Lint (May 29th 1996)

AOL Chat

A few years ago I met Tom Dumont from No Doubt. They were still a local band working day jobs and wondering when they'd get to record a new album. As time marched on, I got to know the rest of the band and was given the opportunity to make the band's web page.

Lint asked me to go on-line and talk to my good buddy Tom Dumont and get the latest about what's going on with the band at the moment. The interview below was on AOL, as it appears.

OnlineHost: *** You are in "no doubt". ***

Tom: Here I am!

OC Nevik: What's up???

Tom: I'm ready....

OC Nevik: Okay so am I...

Tom: So ask some questions...

OC Nevik: First Question:

OC Nevik: So how have you been...Where are you at right now???

Tom: I'm on the tenth floor of the Holiday Inn at Hartford CT. We play tonight w/311

OC Nevik: How's the 311 tour so far??

Tom: Good. We've been fans of theirs and friends for a few years now. I kind of wish we could be headlining our own shows in the US by now. But we will in a month or so ,and forever after!!

OC Nevik: Are you getting use to being on the road??

Tom: Yes. Its just regular life now to shit in scummy public toilets and to learn to sleep anywhere. It's become normal living amongst 10 good friends in a bus that's the size of my bedroom at home.

OC Nevik: Does it feel weird when you finally make it home??

Tom: Yes. It's hard to explain the feeling. Home is unfamiliar for the first day or two. But then we just leave on tour again and I'm normal. Adrian and I are now homeless, all of our personal belongings … are in storage. We'll only be home for 2 weeks between now and Christmas, so its a waste to pay rent.

OC Nevik: What's the funniest thing that's happened while you guys were on the road???

Tom: hold on I'm collecting my thoughts

OC Nevik: Okay...

Tom: For me personally, I stood by at a festival we played in Cleveland, as Gwen signed about 50 autographs to a mob of people--I stood next to her the whole time and wasn't asked for one. I have no... illusions about my media status. I'm just the Backup musician. That's actually a sad story isn't it?

Tom: I really don't mind though. I'm kind of introverted

OC Nevik: I'd ask for your autograph. Do you think people put too much emphasis on Gewn and not the band?

Tom: Its just natural. It happens to all singers, and especially to pretty ones. We've always been equal... in the past as band members and musical collaborators

Tom: Next?

OC Nevik: So you don't get bent on stories like the one in Details that read "Gwen And Her Band No Doubt"

OC Nevik: Answer the Question!!

OC Nevik: :->

Tom: Its embarrassing to all of us. In Minneapolis the other day we were introduced on-stage as "Gwen Stefani and No Doubt." I wanted to tear the guy's head off. We're resolved to educate the idiots out there.

OC Nevik: No way!!

Tom: It embarrasses Gwen a great deal.

OC Nevik: I saw a old interview with Blondie over the weekend and they seemed to have the same problem

Tom: Interesting parallel. Oh well. that's just life in the public eye, I guess.

OC Nevik: So what was it like touring with Bush!!

Tom: Bush...

OC Nevik: Yes B*U*S*H*

OC Nevik: You and Gavin are pals now huh??

Tom: It was fine. Most of the shows were open-floor seating in arenas, and we got to play in lots of out of the way small towns like Fargo and Tulsa and Lincoln, so that s good. I'm not friends with any of them.

OC Nevik: Did you guys not get along??

Tom: Nigel is very kind though, and we were treated well.

Tom: We'd just kind of say hi in passing.

OC Nevik: Would you tour with them again???

Tom: No, thank you.

Tom: Not if we can help it.

OC Nevik: Are there any bands you would like to tour with??

Tom: I wish we could have toured with Sublime again. That's the only band I can think of. Bradley was my favorite singer of the past few years. He was brilliant and had an uncanny talent. Too bad the world will never know......

OC Nevik: How did you find out about Bradley's passing???

Tom: Adrian told me when I woke up Saturday morning. It just fucking sucks.

OC Nevik: You guys were good friends with Sublime??

Tom: Yeah we've been playing shows with them for the past 5 or 6 years. I'll miss those days.

OC Nevik: Knowing the kind of lifestyle Brad led, were you afraid this would happen

Tom: Yeah, everyone knew. There's nothing you can do. I knew he wanted to beat it. It's just not that easy.

OC Nevik: Have there ever been any drug problems in No Doubt??

Tom: No. Fortunately we're all goody two-shoes. We can't even drink that often. We're honestly lucky.

OC Nevik: That's good...

Tom: We give away our free beer every night 'cause none of us really drink.

Tom: Nevik I've only got 15 more minutes.

Tom: Make that 10...

OC Nevik: Oh Okay lets talk about the web for a sec.

Tom: OK

Tom: Did you get that stuff last night?

OC Nevik: Yep I did....

OC Nevik: You've become quite the AOL junkie huh?? What was your first Internet experience??

Tom: My first real experience was about 2 months ago when I first got on-line and stayed up all night .. exploring. I've been hooked ever since. There sure seems to be a lot of young girls on-line!.

OC Nevik: Yes there are, but we won't talk about that..

Tom: I'm not on-line for that stuff though, I'm just fascinated with talking to our listeners.

OC Nevik: Your web page seems to be pretty popular

Tom: I like to keep it fresh.

OC Nevik: Do you reply to your e-mail??

Tom: I reply when there's a reason. I get like 20 mails a day, and it piles up. I don't have time... to become friends with everyone, but they don't understand that.

Tom: I try my best.

OC Nevik: You have been known to post on the No Doubt folder on AOL..

OC Nevik: That's something band members don't normally do.

OC Nevik: You Could Call ND a User Friendly Band Huh?

Tom: Some people really put the pressure on. They get weird. I can see why some would avoid it. Fortunately we're not THAT famous.

OC Nevik: Okay enough about computers... What is in the future for No Doubt??

Tom: Tour the rest of the year. When we make our next record, I'd like to take it to a new level. Make it sound sonically different. I love the sound of the last PJ Harvey record. Records have a vibe. I'd like to create a new vibe.

OC Nevik: It seems like you guys have Re-created a New Wave vibe if anything

OC Nevik: I really enjoyed the new song "leftovers" that you played at the Palladium...Kind of a nice blend of old and newschool No Doubt

Tom: Yeah, Leftovers has those ska chorus chords, but with Gwen's melodies, not Eric's.

OC Nevik: Do you miss playing with Eric??

Tom: No. Eric is amazing but its easier without him. He's much happier now. The next CD should be totally different, but still us. Break new ground if we can, write better songs.

Tom: OC, gotta go.

Tom: Want to continue?

OC Nevik: We'll make it a two-parter.