Tom Ass (b,voc)
Tom Ass (b,voc)
When guitar lessons are offered in the third grade of elementary school, little Thomas remembers that his older brother had received a guitar as a gift at some point, but that it has been sitting unused in the corner ever since. When asked whether he could go to this guitar lessons if he already had such an instrument at home, his mother answered with the content- and consequence-laden quote “… but if you start, you’ll keep doing it and won’t stop right away …”.
That's how I got into making music and I'm still grateful to my mother for her attitude, because it gave me nine years of lessons on the classical guitar and music as a companion in my life which enriches it immeasurably for decades now.
This has certainly not made me an excellent guitarist and musician, but has created a deep relationship with the instrument and the music through the long duration alone.
The Deep Purple and Uriah Heep records of my older siblings and especially the breathtaking shock when I first heard the glorious noise of Motörhead on the radio quickly brought me from the concert guitar to the electric guitar and to the first bands in which I then played.
Over time, I kept switching between guitar and electric bass in various bands (sometimes I had to play both, whereupon I had a doubleneck built) and started composing, arranging and writing lyrics intensively. In my songs I basically try to create an organic whole out of music and lyrics.
Having always been fascinated by classic progressive rock, but still needing a regular dose of metal, it was a revelation for me when I discovered such fascinating bands as Queensrÿche, Fates Warning and Dream Theater.
From then on it was clear where it should go in the future with the music and me and I'm glad to have found with Leo someone with whom I'm on the same wavelength personally and musically so much that it's really a small miracle.
