Tommy Interview from Fargo

[Deez Nuts]

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=80782&section=ValleyRR

above is a link to a tommy interview/review from john lamb from the fargo forum.? ?although the review isn't all negative, it touched on some subjects he brought up from GNR's tour as well as Velvet's Contraband.?

[Pandora]

This is the article for those who don't want to register :

Replacement's guns reloaded: Bass-slinger Tommy Stinson goes solo
By John Lamb,The Forum
Published Tuesday, January 18, 2005


As a founding member of the legendary Minneapolis post-punk band The Replacements, the young bassist was even booed off the stage at Kirby's in Moorhead for one of the group's equally legendary drunken shambles of a show. As local legend has it, Stinson turned to the crowd as he was packing up and announced he would never play in Moorhead again.

Almost 20 years later, Stinson doesn't recall that night, but he's holding true to his word - he's playing the House of Rock in Fargo on Friday night.

Though the last Replacements lineup parted ways in 1991 (original drummer Chris Mars had split and Tommy's older brother, guitarist Bob, left in '86 and died of a drug overdose nine years later), the quartet's blue-collar rock ethos still pumps on Stinson's new disc, "Village Gorilla Head."

The 11 tracks had been kicking around for five years when Stinson's adoptive band, Guns N' Roses, went on hiatus - again.

"The moment and opportunity came at the same time," Stinson says of the recording. "But now how do I feel about it? That was fun. I'm glad I did it and now I'm ready to start doing another one."

While Stinson enlisted fellow Guns-slingers drummer Josh Freese, guitarist Richard Fortus and keyboardist Dizzy Reed, "Gorilla Head" sounds more like latter-day 'Mats. He aligns it closer to the work he did with Bash and Pop and Perfect, the two bands he fronted in the '90s.

"This is probably a lot closer to the Bash and Pop record than Perfect, because for all intents and purposes, the Bash and Pop record was a solo record," he says from his home in Burbank, Calif. "The Perfect stuff was more of a group collaboration thing. This one is more like a solo record."

Since "Village Gorilla Head" was released in July, Stinson has toured the states and Europe with it and found support in "G N' R fans and old 'Mats fans as well as anyone else who crept out of the woodwork over the course of the year."

While he gets an even, though small, mix of requests for Roses and Replacements material, Stinson opts to play his own tunes.

Even in the revolving Guns lineup, Stinson rocks out on his own. When the group played the Fargodome in 2002, Stinson's suited and spiky-haired appearance hadn't changed from his final days with the 'Mats, but still stuck out when flanked by the puffy, jersey-wearing frontman, Axl Rose, Fortus' Klingon appearance and the mysterious KFC tub-topped guitarist Buckethead.

"I can't really be anything else but me," the St. Paul native says, describing his style with a laugh. "I'm not smart enough."

Stinson joined Axl's army when Freese invited the bassist to sit in on a session. His new outfit shocked and outraged diehard Replacements fans who saw G N' R as the antithesis of everything his former band stood for.

Stinson's still proud of the music he made with the Replacements.

"It's cool," he says. "I'm pretty happy that we left something that people are still listening to after 20 years."

That doesn't mean he's pining for the old days. Ask him who is easier to work with, the famously mercurial Rose or the 'Mats belligerent bard, singer/guitarist Paul Westerberg, and Stinson doesn't even need to think about an answer.

"Axl is a lot easier to work with," he responds.

As recently as 2002, Westerberg had openly discussed the possibility of doing a Replacements reunion in Rolling Stone, saying, "We'll get together again one day. It will take a while, or it might take a few legal swipes of the pen, but we ain't over."

Though the two worked together on Westerberg's 2002 album "Stereo," any chances of a future collaboration seemed scuttled when the singer dissed Stinson for his work with Rose.

When asked what fans could expect first, a new Stinson solo album, a Replacements reunion or the long-awaited arrival of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy," Stinson is quick with a reply.

