An Interview with TOM HAMILTON of Little Triggers: Rock’n’Roll’s Highest Hope

An Interview with TOM HAMILTON of Little Triggers: Rock’n’Roll’s Highest Hope

By Nancy Neon / FFanzeen, 2022
Images from the Internet

Nancy Neon: Tell us about your early group, The 45's.
Tom Hamilton: The 45's were my school band that I started when I was about fourteen. We started out playing at the school disco. We were a rhythm and blues outfit and loved playing loads of Dr. Feelgood songs, the old Rolling Stones' covers, a bit of The Small Faces, and loads of The Beatles as well. We played around pubs and clubs in Carlyle and around the North of England. We played around caravan parks. We played everywhere from night clubs to pubs Then we started getting a bit of a name around the UK from the videos we put online and started. playing all over the UK. We played France and Belgium with Elvis Costello. We played with McFly and The Stranglers. We played with some members of The Damned. We recorded a full album's worth of material and loads of singles. We were offered a deal by Sony/BMG, but we broke up before we could sign anything.

Nancy: Tell us about your Cavern Club residency.
Tom: I play there about twice a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what's going on. I play load of Beatles' songs and songs by other acts who played there in the ‘60s like The Who, Wilson Pickett, Stevie Wonder, etc. That is the music that I love so it is perfect for me. I have been playing the Cavern for about a year now.

Nancy: How did you meet Wilko Johnson (of Dr. Feelgood), and how did he end up giving you one of his guitars?
Tom: I met Wilko Johnson backstage at a one of his gigs in Kendall. I was 14 or maybe younger and my mum got me backstage to meet him. He let me play his guitar and we had a conversation about music. The 45's opened for him in Glasgow and he joined us onstage in Canvey Island [this is the place where Dr. Feelgood hail from! – NN]. He gifted me with a guitar at a Blues festival in Yorkshire. Fender had just come out with a special Wilko Johnson black Telecaster with a red scratch plate. It was one of his personal ones which I still have. That's pretty cool, I think.

Nancy: Did WJ give you any advice about the pitfalls of being a young rock 'n' roller?
Tom: No, he didn't give me any advice. We just talked about music. I was just in awe having one of my heroes right in front of my face.

Nancy: Tell us about the equipment you use to get that really huge sound with a 2-piece group.
Tom: Live, I use all British-made Vox, Martin, and Orange amps. I have an octave pedal because there's no bass player, just me. So, we have the bass sound coming out of one, sometimes two. That's how I split it. Then I have a cleaner one and a fuzzier one for the guitar bits depending on how I'm feeling or the size of the venue. If the venue is small, I use two amps or if it is really tiny, just one. For recording, I don't use any of my own amps, I use a great ‘70s Marshall combo that belongs to the studio: the Motor Museum in Liverpool, just right around the corner from my house. The Artic Monkeys recorded their first album there. Oasis recorded their first single there. It is a great studio and we know the producer, Al (Groves) very well, so it is a real collaborative effort. As far as our process, we record a load of demos then cherry pick the best bits and try to make good songs out of those.

Nancy: After hearing you sing " Whatcha Gonna Do About It" by The Small Faces, I can see how much of an influence Steve Marriott's voice is for you. Who else influences you as a performer? How about as a guitarist?
Tom: Small Faces are my second favorite band of all time. I love the way The Hives perform with loads of energy. Steve Marriott is the main voice I aspire to; him, Robert Plant, Mike Harrison of Spooky Tooth, Stevie Winwood...I also love Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding, but I don't try to sound like them. As a guitar player, it is Hendrix. He is the main one for me really.

Nancy: What inspired you to start writing your own songs?
Tom: I don't know why The 45's switched from being a covers band to writing and playing originals. It just sort of happened. I am influenced by anything that I can steal and get away with. That's my writing process [laughs].

Nancy: Any parting words?
Tom: Thanks for having me and I hope you all enjoy the tunes!