Teen vixens at war with grunge misery...
"Kerrang! is our favorite magazine in the whole wide world," states Charlotte, the mouth that fronts Brighton all-girl combo Tampasm. "We've got loads of Kerrang posters on our walls." We're talking posters of Extreme, Megadeth and Tampasm's fave band, Skid Row. Fitting then that we are sitting in The Cock pub in London. Tampasm, see, are unashamed cock rockers out to get their own back on miserable grunge scum. A fine ambition for a bunch of 18 year olds
The foursome of Charlotte Avengelyne Honey ("throat"), Oli (self confessed "axe maiden"), Jen (bass, piercings and no fixed hairstyle) and Cat ("Ijust hit things"), met at Brighton's Hungry Years rock club. They danced to Warrant's 'Cherry Pie', got pissed and formed Tampasm a year or so back. Leave them alone in the pub as you nip for a piss and they deliver an unashamed a capella version of Poison's 'Talk Dirty To Me' into your tape machine
"If you were popular at school you liked Kylie. We all liked metal and we didn't have any friends. And we're proud of that fact." nods Charlotte. Early rehersals included crap covers of Guns N' Roses 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters'. Since then things have got better. So have Tampasm, their record collection growing to encompass Placebo, the Manics, White Zombie and Korn. Support slots with the likes of Symposium, an appearance on the 'Screecher Comforts' double single compilation and a one off single with Stockwell Park Records are promising first steps. The single in question boasts two tracks, 'Taxi Headbutt' and a man eating piss take called 'Glorified Vibrator'. It's a snot nosed burst of L7-esque energy, with a sneer and Seb Bach's trousers in mind. The sample at the start of '...Headbutt' is lifted from Motley Crue's 'Dr Feelgood'. The band themselves think it lacks balls. The guy who produced it made us sound a bit weedy and female." states Charlotte.
Which brings us to the novelty 'birds in rock' angle. "Sod sisterhood!" says Cat. "So many other women would rather bitch than help each other. We'd like people to say 'good music' first and 'nice tits' second...".
Back to the Interviews Page
Home