This August, Vanadian Avenue goes to WARR. Truth be told, we are constantly at war on Twitter with all the racists, fascist, major record labels, industry plants and other assorted assholes. What we truly mean is that, the entire month will be dedicated to Tuggawar and his new backing band, lovingly called The WARR. Each of the WARR members will be interviewed separately and then at the end, we will write a few words about their debut album “Thirteen”. Last week, we spoke to Jerome, The WARR’s charismatic guitarist, and today we will speak to our favourite drummer in the whole wide world – Gemma! We sat her down to discuss playing in two bands, being a mother and the next month’s big day for her on the 12th of September, where she is going to play two gigs in one day: one on the big stage during “Party In The Park” and then playing the after show party at the small independent venue. Gemma, whose career spans nearly three decades, payed for Babyshambles, Adam Ant and other very big names, is incredibly fun and easy to speak to. We hope you will enjoy reading this interview as much as we enjoyed making it.
Gemma, let`s start with a very important question. You run a farm, a studio (Rooz), drum for two bands (The WARR and JW Paris) and raise two daughters. How is it humanly possible to squeeze so much into one person`s daily routine? Do you have 48 hours in a day, own a time machine or have paranormal abilities?
Gemma: Hahaha, you know – a time machine would be sooooo helpful for me to get through an average day. Yes, I do have a lot going on, many plates to keep spinning so to speak. I have 2 wonderful, beautifully fierce girls, they’re 10 &12 now and I’m so proud of the fiery, independent beings they already are! They’re brilliantly accepting of my mad life and love the band boys from both bands! There’s definitely a clash of worlds for me though, I can get in as the sun rises , sweaty and scraggly-haired from a gig the night before and there’s barely time to gulp a coffee before the day begins. I have to get the girls off to school, then it’s the farm to organise, feed and love, then girls home from school, homework/dinner. Then on some days, I might be off to rehearsal or a gig or a video shoot or something band related haha! I try to keep the band things to a few nights a week so I do have plenty of time to be a Mummy and not always Drummy (like the play on my Instagram handle there) haha!
You are a member of Tuggawar’s backing band called The Warr and the only female in the band. Tell us how you became involved with this project?
Gemma: Ahhhh, the Warr! So, I met Tuggy in 2008, I booked him to play our club night Krak On and was instantly blown away! He’s just the loveliest and we instantly clicked! He came back a few months later to play the club night again, it was a special lineup for my birthday and obviously he was my headliner! We always stayed in touch and I’ve watched him relentlessly working away on his career. We jammed a few times over the years to possibly get a band together, but it didn’t happen then. I believe the planets aligned because we had a chance meeting again and the first thing he said was: “I want you to drum for me, can you get a band together?” And the rest as they say is history! I called up Jerome and Aaron as I’d worked on a project with them over the summer and have known them since the 00’s too and we just clicked! We started gigging, playing our adaptations of Tuggy’s catalogue, and with 80+ albums, there’s more than enough for us to work with ha ha ha! Then we wanted more ‘beef’ to the sound and I called up another long time friend Dean. He rocked up, plugged in and that was it! He was in! I love being the only female, I have a role of the organiser and am checking everyone’s ok, eating, happy, sleeping, etc and more often than not, I think, my role is “annoying little sister” hahahaha. I adore them, we are a strange bunch, you’d never put us together as a band but my gosh does it work! We are FIRRRRE if I dare say so myself.
If you were to name your favourite song from The WARR`s album “Thirteen”, what would it be and why?
Gemma: I KNEW I’d be asked this at some point!! It’s like choosing a favourite child, just can’t be done! There’s a few standouts for me, I love each one for its own reasons but I guess “Hands Up” (because the original idea for that song was mine and I’m proud of the drums on that track.., also who can resist trumpets?!!), “Go Get Em” is another love, it’s just gritty and gets me pulling my best grimace! “FK Up The Venue” is a proper banger, “Wavey” is spacey after the grit of the album. “Cameltoes & Haribos” always makes me smile – I think it’s the cow reference hahaha! Yeah, I can’t choose just one can I?!
