Creatures, The Appetite's and now Fastback
Da hat unser netter Mister Amerika "Brian" doch mal einen tollen Typen an der Angel: "Michael" Thomas" spielte Gitarre bei "Beautiful Creatures" dann bei "Adler's Appetite" und hat nun seine eigene Band "Fastback" am Start.
In einem ausführlichen Interview erzählt "Michael" vieles über seine Vergangenheit und neues von seiner neuen Band.
"Michael Thomas" the former "Beautiful Creatures" and "Steven's Appetite" Guitar Hero have a new band calles "Fastback". Read this cool interview about the past rocking dayz and the shocking sleazy new dayz with "Fastback"
Fastback CD Review
Official Fastback Website
When you first picked up the guitar what was your dream?
Let’s see, I was about 10 years old and I was a KISS freak from the age of 5 so the “dream” was to be onstage in front of a screaming audience like my heroes. Rock stars, especially at that time, were so much larger than life that it was mesmerizing to me.
What was the name of your first band?
My first band was when I was in junior high school. The band name was “Cadence” which means: The measure or beat of movement, balanced, rhythmic flow. Not bad for a bunch of 12 year old punks. We came up with some original songs but mostly played tunes from our favorite rock bands. We jammed in the school auditorium one afternoon and it was crammed with students, those who couldn’t get in stood on tables outside and peeked in through the windows, it was great!
What was the first song you recorded?
Wow, that would be with my first band mentioned above. We had to record a song for a competition we had in the music class we were all in. It was a bunch of 12 year old kids fumbling through a silly three cord song, I remember I used a whammy bar on the guitar solo and everyone was like “Dude, that’s cool!” The name of the song was “Me” and I have a copy of it on tape somewhere. I run across it now and again and laugh.
What was the first concert you went to see?
That would be Dio, Y&T, and Dokken New Years Eve at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. I was 10 and I went with a friend and his hot rocker mom. That was an awesome introduction to the world of “live” rock and roll.
What was your favorite group of the 80's?
There were a lot, Guns n Roses is obviously at the top of my list. The Cult is another one of my favorites and then you have the other ones like L.A. Guns that “guitar wise” played a big influence on me.
Who is your favorite guitarist?
I like guitar players that have a signature sound, when you here a song you automatically know who it is. I think that is one of the greatest accomplishments you can achieve as a musician. Guys like Joe Perry, Slash, and Billy Duffy got this going on. As far as being cool and making you go “Fuck Ya!” I think Traci Guns, Lenny Kravitz, and Dave Navarro definitely stand out.
Who is your favorite front man?
As far as a front man goes I think Ian Asbury is amazing. Steven Tyler is a legend. And Bon Scott was the man!
When you were in Beautiful Creatures how much input did you have?
When I joined Beautiful Creatures I replaced their main songwriter so fortunately enough, as far as input goes, I had the bulk of the songwriting responsibility placed on my shoulders. We worked with Beau Hill on some of our tracks and I really enjoyed being in the studio with him. We took it up a notch and recorded upwards of about 30 tracks.
How was touring with Adler's Appetite?
That was a great experience. It was hanging out with a bunch of good friends and playing these killer songs that I grew up on. The crowds were amazing and the places we went to were outrageous. Playing “Welcome to the Jungle” in the middle of Istanbul, Turkey to a packed house of crazy kids was mind blowing. Also, looking over my shoulder every night and seeing Steven behind the drums smiling and playing his heart out was incredibly inspiring. We all had a blast on that tour.
Can you give us a running order of bands you were in and spots you filled in for touring? You were in some great company?
Since 2000 it had been a busy and interesting list, so we’ll start from there with the bands and the tours:
Engines of Aggression (United States and Japan)
TUFF (United States and the U.K)
Beautiful Creatures (United States)
Bang Tango (United States and Japan)
Ashba (United States)
Adler’s Appetite (Europe)
Can you tell us a little about the equipment you use?
I’ve been with Yamaha guitars for the past three years. They have done an incredible job with the guitars and support. The guys at the shop have done some great custom work for me and whether I’m on the road or in the recording studio their stuff shreds! I’ve also been with Hughes & Kettner amps for the past three years. Their amps are amazing. I’m fortunate to have both these guys in my corner because their gear has not only killed for me on stages all over the world but they are also an integral part of shaping the sound of my new band FASTBACK.
Who was your favorite musician you played with?
I’ve been lucky that most of the projects I have been a part of were with good musicians. I can’t pick one because each has their own quality that makes them special
Now 2004 you're one of the founding members of FASTBACK with Brian Saunders (Hair of the Dog). Tell us a little about the chemistry between both of you. Who does the writing and music?
I’ve toured all over the world with Brian and he was a very natural choice to approach when I wanted to start FASTBACK. When we were off the road we would sit around for fun and play guitar and sing and it became very apparent that there was something there.
I had a very strong and clear vision of what I wanted sonically and visually for FASTBACK. I mapped everything out and talked to Brian about it on a plane flight from L.A. to Japan. I knew we had 10 or so hours to kill and that he couldn’t escape so it was an opportune time to do it! He was excited about the idea so as soon as both of our other obligations were finished we got down to work. Since I knew where I wanted to take this project I did the bulk of the writing. Brian wrote the bass lines and did the backing vocals. He is extremely talented when it comes to this stuff. If I give him a melody he’ll give me and bunch of harmony variations back and that really helps define our sound. It’s the combination of playing off our strengths that makes “FASTBACK”. We know what works and what doesn’t work and we really wanted to stay true to our Rock’n’roll roots.
How long did it take to record the CD?
From start to finish it took about 8 weeks. We really pushed ourselves. Most people know us as the guys from this band or that band but since this is our first venture out on our own we really wanted to make a strong album that leaves an impression after each track.
The new CD is fantastic. Will there be a video and for what song?
Thank you J I wouldn’t rule out a video, we’ve actually been throwing around a few ideas…
What are your plans for touring?
We defiantly want to hit the road after the start of the New Year. We can’t wait to bring the music out in the “live” environment. It’s very high energy and the show is going to hit you like a train that’s jumped the tracks!
What do you see in the future for FASTBACK?
I see us delivering on our plans and tackling our goals. I see us bringing this band to the fans and watching it grows. I see you in the front row :-)
What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Thank you for all the love and support over the years…you guys fucking rule!
Now go rock out to our new album and we’ll see you out on the road soon!
For more info. and to purchase FASTBACK CDs,
merchandise and more - please visit
Http://www.michaelthomas19.com or
Http://www.fastback19.com
