That’s gonna be sick!
Sean: That’s gonna sell out.
Anders: Slaughter & the Dogs rule!
Tommy: You should tape that show, man.
Sean: Which guys are you, uh, most looking forward to playing with? Or checking out?
Lance: Beltones.
Ryan: Beltones.
Tommy: That’s a tough one, the Beltones are pretty good.
Lance: The Beltones!
Anders: I think both Beltones and Slaughter & the Dogs for me.
Lance: Slaughter & the Dogs are one of my all-time favorites.
Ryan: Yeah, definitely.
Lance: And the Beltones.
Ryan: And the Beltones!
Sean: And by the way, the Beltones…
Ryan: We might be playing with the Beltones, in Providence…[laughter] that’s what I hear…
Lance: So maybe they’ll see this interview and give us a free t-shirt!
Ryan: At cost, probably. Like maybe the ones they were supposed to send two years ago…
Lance: Oh yeah, that’s right!
Tommy: They did send us some 7 inches, though.
Sean: So what’s next for you guys? What’s going on in the world of Tommy & the Terrors?
Mike: Well, we’re, uh, we’re in the studio now, trying to, uh, finish up a few tracks, and then we’re gonna like, try to shop ‘em for a, try to get a full-length, send ‘em out to a few labels, see if we can get someone to, uh, pay for it!
Sean: Beautiful.
Ryan: Take it from there.
Sean: You’re putting “On the Avenue” on there, right?
Mike: Yeah, that’s on there. That’s actually…[band mumbles]
Sean: That’s just such a great song…
Tommy: Thanks!
Anders: It’s a new 7 inch, it’s coming out [soon].
Sean: I don’t know what it is about that track, but it’s the one tune that I hear from you guys that just stands out the most. It’s just…an amazing tune.
Mike: Yeah, that’s the one we’re actually re-recording now. We recorded it once, but we’re recording it in a better studio, that’s one of the ones we’re gonna try to showcase…showcase for the full-length if we can.
Sean: Nice!
Lance: Cause the guy wants to make it a radio hit, is what he said! [laughter]
Anders: Yeah, he made us play it wicked slow…
Ryan: You never know, could be our radio jingle. You could hear it in a Scope ad or something. [laughter]
Anders: [singing] On the bicuspid…
Ryan: Mouth So Clean! On the Avenue…
Sean: Hold up the bottle at the end…[laughter]
Anders: Yeah! Ding!
Ryan: Ding!
Sean: So how can folks get ahold of you, if they want to contact the band, get more information?
Tommy: You could give out your phone number there, Mike! [laughs]
Lance: 911-9-1-1-1
Anders: His home address is….
Mike: We have a website, which uh, if you go to Yahoo and search for Tommy & the Terrors, it’ll be the first one that comes up. And we have an email address, which is: bostonmassholes@yahoo.com.
Sean: Awesome! Thanks a lot guys, appreciate your time.
Tommy: No problem. Thank you.
Sean: Looking forward to checking you out, especially that Beltones show. [laughter]
Tommy: Yeah, exactly.