KickActs interviews “The Black Tibetans”!
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and were you can be found online.
Tammi Tibetan- I am Tammi Tibetan, aka TamaraRaye on IG, part time bassist in The Black Tibetans and full-time self-proclaimed professional motorcycle crasher.
Ryan KH is our drummer, Dinst sings and play guitar.
The Black Tibetans can be found:
www.Facebook.com/TheBlackTibetans
www.Instagram.com/TheBlackTibetans
Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?
Ryan KH- Probably Fugazi. They did everything on their own terms by putting out their own albums and booking their own tours, etc.. They kept their albums interesting by always experimenting and not being predictable from album to album. Plus, keeping their shows at $5 was pretty great. I remember seeing them set up their own gear before their shows. They were the only bigger band I’ve seen that did that. Gotta respect that.
Dinst- I think my main influence from my earliest age is Elvis Presley. I’m talking 1956-1968 Elvis here though, not fat-bloated-deep fried everything Elvis. I could lie and say it’s because he was a musical genius blah blah blah, but it’s really because when he performed on stage, every chick in the audience wanted to fuck him.
Tammi Tibetan-This is a difficult question to answer, as I tend to be a bit of a Music Nazi. There are just so many to name that are equally important in their own right and for very different reasons. But overall, there are a handful of musicians that stand out in my opinion. A good originator and a good imitator are both good to keep in the musical knowledge banks. For that reason, Lightnin’ Hopkins and The Makers are always on my list of favorites. Beyond that, well- that conversation would be a bit of a time vampire.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business?
Dinst- Always do it for the music and always for yourself. Oh and if you are forced to change and do something you hate, make sure all the chicks in the audience will still want to fuck you.
Ryan KH – Get a real job and a simpler hobby. This shit is rough.
Tammi Tibetan- Don’t. Just don’t. The business end of music is not what you should get into. The music end of music is what you should concentrate on. Listen to and play what you love. Do what you are passionate about. Play shows, as many shows as you feasibly can- even if you get paid in pizza. Fans and management will fall into place at some point when the time is right.
What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn’t?
Ryan KH – Never fry bacon in the nude.
Dinst- “You probably shouldn’t take that, it’s made to put Rhinos to sleep.”
Tammi Tibetan-I’m not particularly sure how to answer this one, but I think it is safe to say that I was told at some point not to listen to your idols’ music in the same time frame you are trying to compose originals. You’ll end up inadvertently ripping something off.
Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you’d like to share?
Dinst- I once got slightly intoxicated before a show we played in Brooklyn and I can’t remember much. I do recall running into the audience and falling over my friend Charlie in his wheelchair. We both ended up rolling on the floor with a concussion. He loved it, I got a broken nose. His sister still hates me with a passion since that moment.
Ryan KH – On tour, we once drove 9 hours from Portland, Oregon to Reno, Nevada for a show that didn’t exist. It’s always great to get to a venue only to be told there’s no show booked for that night. Call ahead folks.
Tammi Tibetan- The Black Tibetans have been fortunate enough to have had the privilege of playing some amazing shows, with bands like Arctic Monkeys, X and The Eagles of Death Metal. I could go on forever about those fantastic nights… but that’s not as entertaining as when things go horrifically wrong. Like that one time, in the middle of the desert somewhere well off the 15 Freeway, where we were asked to play an event that was synonymous with mayhem. Following a three-plus hour drive through traffic and equally unpleasant high velocity sustained winds, we arrived at the location- which was already staked out and surrounded by law enforcement. Despite the event patrons encouraging us to play, we decided it was a bad idea as the cops told us that our gear would be confiscated and citations issued at the first peep of a PA system or strum of a guitar. Needless to say, we packed right back up and drove another 3 hours home. Wow. Super fun.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos?
Dinst- I think I might just steal that whole sentence for the name of our next record. I really like riding old motorcycles but I can’t really say that here because it’s so cliché and people will think I’m a complete knob…so let me see what I can make up to make me sound interesting…Um…yeah you should see my epic stamp collection bro.
