Tom Tom Club talk about their new album, playing in Ireland for the first time and being in two bands.
Founded in 1980, American new wave band Tom Tom Club was founded in 1980 by the rhythm section of art rock band Talking Heads.
While the Tom Tom Club's lineup has changed over the intervening years, its core members are the husband and wife team, drummer Chris Frantz and bass player Tina Weymouth. With the addition of Mark Roule on guitar and Gary Pozner on keyboards, Tom Tom Club are currently on an Irish tour.
In 1987 Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth co-produced Ziggy Marley's album 'Conscious Party'. Tom Tom Club have recently released their third album 'Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom’ and their latest singe is ‘Don't Say No'.
Clearly Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth are incredibly busy musicians. Tina Weymouth thinks they do so much because they are inspired by the American music collective Parliament-Funkadelic of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton and
Because we enjoy a lot of different kinds of music.
Chris Frantz adds having the freedom to play in two bands helps to keeps things interesting.
At times there has been conflict over which band takes priority, but now that Talking Heads are essentially a studio band, Tom Tom Club have the space to be a touring band.
In Ireland Tom Tom Club are playing Belfast's Europa Hotel, McGonagles in Dublin, Sir Henry's in Cork and Galway’s Warwick Hotel.
Chris Frantz is enthusiastic to be playing in such small venues. This iteration of Tom Tom Club is basically a new band so it is appropriate for them to start from scratch but also,
We wanted to go in places where there’s a vibe.
Talking Heads never performed in Ireland which makes Tom Tom Club’s Irish tour all the more special.
This episode of ‘Jo-Maxi’ was broadcast on 9 November 1988. The presenter is Antoinette Dawson.
