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| T.C. Tolliver - Photo: Donatella Lavizzari |
T.C. Tolliver: Cool to be here.
TLR!: T.C. you've had a varied and interesting career, everyone tends to focus on your days with the Plasmatics and the late, great Wendy O. Williams; which produced some great music to be sure, but would you mind taking a few minutes and enlightening our readers on your other career high points pre- and post Plasmatics?
T.C.: Yes, playing with bands in high school, while honing my career, I joined a band called "THE CHERRY PEOPLE" Punky Meadows was the guitarist, who later became a member of the glam-rock group "ANGEL"... (in which I was the original drummer) because of image, I was replaced by Barry Brant... Cherry People disbanded, Punky and I, were in a band called "BUX". Again, the band went seperate ways, lead singer Ralph Mormon became the singer for "The Joe Perry Project". Changing my musical direction, I joined a legend R/B Duo, called Peaches & Herb, which lead to my first international tour, Finland (Helsinki) Caribbean Island (West Indies) Canada and the United States... After the tour, I joined a D.C. recording band called "SYMBA" with a mild hit song called "Hey You"... and wanting to get back to my Rock Roots, I moved from Washington D.C. to New York in '82, and auditioned for the "Plasmatics". After recording and touring for several years, after all the mayhem and chaos and the passing of Wendy O. Williams, times were changing, and so was music. I met a renowned bassist T.M.Stevens (Vai, James Brown, Miles and so on) formed a band called "SHOCKA ZOOLOO" recorded an LP called "BOOM", toured the United States and Europe several times.Once again returning home and back to Europe, I toured with a blues rock group "Twin Dragon" and also Eric Martin (Mr.Big) after that tour I played with "Joe Lynn Turner" (Rainbow). Being an Independent Contractor... (sworn to have fun, loyal to none), I perform with many different legendary jazz artists, such as Norman Connors, Michael Henderson, Angela Bofill, Jean Carn, the late Ollie Woodson,(Temptations) Tom Brown (Jamaican funk), Bobbie Humphrey (fleutist),(flute player) Lonnie Liston Smith, Marion Meadows and a host of others. At this present time, I've recorded with a New Jersey band called C4 experience, with a release date this spring. I will be recording with Joe Hassalvander (Raven) solo project, another release this spring following it up with a European Tour, Italy, Germany, France, and Russia, if the climate is right, seems like the world is in chaos.
TLR!: Your lineage is African American and Native American, has your cultural background influenced your playing style?
T.C.: Yes being an Afro/American Native, has influenced me a lot, after knocking someone out, I'm pretty much thinking about scalping their azz... [laughs]. Seriously... anyway, just having that natural rhythm (drums) and being influenced by my parents when I was growing up, they played all types of music, jazz, soul, fusion, rock, R/B, show tunes all had a great impact on my style of playing.
TLR!: Plus you were raised primarily in in the Washington D.C. area, which has always had a pretty intense music scene more so once punk hit it, has the D.C. area played a role in your performing as well?
T.C.: Yes, I was born and raised in S.E. Washington D.C. Living in Washington D.C. the home where GO-GO music was born, Trouble Funk, Chuck Brown, E.U. Experience (Doin' The Butt) fame just to name a few, the groups I was exposed to; Rock, Soul groups like, Bad Brains, Horn groups and also the Funkadelics, home of the P-Funk. Playing and feeling that kind of diverse music enabled me to play in the style that I play.
TLR!: Your thoughts on the direction the music industry has taken as a whole in the 15 or so years with the end of the original alternative rock boom of the 90s which led to the pop princess, boy band, and rap domination from 1997 until the Rock Revival of the first few years of this decade; and the advent of digital media.
T.C.: The music industry has taken a toll for the worst. Greed has taken over by the big corporations, nothing against rapp!! It's all about the quick buck and what's popular at the time, talent has nothing to do with it anymore... all the passion has left the building, so it's about image like your Lady Gagas, boy bands like Justin B. and your Rapp artists, and fly by night artists, with no substance..... videos are like mini porn movies, negative lyrics, and just fashion... but soon there will be an end to record companies. You can do the same thing they're doing, at home in your own studio, you don't need a record company, be the C.E.O. of your own company. Rock and Metal is very strong with the kids in Europe, it's back with a vengence, I was surprised to see fans from the Plasmatics era with LPs vinyls. Very cool and the world of digital media, I think it's great, to have a choice of listening to some great rock music, punk and metal groups from all over the world.