Tammi Tibetan-First off, who DOESN’T draw pictures of boobs?! Secondly, I occupy a lot of my time tinkering with and crashing motorcycles. I love pushing the boundaries of my limited two-wheeled skill set, and it has taken me a lot of neat places- from being the Monkey in a Formula 1 sidecar rig, to racing Vintage MX in Japan. Also, I like cats. Duh.
Ryan KH – Tennis, playing it, watching it, and deeply and feverishly smelling the scent that comes pouring out of a freshly opened can of balls. I’ve yet to meet anyone in music that has any interest in tennis and I’ve yet to have met any tennis players that has decent taste in music. Tennis playing rock n roll drummers are apparently not too common.
What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
Ryan KH – It’s a bit strange right now. There’s always been 1st, 2nd, and 3rd waves of bands copying each other, but it seemed like those 3rd waves never got respect and never would really hit years back. Now, in popular music it seems like these 3rd and 4th wave copycat bands are getting huge and sustaining careers. That’s very strange. That’s on a big scale, though. Local wise, it seems like a decent time for smaller bands. Scenes seem a littler looser and bands are more varied. The less “rules’ in the scene, the better.
Tammi Tibetan- Insert jaded comment here.
Remember when you had to go to a record store and get made fun of for hours before the guy behind the counter would reluctantly introduce you to something worth listening to? It was like a secret club you had to claw and earn your way into. There’s limited culture these days, because there is minimal effort. The internet tells you what is cool, and what you should listen to. The process of developing musical taste and culture has been circumnavigated by convenience of information.
Dinst- I think there is a lack of good Rock n Roll bands these days. It makes me sound like I’m 83 but we need better music on the radio because 99% of it absolute shit balls!
Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X Factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole?
Ryan KH – Probably more hurt than help. First of all the type of music they represent on those shows is obviously just watered down pop, so it doesn’t really much impact music that interests me. As for the genres that they’re showcasing, it’s probably cheapened them, but likely only for a period of time. The reach of those shows is dwindling, and as a result, their impact on the music industry is following suit.
Tammi Tibetan- I don’t think it matters one-way or the other. There will always be mainstream popular culture. Look at American Bandstand and other shows that used to disseminate watered-down versions of all the good rock & roll that was emerging from Midwestern basements and dark clubs at the time. The concept is the same today.
Dinst- As I was saying above, these things are the reason the music industry is total shit right now! The positive side of this is that there are more and more independent bands that are realizing that it’s about doing everything on your own because the major records have their heads up their ass because all they care about is selling music to 6 year old girls.
What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads?
Ryan KH – It’s not totally a bad thing. It worked well as a “try before you buy” thing for me. If I downloaded something and loved it, I would go out and buy a physical copy. Some people of course don’t care about physical copies anymore, so that’s detrimental. Of course now there’s so many streaming services, so that operates as a good “try out” for albums, and hopefully influences sales. Even though artists get a fraction of a cent per stream, it’s better than the nothing at all that you get from an unauthorized download.
Tammi Tibetan- I have to call a spade a spade here… I can’t say I don’t own unauthorized 7”s or bootlegged records. So how could I possibly say that illegal downloading is killing the music industry? That might be a tad hypocritical.
Dinst- Fuck it, if it gets music to people around the world then that’s great! Money is the last thing I think about when I make music. It means more to spread the word of Rock n Roll and I would rather have someone love our music than the $0.08 worth of sales through iTunes.
Tell us something about you/each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear.
Ryan KH – You wouldn’t expect to hear bird calls with a Greek accent while a gentle rustling of tangerine colored receipts being tossed about in a gas powered dryer drifts in the background. But you might. What was the question?
Tammi Tibetan- I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and lead a double-life as a full time engineer for the Disneyland Resort. NERD ALERT!
Ryan KH is kind of a total badass at tennis. Seriously.
Dinst likes hedgehogs. Tiny, insanely cute ones.
Dinst- Ryan KH is a total Diva with a lot of rules and Tammi Tibetan is never late.
Hypothetical situation. You’re on Gilligan’s Island and you get to hook up with only one of the survivors… Which one and why?
Tammi Tibetan- Ginger. That should be fairly obvious. Red-heads are the best-heads.
Dinst- Yeah big time, I would totally hook up with Gilligan….wait what was the question?
Ryan KH – Why only the survivors? Corpses need love too.
Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it?