We absolutely love your drum works on “Fk Up Da Venue”, the drums are heavy and raw. What drum parts on the album were the hardest to get it right?
Gemma: Well… in all honesty, there was only one part in “Why You Wanna Hate Me”, the marching chugging section that still spins my head, the rest of the album was a feeling and really just ‘happens’ ! My favorite drum track on “Thirteen” HAS to be on “Hands Up”, cause I just had sooooo much fun playing that one. It’s such a fun and upbeat good vibes track! I can’t talk about laying those tracks without mentioning Hammerhead though.., that’s an epic track that starts steady and just builds and builds with such intensity!
Matt Sorum once said he loves all his projects equally but he drums in them for various reasons. What are your reasons to drum for JW Paris and Tuggawar respectively?
Gemma: Matt Sorum is an icon by the way… love him! I love both my bands equally, because they ask for totally different things from me. JW Paris is crazy silly fun, all the time. Gigs are just an extension of the giggles we have. It’s writing new stuff, hanging out mostly, the gigs and travelling, it’s all just such good fun. Our new recordings are soooo powerful, I really think these will raise some eyebrows at what we have made! The Warr is faster paced, on a daily basis. Tuggy is an already established artist with a massive back catalogue, stage show and fan base so it was like jumping on a train just as the doors were closing! You’re on, you’re in and you’re moving so buckle up haha! Tuggy essentially steers the ship but it keeps me super busy with helping the ship steering. Organising shows, interviews, recordings and video shoots etc. With JW Paris, Danny steers the ship and me and Aaron just giggle and faff mostly haha! I have different mindsets for each band and playing styles for each band too hehe All of the boys in both bands are so wonderful to be family with, work with and be as close to them all as I am and they all accept the other so that makes for a very busy, but super super happy Gemma!
We need to ask about the 12th of September. JW Paris are playing Party in the Park, a massive outdoor music festival that celebrates the 150th anniversary of Luton and features major acts like the Kaiser Chiefs. On the same night, Tuggawar and The Warr are playing a gig at the Castle in Luton! You will be pooling in double duty! Are you looking forward to the rock and roll madness?
Gemma: Yessssss!! Omg I am! My tummy is a mad mixture of excitement and nerves for both haha! The Warr show was booked well before the JW Paris show and we had already planned to go onstage after the “event on down the road” so as to get passing people, then a few months later, JW Paris was booked for that so it worked out brilliantly! JW are opening Luton’s birthday party, we’re on the main stage supporting The Hoosiers, The Feeling and Kaiser Chiefs! Then in the evening, after the Kaiser Chiefs finish, The Warr goes onstage at The Castle! It’s free entry so everyone HAS to come along for the after-show party! It’s kind of a “GemDay” in Luton lol! JW Paris will also have a surprise guest performing one of our brand new tracks from the forthcoming EP! There’s absolutely NO prizes for guessing who the guest will be considering all the details hahaha !!
Is there a chance for JW Paris and The WARR to tour together in the near future?
Gemma: Ohhh that’s actually such an ideal situation for me haha, although one of my bands would get me sweaty and pumped full of adrenaline to start with each night. I might need to go into some serious stamina training to be able to do that, but on a personal level, I’d absolutely LOVE to tour with all my boys together. Ohhh gosh, that’s top of the bucket list now!!
Tuggawar online:
https://www.facebook.com/tuggawarmusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/fidayz
https://x.com/tuggawar
https://www.instagram.com/tuggawar
https://www.tiktok.com/@tuggawar1
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Nhg7gO8g4WQum0phRkU3C?si=KYh1p_g7QbmRG0IeNbH8qQ
The Warr online:
https://elasticstage.com/tuggawar/releases/thirteen-album
https://thewarr.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/thewarrband/
Rita and Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 