Tamora Rocks!


As anyone in San Diego who’s in the know can tell you, Tamora is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the West Coast’s most outspoken new bands. Why did these guys start Tamora? According to the band’s lead vocalist, Christopher, “Basically, we knew we could bring the mosh.” Don’t let Christopher fool you—despite their brash, hard-hitting hardcore sound, these band members have a softer, kinder side. They recently played a sold-out homecoming show after their latest tour and raised more than $1,600 for charity.

So how did this popular local band make it onto PETA2’s radar? Well, these guys aren’t only ferocious in the mosh pit, they are fierce proponents of animal rights, and they grab every opportunity to speak out for those who can’t speak for themselves. On their latest tour, they made pit stops at 10 KFCs in six different states to let people know how KFC does chickens wrong.

Ten demos in 17 days is a pretty major accomplishment, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy these guys. In addition to the demos (which gained the attention of the locals and the media!), they introduced audiences to their own special blend of hardcore and animal rights both through their lyrics and their shout-outs. They also showed off their PETA2 Tees from the stage and set up a table with PETA2 literature and videos every night.

Now even more people are going to get the chance to learn what Tamora is all about. They’ve just put out a new EP entitled “There’s No Tomorrow, Baby, So How About Tonight?” on the vegan label Happy Couples Never Last, and they’ve included “Meet Your Meat” and an animal rights directory as bonus tracks. That’s dedication. We can’t help but expect big things from a band with such drive.

Despite their hectic schedules, Christopher and Patrick found the time for a little Q & A.

1. Was there any one thing that made you go vegetarian/vegan?

Christopher: Wow, just one thing!? I can definitely say there were many experiences that brought out the vegan in me. It was sort of [a] process with defining peak moments. I first became aware of vegetarianism and then veganism due to the punk rock community. Good Riddance always had literature at their shows back in the day, and so I just picked it up and started reading. At first I didn’t pay that much attention, but over time as the ideas sank in I became rapidly more compelled to change my ways. Sometime in 1996 when I was in Lake Havasu, Ariz., with a friend’s band, we stayed with this kid who had a companion pig. I looked over at the pepperoni pizza that the kid had ordered for us and then down at this little cutie pig friend and went for the veggie pizza instead. Then a year later, I cut the crap and went vegan!

Patrick: Vegetarianism was an idea that I had been flirting with for a while mostly because of my increasing involvement with the punk scene and the bands I was listening to at the time. However, one night I was eating ribs with my family and it occurred to me that I was pulling dead flesh off … the bone of a murdered animal. I pushed my plate away and declared my newfound vegetarianism ... my dad called me a pussy.

2. Can you sum up your AR philosophy in a sentence? What is your fave animal rights-related lyric in one of your songs?

Christopher: The nonhuman animals of the world are like human infants, they do not have the same basic skills [or] talents that we do, therefore making them extremely vulnerable to those that would do them harm. As fellow sentient beings, it is our responsibility to defend those who cannot defend themselves …. We use our songs, our protests, our tabling, etc., to live up to that responsibility.
My favorite Tamora animal rights lyric would come from our song, “It’s Hard to Eat Meat With Broken Fingers,” and it goes, “I cannot see how you think that eating animals is a ‘personal’ choice, when the animals have NO say in the deciding of their future, they’re left to live in TERROR until the day they die …”

3. If someone is in a band, and they want to help animals, what advice do you have for them?

Christopher: My first suggestion would be to STOP eating, wearing, [and] using products/clothes [and] food that are animal-derived. BE the example, don’t half-ass it. Keep it real and be down for your shit. Beyond that, contact an [animal rights] group or groups that you feel are significant and can provide your band with the support you need to make an impact for the animals.

Bring literature on tour, talk about it on stage a little. Bring a TV and show the videos. If you have the time and resources, see if you can help a group with a national campaign while you’re on the road. Just call and ask if there’s anything you can do. Do a benefit show for an AR group, or donate proceeds from your releases to a group you believe in.

Patrick: You can also write songs about it, talk about it on stage, do mini-demonstrations in between songs. Whatever gets the point across and gets people interested.

4. You’ve been doing a lot of KFC demos lately. Why do you feel demos are an effective strategy?

Christopher: First and foremost, they reach out to real folks that are simply on their way home from work or school and make them wonder, “[W]hat could KFC be doing to get all these folks out here to hold signs and talk to people?” and then they’ll end up talking to other friends and family about what they saw.

Secondly, when the press comes out, it exposes … the abuses of a company like KFC to an incredibly large audience. Most average folks watch the evening news, read their local newspaper, and listen to the radio. If we can reach them through the mediums they’re most accustomed to, then we’ll be even more effective in ending the cruelty that companies like KFC perpetuate! We got a fair amount of press on this tour. A few daily papers, a couple [of] TV stations, radio stations, teachers from local colleges who wanted photos for their class lectures, etc.

5. What was your first demo like? Were you nervous?

Christopher: My first demo was a fur protest at the Burlington Coat Factory back in the spring of 1997, and I can honestly say that I was a little scared. However, once I got there it was awesome. People seem to shy away from doing demos and protests because they’re turned off by the stereotypical “we’re PISSED and you HAVE to hear us!” vibe that some activists espouse. I just realized early on that the protest, like anything else, is what you make it. I have fun at our protests; I get to step out of the rest of my life and work for the animals in a way that is positive, productive, and extraordinary.

6. How do people react to you when you are tabling and demonstrating? How receptive are they? Why do you feel like you’re making a difference?

Christopher: People are generally very receptive. No one wants to see animals suffer. … I feel like we’re making a difference because we always have kids at shows telling us that our band helped them go vegan, we get e-mails from kids after shows telling us they went vegan because of our table, etc. We’re lucky enough to get really positive feedback from our fans and our friends on how our efforts have impacted them.

7. What are the most important things your fans can do to help animals?

Christopher: GO VEGAN. Animals are killed and tortured for food more than ANYTHING else. Past that, write to groups like Vegan Outreach, The Primate Freedom Project, and PETA2 to find out what you can do to help. They would LOVE to hear from you!

Patrick: Get informed and get involved. You can host demonstrations and protests, you can start bands, you can start clubs at school and host assemblies. Get creative. I think the most important thing you can do is just talk to those close to you. Don’t be a militant dickhole about it, but instead just plant the seed and be there when they have questions.

Also, you can find a whole animal rights directory if you put our new EP in your computer. http://www.tamorakills.com