August, 2011
By: Amy Aiello
“One of the most pleasant surprises of Lolla was TAB the band,” I overheard someone in the crowd tell their friend. “It was like the love child of Jack Black and the Black Keys. I LOVED them!”
I smiled with that, as I had just met with the band for a quick interview. The description certainly suited these guys in a flattering way. What’s more, they’re currently working on their latest album with producer Mark Neill who has worked with The Black Keys.
Overall, these guys can be summed up by describing them as genuine, unabashed, down to earth, and fun guys. Simple as that. We had a 15 minute or so chat, and all the guys joined in to answer my questions and curiosities:
CMG: So when you first found out you were playing, what was your first reaction?
TAB: I got an email that said, “Guess who’s playing Lollapalooza?” and I got so excited that I farted!
CMG: I love that you’re open like that.
TAB: Yeah we’re very open about the farting.
CMG: I want to hear about your practical jokes and stuff.
TAB: So during our second record, we were finishing up the mix on a particular weekend. We knew the band wasn’t available that entire weekend; we had some concerts for school at the time. We decided to call him (Ben) up and tell him that the entire album had been erased, and we were going to re-record the entire album over the weekend.
(BEN) They left me a message. So I started drinking because I just had no idea what to do. They were saying, ‘Don’t worry about it, I know you can’t [be there to] do it; we’ll play the drums.” The whole conversation was recorded.
The point is, Ben is the drummer, and he’s very good, and I think his preference is to play the drums on our album. So we kept going on and on.
The best part about it was that the previous album actually did accidentally erase one of the takes to a song we were working on. The guy came out to us, and said, “Adrian, it’s about the conversion” – super dramatic. “We lost the take!” So at the end of our conversation with Ben, we said, “It’s about the conversion!”
(BEN) So I knew it was fake.
CMG: So Ben takes the butt of the jokes
TAB: Oh yeah. He’s a good sport
CMG: How do you guys get more people to show up to see shows?
TAB: Twitter, Facebook. You gotta get out there. It’s like being a politician, you get out there, and you shake hands and you build fans one by one. Don’t be a dickhead.
CMG: Any formal training for you boys?
TAB: Well, Ben on drums. (ADRIAN) We’ve got the fucking Beatles man. That’s all you need.
CMG: What’s your biggest hope for the band? When will you consider this whole venture a success?
TAB: It doesn’t stop. You always want to get to that next step up. [Ben] When I can quit my job!! When it can actually pay for our lives. So long as it’s still fun, then it’s all worth doing.
Band Members
Tony Perry – Guitar
Adrian Perry – Vocals, Bass
Ben Tileston – Drums, Vocals
Lou Jannetty – Guitar, Vocals
Biography
A rock & roll band with an enduring fondness for pure pop and a wicked, sly sense of humor, TAB the Band defy easy categorization. They may love the Beatles and Cheap Trick as much as T-Rex and the Rolling Stones, but TAB aren’t classic rockers; they’re a vibrant, contemporary band that blends the vigor of punk, the might of arena rock and the melodicism of power-pop, earning the admiration of Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Stone Temple Pilots, Slash, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, alt-rock stalwarts who requested TAB The Band as their opening act. TAB the Band’s full range can be heard on Zoo Noises (released Jan 2010), a freewheeling, all-encompassing carnival ride, fueled by such intoxicating singles as the percussive “She Said No (I Love You)” and the breakneck hooks of “Bought and Sold.”
TAB The Band Official Website | TAB The Band Facebook