Biography
http://www.myspace.com/queentantrum
Influences
Current albums in Queen Tantrum's CD player: Dream Theater, Disturbed, Tori Amos, Type O Negative and Skunk Anansie.
Queen Tantrum says:
"Since I can remember, I listened to rock; I adored 80s rock and still do. I remember performing a dance exam to Aerosmith's 'Rag Doll' around the age of, ooo, seven or eight. Looking back I can only imagine what the examiners were thinking. 'Rag doll livin' in a movie, hot tramp, daddy's little cutie, she's so fine I never heard her leavin' by the back door…'
These long-haired rockers who wore more makeup than any woman I knew (apart from maybe Elvira) became my inspiration. I remember always singing along to their songs and wanting to be as wild as them. I have never stopped listening to rock music. It's not just the music that influenced me, it's the complete passion for the music and wild abandon that bands such as Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Guns 'n' Roses lived their lives by.
Youth Gone Wild? No comment.
Also, being a classical musician I will always have a passion for Wolfie and Ludwig.
I am also rediscovering Gospel all over again at the moment, due to looking for song ideas for my new project, and Shirley Caesar blows me away! Who else have I been listening to…Tonex, Hezekiah Walker, Kirk Franklin, The Winans family…ooo, many, many more. Bishop TD Jakes has some wonderful music, with sensational guest vocalists, check him out if you can, he is very inspirational. And Yolanda Adams, Patti LaBelle…I also adore Mary J Blige, that girl sings from her SOUL. No one can replicate her, she is one original cookie. And Shirley Bassey rawks.
As well as rock and classical music, I am influenced by gifted musicians such as Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Pink Floyd - these artists are so amazing, you can close your eyes and be transported anywhere, especially Kate Bush. I love film scores such as Amelie and French cafe music…and I really, really love the old MGM musicals!
If I had to pick a favourite album it would probably be 'Hounds of Love' by Kate Bush with Tori Amos' 'Little Earthquakes' Whitesnake's 'Good To Be Bad' snapping at her heels.
Last but not least, honourable mentions go to Prince and Rosie Gaines. There aren't words to express just how talented Prince is, so I'll simply say check his new album out.
Touring
I go through phases; sometimes I'm based in my home town and others I'm on the road a lot. It's all about the people you tour with; they can make or break a tour for you. I'm one of those rare people that likes touring, but then I haven't been on the road for eighteen, twenty months or more like some of my friends have.
Tours tend to be fairly short as I have the model agency (Alternativ Model Management) to run. I am usually invited to perform, rather than organising a tour myself for self-promotion, I tend to get treated well. When touring with orchestras as a feature singer I always get nostalgic for when I used to be an orchestral violinist. But unlike when I was part of the string section, I now get my own private dressing room backstage with a piano in it so I can warm up!
The nightclub tours are a lot of fun. One thing I've found useful on the road is I'm usually the only girl - so whereas the guys get squashed together, I always get my own room, yay! One thing to remember about touring though, it's true what they say, you only ever see the inside of a hotel room. Don't think you're going to get chance to sightsee.
Most memorable tour experience
I would say the most memorable time I've had so far was the Germany tour in 2005 with the orchestra and choir. That was great. There is NOTHING like being all over the papers and radio and tv, and singing to a three-tiered auditorium on a bed of orchestra,choir and band. The guy in the photo to the right is my friend Jan from Luebeck in North Germany, a wonderful conductor I am always pleased to work with and a most accomplished violinist.
Creative input
With long-term projects and writing collaborations, I get to have a lot of input, but a lot of the time when recording sessions for producers they have a fairly set idea in their heads of what they want the vocal to sound like. Sometimes they'll have already recorded with a guide vocalist so there is a firm structure I have to adhere to, or they want a song done in the style of a particular singer, say for example, they remixed a song and the original artist won't allow them to license it, but they have been playing a white label in the clubs for ages that is going down a storm…then I have to replicate the track as closely as possible. Then there are other producers who just want a 'big black diva'-vocal and I have free reign to do what I want both artistically and creatively.
Favourite songs to perform
It depends what type of mood I'm in. I always enjoy singing anything by Skunk Anansie, Skin has an amazing voice; and I also enjoy singing stuff by trhe soul divas, such as Chaka Khan, Whitney etcetera.
Goals
More than anything, I want to make a metal album…life has gotten in the way for too long and while I enjoy sessions and live work, it's time I had the rock album recorded that everyone keeps asking me about.
Dream Collaboration
Duet with Prince, of course!"
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
