BAND: Tainted Society
INTERVIEWER: Rob Pratt (rob@bandvibe.com)
INTERVIEWEE: Time Palmer, Doug Eidsmore, Steve Rabelas of Tainted Society
DATE OF INTERVIEW: 02.18.07

BAND MEMBERS:
Tim Palmer- Guitar, Vocals
Doug Eidsmore- Bass
Steve Rabelas- Drums

How did you guys start as a band?

Tim- Doug and I were in bands as kids for a long time. We just decided we were a little older, a little more mature, ready to do it and ready to do it properly. We thought lets do it right and do it properly this time.

Doug- No more covers. Let’s write our own stuff. Play what we want to play.

Tim- Came up with all originals.

How did you come up with your name?

Tim- That was interesting. Hard to find a decent name. Came up with a couple of different things. Stumbled on Tainted Society just basically out of combining a bunch of different words. Originally we were gonna call it “Taint”. Then we thought “no let’s not” Then we were playing around with a different combination of words one day and just came up with Tainted Society. Just basically the whole thought of the world and it’s conditions in all aspects of the world basically how f*ck*d up the world is. Just wanted to create a unity about that- thus Tainted Society. That’s what we all are. We’re all the members of a tainted society.

Who are your influences?

Doug- Definitely Drowning Pool, Godsmack.

Steve- A lot. Everything from Jazz to Black metal. Very wide.

Tim- A lot of older school stuff too like Maiden, Priest, Scorpions, All that kind of thing. We’re a blend of all those things including the new style. That what kind of makes us unique is because of those influences.

What’s your favorite venue to play?

Tim- So far Canes’ was really nice. We hope to play House of Blues. We really want to play House of Blues. We hear that’s a really sweet venue to play. I’d probably say Canes’. What would you say?

Doug- Canes.

Tim- There’s a lot of great venues out there, but Canes’ just seems to have every thing together. They bring a lot of national acts and that sort of thing. Having yet to play House of Blues. We’ll see after we do that one.

What do you like to do for fun other than play?

Doug- Definitely go check out other bands.

Steve- Play more drums.

Tim- Even more the band consumes us. Things are starting to take off. It takes more and more time. More and more devotion. If we have more free time it’s kind of what project can we work on to further promote the band and grow the band as an entity. That’s our main focus.

This is the most difficult question I am going to ask. If you could tour with just one band who would it be?

Tim- (looks at doug) I know your answer to that.

Doug- What?

Tim- Iron Maiden.

Doug – Yeah. Did you hear that Steve Harris?

Steve- I don’t know man. I don’t know. Slipknot.

Tim- Those we be fun. I like a lot of newer bands. Having gotten to know some of the bands as they come through town. I think I would have a good time with Drowning Pool. Definitely a good time.

I kind of knew that one already, Tim. Are you happy now that Ryan McCombs is in Drowning Pool?

Tim- Yeah. Ryan actually when they came to town when they just came back from Korea, I talked to him a little bit. It was unique cause I said to him, “I’m glad that you’re back into music. Not only back into music, but back into one of my favorite bands. We’ve all gone through life changes. We kind of put music on the back burner for a while.” I asked him, “How does it feel to be back out again?” He goes, “Sometimes, you feel like your getting too old, or families too much, but you’re never too old. You just gotta keep doing it.” That kind of stuck with me. Here’s a guy that’s been there and done that. Stepped back and did the day to day life for a little bit and came back to music. We know we’re on the right path now. That’s why there’s no stopping us. One of the things I find so, like a connection with them because that’s the way it is. They’ve had a lot of adversity. With that adversity, they’ve carried on through it and still out there and still kicking ass.

They’ve probably had more adversity than any other band I can think of. Most bands would never come back.

Tim- Absolutely.

Whiskey or beer?

Tim- Hmm hmm.

Doug- Mixed.

Tim- Beer.

Who are some of your favorite bands to play with?

Tim- Last year was our first year out around the circuit here in San Diego. We were just getting to know bands. We’d like to play shows with bands like REV, and Canobliss. We did have one show with Canobliss at Dream Street. It was a good show. A lot of great bands, a lot of great guys out there. Right now, this year, what we’re focusing on is growing our membership if you will in San Diego and the southern California community. Getting to know these bands so we can do more shows with more local bands. And develop these partnerships where we can go out there and everyone can contribute and kick ass.

What’s your long term goals?

Tim- You guys want to answer that one or no?

Steve- Keep doing what we’re doing you know.

Tim- Exactly.

Doug- We’re in a good spot

Tim- Yeah. Right now we’re in the process of writing for an album and put out our own album. Hopefully this summer. We wanna get it out hopefully this year. Again, this being our year, we wanna make it our year. Get some new product out there. Steve just joined us in December. And it’s been a blast to bring him on board. His skill level is taking our writing to a completely different level from where we were last year or a year and a half ago. Where between these two (Doug and Steve) Doug is such an advanced bass player. His style of playing, now the sky is the limit as far as what we can write with. Been busy learning our existing material and our new material we are starting to write. It’s really exciting. A lot more up beat. A lot more double kick action in there. The sky is the limit. That’s our biggest goal right now. Get that album out. Start playing regionally, see if we can get some spots with some national acts.