TLR!: Now for the typical “lightning round” questions… favorite venue ever played?
T.C.: My favorite venues were the arenas we played (Plasmatics) with "KISS" in the south west area,Texas, new Mexico and around the bible belt.
TLR!: Preferred type of venue, arena or intimate?
T.C.: Personally... I like the intimate settings, makes me feel like we're a part of each other, very personal like, and the heart felt warmth of their appreciation. Arena is like me playing to the monitors, no real interaction with each other, for the most part.
TLR!: MP3 or classic vinyl?
T.C.: Ahhhh... vinyl will always be my choice, because of the sound you get. Digital too clean. Besides the d.j.'s got to have them... [laughs]... I love the analog sound, just a matter of taste... like a watch that has hands, or a clock tells you the time in numbers, just a preference.
TLR!: More of a bitch when it breaks, bass drum head, snare head, or tom head?
T.C.: I rarely break a bass drum head, it'll be a real big bitch if you break one. It's like, your groove maker (bass drum) left the states, as opposed to a snare or tom head... break a snare head you can use the toms, briefly....
TLR!: Favorite album of all time? And yes it is cool if you played on it [laughs].
T.C.: My favorite album of all time would be "ARE YOU EXPERIENCED" (Jimi Hendrix, "Earth Wind and Fire"(any album), Prince & the N.P.G.
TLR!: T.C., feel perfectly safe to plead the Fifth on this one, but drummers always get the bum rap of being moody and the hardest member of the band to deal with; but from your perspective as a drummer who’s, to generalize, the more fitting holder of that rap?
T.C.: No doubt, the "Singer". We drummers (besides Buddy Rich) can release all that tension by playing harder and imagining that their faces are on the snare drum... or their ass is!!!! the bass drum etc...[laughs]... so, having said that... we're pretty mellow...
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| The Plasmatics, T.C. Tolliver center foreground - Photo: Rod Swenson |
TLR!: Since I'm personally curious as a fan more than a journalist, what were some of the high and low points of your time with the Plasmatics and later drumming for Wendy O. Williams on some of her solo tours and albums?
T.C.: My high points with the PLAS. actually was the audition for the 2nd. time, with Dan Hartman being there (as if I needed more pressure) and also recording the best record, that the Plasmatics holds today. My low point was when the band broke up... what a chemistry that was. Staying on board with Wendy, really meant a lot to me. Breaking down to a 3 piece band was quite awesome, fantastic musicians (Greg Smith) on bass (Michael Ray) on guitar... a force to be reckoned with for sure. Touring in England through out London, playing the (HAMMERSMITH ODEON) opening act for "MOTORHEAD" was quite memorable and playing "Camden Palace" in London was awesome. Recording with Wendy, she made it so easy to record with, we all were into the one mind one soul attitude.
TLR!: As the end of the year draws closer T.C., what did 2010 hold for you?
T.C.: 2010 in the beginning was great seeing my son Jason Michael Mullan, for the first time in 30 some odd years but that's another story, and working on many projects kept me quite busy, until the economy went to hell, less touring, fewer gigs etc. But things are looking up very high for me, I'm looking forward to this spring of 2011...
TLR!: After having done so much and accomplished so much in the music world T.C., where do you want to see your career go from where you’re standing right now?
T.C.: I'm very happy of what I'm doing and being blessed to do what I'm doing, recording, touring will begin soon, and in between time, teaching and playing to the little kids in school and to inspire them to become what ever they dream of becoming and showing and teaching them the right path to follow, to have a fulfilled life.
TLR!: That being covered, what do you have lined up for 2011 that you can share with us today?
T.C.: For 2011 looks very promising, Joe Hassalvander and I are putting back the "HOUNDS of HASSALVANDER" we're recording next month to tour Italy's "DOOM Fest" early spring, also Germany and Russia... booking venues as we speak... so look out for a few releases this spring with me on a few projects I'm working with......"C4 Experience" and "HOUNDS OF HASSALVANDER".
TLR!: Thank you for taking the time to chat with TLR! today T.C., it’s been great!