"I'd be willing to wager the new G N' R Record will come out before any of those things."

Stinson might have to eat his own words and share a stage with Westerberg if the Replacements are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, their first year of eligibility.

Otherwise, Stinson might have to wait until 2012 when Guns N' Roses is eligible for induction, though it's anyone's guess who Axl will share the stage with then.

Readers can reach Forum reporter

John Lamb at (701) 241-5533

If you go

Who: Tommy Stinson

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Where: The House of Rock, Fargo

Info: Tickets range from $8 to $15 for this 21 and older show. (701) 232-6767

What do you mean by "it touched on some subjects he brought up from GNR's tour as well as Velvet's Contraband"? Saying Axl is fat?

[leesixxrose]

Your email to him was a little harsh... His review wasnt bias or slamming axl....

Everything he said was pretty accurate....

[norway]

yo, thanks 4 that article, your email... anything goes had one or two of those? 

what does wager mean? not near vague huh? 

[Pandora]

what does wager mean? not near vague huh? 

It means to bet.

[Scabbie]

When asked what fans could expect first, a new Stinson solo album, a Replacements reunion or the long-awaited arrival of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy," Stinson is quick with a reply.

Why didn't he just ask when its due to come out?  Or have the press even given up on that?

[RichardNixon]

"Stinson joined Axl's army when Freese invited the bassist to sit in on a session. His new outfit shocked and outraged diehard Replacements fans who saw G N' R as the antithesis of everything his former band stood for."

How stupid is that. That's such a jr. high school mentality.

[ppbebe]

Yeah, sounds familiar?

His new outfit shocked and outraged cartain of diehard **'* fans who see ** or ** * ** as the antithesis of everything "the original" **'* stood for.

[norway]

Yeah, sounds familiar?
 
His new outfit shocked and outraged cartain of diehard **'* fans who see ** or ** * ** as the antithesis of everything "the original" **'* stood for.

made me think of the lyric in the opening of chinese democracy

...though it would be cool with a leatherjacket on top every once in a while 

gotta love it

"I'd be willing to wager the new G N' R Record will come out before any of those things."

ok, thats good  me2

[Walapino]

atleast he didnt throw a date like before and fool us.

[PhillyRiot]

Nice to see Tommy has plenty of free time for his solo career.

[Scabbie]

Nice to see Tommy has plenty of free time for his solo career.

Anyone care to take on that wager with Tommy??

Maybe I will pop into William Hill tomorrow (local betting shop) and ask what the odds on that particular bet would be!

[snead hearn]

As a '"diehard" lifelong fan of both the Mats and GNR, it's both a blessing and a curse with Tommy. As much as support Guns (the new Guns if you want to call in detail), I'm still ambivalent on Tommy's stance with his relationship to/with Westerberg.

I mean, by listening to Perfect and Bash N' Pop, Tommy owes the deepest gratitude to his sound and feel to Westerberg. It's not like the rest of us Mats fans who grew up in the 80's listening to their albums, Tommy grew up IN that world. He was the one who went along for the ride, as drunken as it might have been. In comparing the anarchy of Guns to the anarchy of the Mats, the Mats I think have thatmuch more artistic and influential feel. The original GNR were and will always be Sunset Strip to the BONE, thereby, the 'image' factor, the "Hollywood" factor. The Mats? Minneapolis. MPLS. What 'image' factor did they have to impress? Husker? Soul Asylum? The Mats did it just because. And in the eternal 'don't give a flying f**K' yardstick, The Mats inherently score bigger. It really was "All for Nothing" and "Nothing for All".