What do you think of the New Loud and local on Rock 105.3 ?(San Diego)

Tim- Awesome. Been listening to it a lot. You cant say enough for what Missi does for local San Diego music. She is just constantly promoting it. I mean die-hard, devoted, to it and that show is awesome. We’re gonna be submitting our stuff like everyone else has. Hopefully, we’ll get a spot on there too. It’s a great show. Awesome show. That’s what San Diego needs. It needs an outlet, it needs a source to go to. So people can hear these bands. It’s cool to hear these bands on the radio.

It is cool when you say, “Wait a minute, I’ve seen these guys. I know who this is.” Or “I’ve heard of this band. I just never knew who they were.”

Tim- Exactly. Great exposure.

Speaking of exposure, Myspace definitely helping out all bands, especially local bands.

Tim- That just changes the whole promotional vehicle. Where before it was just play every single night you can, hand out fliers. Now you can just sit there at your desktop, send stuff out there to people who already know of you and your music. An awesome vehicle for that. With all the bad you hear about it, there is so much good about myspace. As a band it’s invaluable to us.

Doug- You see so many bands on there too. Searching around myspace music. You can find all kinds of people on there that you’ve never even seen before.

Tim- We’re hoping to put together a bill of our genre. We want to put a good package out there.

Who is the hottest woman in the entertainment industry?

Steve- We might piss somebody else off.

Tim- I’ve got an answer. I’ll let you two go first.

Steve- I’m new to the area

Tim- Oh. Come on. In the entertainment industry

Doug- I like the hottie on “My name is Earl”. Jamie Pressly. Hot.

Tim- There is one and only one Adrianna Lima. Hahaha.

Steve- Oh yeah.

Tim- Did that jar your memory? Adrianna Lima, Victoria’s Secret model.

We’ll mine’s hanging up over there in the corner- Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil.

Tim- Oh yeah. Yep.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Tim- I think it’s just stick with it. And don’t ever quit. That was inspirational. I think the other inspirational thing I got was from Zakk Wylde. I asked him, “How do you get from just an average guy like me to like you?”, and he said one thing. “Practice, practice, practice. That’s all there is.” And that’s what we’re doing as a band. We built our own studio. It enables us to walk in, flip the switch, and we’re live ready to go. That’s what we do is Practice, practice, practice. It’s making us so tight. I think to me personally that’s been so valuable advice. Stick with that. How about you Doug?

Doug- Use hearing protection.

Steve- And other protection.

I was just thinking that as soon as Doug said it.

Steve- For all you kids out there. We have enough babies in the world.

What was it like meeting Zakk?

Tim- Ah man. It was at Ozzfest in ’03. I was shocked cause I was at the second stage watching bands. And somebody in our group said, “I wish I could meet Zakk.” They had the booths over on the side. And they said, “Hey Tim, isn’t that Zakk?” I’m like “Yeah Right”. They said “No look.” So I looked and there he comes walking down. I said to him “Hey bro”. Did the whole hi 5 fist pump thing. They had this deal where you get their cd, and you get to go up and shake his hand, get his autograph and stuff. It was an honor. I was in awe. Wow.

Doug- He was totally cool. Down to earth.

Tim- That’s been the neatest thing. The coolest thing about it is when you get to meet some of these people. At first, you look up to them for so long you just think he’s gonna be real stand off-ish, really exotic or whatever in their behavior. Just down to earth, totally cool guys.

What’s the best advice you could give anyone?

Tim- Hearing protection

Steve- And other protection.

Doug- Stick to your guns and do what you want to do. Don’t change your style to make for somebody . Play what you want to play.

Tim- I’d absolutely agree with that. Just be true to your self. Be true to what you believe in. And stick to your guns. Don’t let anyone steer you other wise. Because if you’re not doing what you really want to do then you truly don’t believe in it and you’re not going to give it the 1000% effort and that’s what it takes. The 1000% effort. What about you?

Steve- He speaks for me.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Tim- Thanks for doing this. Thanks to Dirtbag for their support. As we are starting to rise we are starting to get a little interest as far as other sponsorships or endorsements. It all helps. It’s when we have support from people like Dirtbag and Bandvibe.com that take care of the bands. It helps get the message out. That’s the key. The way the industry is now it’s so electronic, these vehicles, that’s the way to go.

Doug- Check out Tainted Society on Myspace. Check us out at Dreamstreet on March 24th. That’s a big show coming up.

Bandvibe.com will be there.

Tim- It’s gonna be a good time.

Steve- Yeah. Check us out.

Awesome guys. Thanks again.

For more official information on Tainted Society, please log onto:
http://www.taintedsociety.com/
http://www.myspace.com/taintedsociety