An interview with Tatiana DeMaria, guitarist and lead vocalist for TAT.
Room Thirteen: So where are you now?
Tatiana DeMaria: In the office, answering this questionnaire!
R13: What would you prefer to be doing?
TD: Playing outside!
R13: For those that haven't caught your latest single could you please describe the sound using 5 words all starting with the letter T.
TD: 'Pessimist' is a turbulent, tonic & tuneful testimony of tradition.
R13: It has been noted that there seems to be a little disruption with band members leaving and commitments with other jobs. Do you find it hard to juggle all your commitments?
TD: Well, I make just enough to scrape by with playing gigs and writing, etc. So this is the only thing I do and I obsess over it. From the moment I wake up to the moment I sleep, my soap box is on the case and I love it.
R13: You have toured quite a lot over the last 12 months, what would you say was your most memorable gig?
TD: Well, about a year and a half ago we played Paris- Bercy with The Offspring to 15,000 people. That was the first massive gig we did and it blew my mind. The French all came and packed into the arena as soon as the doors opened (we were still sound-checking), and we just played to a massive mob of mad French punk fans who really got off on our music. Along with the Clash, Nofx, Rancid, Green Day etc. the Offspring were a big influence on me through my early teens, so getting a gig with them was a dream come true.
R13: Having only released a couple of singles to date, why do you think you were chosen to play at Download?
TD: We've been gigging for two years now and one of the gigs we played was organised by Clear Channel's Andy Copping, who really liked our stuff and got us on the bill at Download.
R13: You will be playing the Snickers Bowl Stage on Friday. Do you have any sort of expectations of what it will be like?
TD: The Snickers 'Bowl' stage is basically a skate bowl with a stage and bands rocking out so I'm really excited to do it as it should be fun as fuck. We're also really looking forward to checking out the other bands that are playing. Nick, our bassist, is a total metal freak so he's wetting himself at the idea of playing there. The rest will just be festival mayhem! Hell yeah!
R13: What songs can fans expect to hear?
TD: We will be playing old and new, but what we play will depend how long our set will be and how we feel when we get there!
R13: Will you be staying the whole weekend?
TD: Not sure how long we're staying but ideally we would like to stay for the whole weekend. Between all of us we'd be trying to catch, Therapy?, Velvet Revolver, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Slipknot, System of a Down, Reuben... shit, there are so many bands on!
R13: So when can we expect to hear more from TAT?
TD: As soon as possible! We'll be playing new material and touring a lot for the rest of the year but we will definitely have a new release by the end of 2005
R13: The Motto "Rock out with your cock out" seems to be following you around at the moment, could you kindly explain its significance and perhaps suggest an alternative for us girlies!
TD: I think it's what best describes our live attitude. No inhibitions, we just get up and rock the fuck out. We let it all hang out and there's none of this namby pamby staged hoo-ha! I suppose it's just our way of saying let go. As far as chicks go, "have fun with ya front bum?", "Hang out with ya flaps out?"