Ryan KH – Yes, I have all of them.
Dinst- I have a lot of records, mostly old Rock n Roll crap…Elvis, Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, The Sonics…etc
Tammi Tibetan- What are these strange black disk things… and why won’t they fit in my MacBook Air??
Close examination of the picture below should explain the answer to the first part of your question.
You’re marooned on an island with Justin Bieber. Do you choke him out the first night in his sleep or what?
Dinst- But isn’t he supposed to be all tough and shit now? I mean, look at the way he wears his jeans! And I hear he drinks sizzurp.
Ryan KH – Depends, does he have any sizzurp on him?
Tammi Tibetan- While he sleeps??? … I have to wait that long to choke him out???
What is your opinion of Miley Cyrus?
Dinst- Have you seen her brother with all the face tattoos? Holy shit! I googled him once…ok maybe more than once…anyways, mans a freak. Miley? There is no way I would sleep with her… Well, not again anyway.
Ryan KH – Zzzzzzzzz
Tammi Tibetan- No comment.
Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip-synching or real vocals?
Dinst- Neither, I more about the synchronized dance moves.
Ryan KH – Real vocals, of course. Although, I don’t think there’s anyone worth seeing that would have lip-synching as a viable option or even consider doing that.
Tammi Tibetan- Who are we talking about here? Milli Vanilli or Mick Jagger? The answer to that question is very situational.
Who, or what, is the next big thing?
Ryan KH – Probably the MERS-CoV virus, it entered the US in May of this year. It’s pretty intense and about 30% of people that have it have died. It’s gonna be big.
Tammi Tibetan- Pet Rocks. Good clean fun for everyone.
Dinst- The Black Tibetans! Haha just kidding, we are total shit.
One artist you can’t get enough of and can’t live without is… Why?
Dinst- Elvis Presley for obvious reasons. I could actually shed a tear right now just thinking about how amazing he is/was.
Ryan KH – Greg Dulli projects, Twilight Singers, Afghan Whigs, Gutter Twins. Everything Dulli does is instantly recognizable as Dulli. Those bands, and those records never get old.
Tammi Tibetan-R.L. Burnside. I can throw on any and all of his discography all day, errrryday. There is nothing better than listening to an artist progress over the breadth of their career, and I can think of very few that did so in such a way as he. From his hill country blues to the raucous unyielding ‘anything goes’ style he was so well known for in his later years… there is nothing like this man. That swagger in his playing style and voice remain so exciting every time you throw on his records.
Confession time. Share a secret about yourself.
Tammi Tibetan- I once stayed up for over 24 hours, sober, learning a series of algorithms to solve the Rubik’s Cube. I fucking love that cube.
Ryan KH – Nein!
Dinst- I’ve never tried Wheat Thins, is that bad? I’m from England and it seems all you Americans are obsessed with those gross little dry shits.
Favorite movie of all time and why?
Ryan KH – Three O’Clock High. Fight of the century: Buddy Revell VS Jerry Mitchell.
Tammi Tibetan- Anne of Green Gables. Don’t judge me. I’m a girl. And a red-head. And a social reject. What’s not to like about that 4-hour epic?
Dinst- I really like the film Sexy Beast it’s a great movie! All I will say is ‘Don Logan’
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s where you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
Ryan KH – It’s impossible to go from an upper floor to a lower floor on an elevator. If it’s an elevator, it can only elevate you. If you’re going down, you’re de-elevating. You’d need to get on the De-Elevator. Its name needs to change depending on its current trajectory. If someone tells you they’re taking the elevator down to the lobby, let them know they will need to get on a de-elevator to accomplish their goal.
Dinst- WHAT THE FUCK IS ALL THIS HYPE ABOUT HOW GREAT WHEAT THINS ARE??? PLEASE TELL ME!!!
Tammi Tibetan- Well, now that you have KISS stuck in my head… we should really have a nationally recognized holiday to celebrate the greatness that is KISS. The rules would require that every man, woman, and child don the makeup of their favorite band member. We should do this as an exercise in character, because whomever you choose says so much about you. Shit, man, who the hell actually wants to be Peter Criss?!
The Black Tibetans – You’re Cold – (Official Music Video) from SRCE production on Vimeo.
