I do enjoy a bit of Thomas Tantrum... very colourful sounding music. The first time I saw them play they looked oddly familiar but I couldn't place them... got very confused until I realised I'd been in A Level Communication Studies (yes, it's a real qualification) with the bassist. I got a C. He joined a fantastic band. I think we all know who won that one.
First published on mintsouth.com in May 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mintsouth.com
THOMAS TANTRUM @ BRIGHTON'S GREAT ESCAPE 2009
The skies are grey above Brighton. We’ve rounded up a few of Southampton art-punk-poppers Thomas Tantrum and herded them outside. David Miatt (guitar), Jim Shivers (bass) and new recruit Dave Wade Brown (drums) are stood round the back of the Thistle Hotel underneath the canopy. The Great Escape is in full swing and there are various delegates and musicians sat on the hotel steps smoking or taking in the fresh (damp) air.
Dave M: “The worst thing about the rain is you wear stupid footwear and your socks just get soaked, it’s really uncomfortable.”
Jim: “Someone’s got to be doing promotional umbrellas or something…”
Dave, how are you fitting into the band?
Dave W: “Yeah, really well. At first it was kind of like ‘What do I do?’ a little bit. But I think now we’ve been playing for about a month and a half together and a lot of writing and rehearsing and stuff and it’s really coming together.”
Have you played The Great Escape before?
Jim: “Yes. Played last year in the Waterfront, but it’s gone now. I think they have renamed it.”
They should get rid of Concorde 2, that’s ten miles away.
Jim: “Or they should just move it, just drag it in.”
Dave M: “We were considering doing a guerrilla gig but our singer’s not getting here ‘til tomorrow, so we could maybe have a jam on the street under a different name. It’s probably a bit too late now. Could do a bit of busking because we’re quite broke.”
Have you been to see many bands already so far?
Jim: “Last night, who did we collectively see... Pulled Apart By Horses, and Dave went to see Evan Dando and was not disappointed.”
Dave M: ”Well I was a bit disappointed, he didn’t say anything and he was just going through the motions. It’s because he’s teetotal and he’s married and he doesn’t give a shit. He could have at least made some funny quips. He just looks really bored.”
Jim: “So I’ve classed him now as the new Ryan Adams.”
Dave W: “Sorry Evan. You’re cool really.”
Who are you off to see tonight?
Jim: “We’ve got a bit of a dilemma at 10’o’clock between Screaming Tea Party, Holy Fuck and Times New Viking.”
Isn’t Holy Fuck a DJ set?
Jim: “They’re playing as well, after Metronomy. I’ve seen Metronomy before and they’re pretty good.”
Are there any local-ish bands you’re looking to catch?
Dave M: “The only band I’ve noticed who are from Southampton is called Jazica but I’ve never had the chance to really check them out before. I didn’t realise that Fresh Legs were playing actually. Oh shit they played already.”
Dave W: “They’re getting better, every time I’ve seen them they’re just getting better.”
What festivals are you playing this summer?
Dave M: “We’re doing Summerfield, Blissfields, Sellindge.”
Jim: “A new festival in Belfast. The name is unknown, should be quite fun.”
Are you doing Bestival again?
Jim: “Not yet, hopefully we’ll get a spot.”
Dave M: “As soon as we release something, we’ll probably get more offers coming in.”
What else have Thomas Tantrum got planned over the next couple of months?
Dave M: “Hopefully releasing a single soon but before we come back and tour again we want to build up even more songs, maybe even an album’s worth. We’ve already started recording, we’ve got a new song called Sleep which is a candidate for the new single, but it’s early days yet.”
Talk about sleep, are you getting much this weekend? Jim: “Oh no, no.” How are you feeling today? “OK now actually.”
Dave M: “I went to the shop and I got these guarana seeds. They put the active ingredient in Red Bull and stuff, but these are actually from the rain-forest. Do you fancy one? You have to crack it open, put it in your mouth and suck it for about ten minutes, until it goes soft, then chew it for a bit. No no, you have to crack it out of its shell! I did say that!” [mintsouth are incapable of following simple instructions].
Are these a legal high?
Dave M: “We don’t get high. We’re anti-drugs, apart from a good scrumpy.”
Jim: “Life is the high we need. So yeah we drink a lot of scrumpy. And health seeds.”
Have you got much planned for your stage show? (Thomas Tantrum closed the weekend at Hector’s House on Saturday night)
Jim: “We’re thinking about props. It’s a dangerous game I know.”
Dave M: “We’ve got a new song called All The Bees. I was thinking of having tennis ball-sized bees hanging from bits of cotton, but I don’t know where we’d get these from.”
For a second I thought you were going to say you’d let bees loose on the crowd.
Dave W: “Take the sting out and let them fly around.”
Dave M: “In Japan they get a wasp drunk and then they tie a bit of cotton around it, and then they actually take it around like a pet. My friend told me that.”
How many people do they know who have got one?
Dave M: “None.”
It’s almost time to go back inside…
Jim: “Give me a provocative question.”
MP expenses – what’s your opinion?
Jim: “Bloody awful! Do you know what? If I was an MP and it was offered to me, I’d take a second home. It’s the system that needs correcting. MPs are just, you know, if you’re going to be offered it, you’re going to take it.”
http://www.myspace.com/thomastantrum
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