Now, I do respect and support Tommy for where he is now. I was there at MSG December 2002. And god knows IF and WHEN GNR comes around again, I'll be there. And if I can get in to the Merc Lounge show on the 29th, I'll be there too. BUT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, for all this waiting, why not do some dates with Westerberg? Even for some benefit causes? I've seen Westerberg on every NYC appearance since 14 Songs, and will continue to see him everytime. Still though, to go and see a "Replacements" show, even if it's not the same as the Mats in the 80s, for what the Mats represent, that would be something for eternity. To me, getting Paul, Tommy, Chris and Slim back together makes more sense than getting Axl, Slash, Duff, Izzy and Steven together.

Most all of us got cheated cuz The Clash never wanted to regroup. Please don't let the Mats follow that path. And then, whenever Axl feels like making nicey-nice with all of us for Chines Democracy, you can go back to that.

Yeah, this is a rant. And maybe it would sound better on a Mats/Paul message board. But I figure, how many of you out there in HTGTH Board land see the 'new' band for themselves indivdually? How many of you are Mats fans? Does anyone feel the same as I do?

Robin without NIN, no problem.
Brain without Primus? No biggie.
Richard Fortus not in the Furs? So what.
Tommy not looking back at all to the Mats? Even for a few gigs? A bit of a sore spot.

[blues rocker]

When asked what fans could expect first, a new Stinson solo album, a Replacements reunion or the long-awaited arrival of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy," Stinson is quick with a reply.

"I'd be willing to wager the new G N' R Record will come out before any of those things."


here we go again...

[anarchy]

That email you sent makes you sound like a mad fool.

[Scabbie]

Snead Hearn, good post. I can't but help agree even though I've never heard a Mats song in my life. If nothings happening then I don't see why this wouldn't be a problem.

But naturally I would prefer if CD was released and Tommy was dedicated to that, at least for the time being. I mean we're a little light on new gnr material at the moment!
 

[Booker Floyd]

That email you sent makes you sound like a mad fool.

To put it very kindly...

I can't but help agree even though I've never heard a Mats song in my life

You should work on changing that as soon as possible. 

[madagas]

Snead, I agree. I now find much more enjoyment in listening to Pleased to Meet Me than AFD. A Mats reunion would be incredible since it seems Tommy and Paul are as creative now as they were in 91. I can't say the same for Slash, Izzy, and Axl. Although it is hard to judge Axl because he won't release anything (which is not a good sign for multiple reasons). The rhythm section of the new gnr is incredible-I can't say that for the guitar players without Bucket. Thus, the whole new gnr thing is way up in the air. I really wish someone like Tommy would give Axl an ultimatum-"either do something or I'm leaving in March". Tommy has other options and with the success of the Pixies reunion-a Mats reunion will happen if Tommy is completely free.

[snead hearn]

Good to hear there's a few Mats fans/Westernerds here. I was beginning to think no gave a damn. Hey, it's Tommy's call in the end. Whatever he does, we'll be there.

Axl, your move, bro.

Scabbie: Get thee ears to a stereo ASAP. I would highly recommend hearing "Let It Be", then "Tim, and finally "Pleased to Meet Me". Then watch the "Bastards of Young" video a couple of times. Oh yeah, make sure you have a few drinks first. It will all make sense from there.

And for everyone, if you never seen the Mats on SNL '86 performing "Bastards of Young" and "Kiss Me On The Bus", watch for it. Harry Dean Stanton hosts. It gives you the same vibe as watching the WTTJ video for the first time all over again.

Lastly, for a simple nutshell comparison to those who don't know The Replacements:

GNR: The Spaghetti Incident?
The Replacements: How did the vomit get on the ceiling?

Mats win this one. Check and mate.

[ppbebe]

snead hearn
That's great to hear the opinion from Replacement fans side. I understand your sentiments.

Even if I were a big Replacement fan, I would still care for this current GNR more than any other bands. Nay, it's rather all the more?

I really wish someone like Tommy would give Axl an ultimatum-"either do something or I'm leaving in March"

Well, in his earlier interviews Tommy sure has said his solo works prevented him from barking up the wrong tree.

That email you sent makes you sound like a mad fool.

It was fun to read tho.