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Who??? And there's already the problem, because although Thomas Michael Stevens is known as one of the best bassists around within the musicians scene, the average music lover hasn't heard of him really - unfortunately. Halleluja - this man is so brilliant. He's up on stage at half past nine and shoots off with his set in front of just about 100 freaks and makes the walls shaking. Nobody in here stands still on his spot, and we all forget our coolness, which underlines our egos. Tonight nothing matters, and the party is steaming and rollin' and everybody gets sparkling eyes like under a christmas tree and becomes a true fan again. Up there is the inventor of the so called Heavy Metal Funk, the mastro of four strings, even sometimes there are just three left, and plays himself into higher spheres. 

It's a fact, that TM hasn't been to Munich for a very long time. Very often TM visits my hometown Innsbruck in Austria, where a great scene for fusion and worldmusic is. Or he plays around Salzburg . And I never made it there to one or the other occassion. But now, where he finally made it to Munich, it is a true must to be here next to some other insiders, to check him out. And I swear, we all did not regret it for a single second. 

TM Stevens surely belongs to this upper class cathegory of super bassists like for instance Tony Levin, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooden, Doug Wimbish or Billy Sheehan, just to name a few. He's worked in the past with countless other artists. And in 1995 TM released his first solorecord 'Out Of Control' (Boom) followed by many others afterwards, including the faboulos 'Shocka Zooloo' from 2001. - 'Africans In The Snow' is the newest release. 
By the way, also his band is named Shocka Zooloo Band and consists, apart from himself of Michael 'Masterblaster' Barnes and TC Tolliver. - True, this threesome is somehow strange and crazy with a high potential of african exotic flair. And that's how the music sounds as well. This is hard Rock combined with funk rhythm, which is suitable for dancing as well as headbanging. No TM doesn't need a setlist. He comes and plays and let's the vibe of the moment decide what comes next. There is jamming and improvising and the amps start smoking. And the band gets some fans on stage to make the party complete.

Pretty girls get conquered with a bass and a huge aura, and we all feel upper class, don't we - Sylvia?! Africans In The Snow - no this here is rather an African's dance on a vulcano, or should I rather say - a jamaican?! Because that's the island where TM has got his roots.
However, here the cultures get mixed up, from the deepest Africa across the caribian Voodoo magic to funkometal and the bass is dancing tscha tscha tscha. Move your body is the slogan, the strings go bananas, when the heavymetal jumps out the centerfold. 
In the end, we ourselves down there in the audiance have become pretty small and are totally impressed by such a lot of talent and art, presented in such an easy and light seeming way. This here is true art, absolute knowledge and entertainment pure. And I can only advise every narrowminded Rock'n'Roll fan, who goes for: what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't take' (as we say so in german) Please go and listen to this just a single time and I promise, you'll get absolutely enthusiastic. 
TM Stevens - the style icon, the Rock'n'Roll animal and the funkadelic generator. And most of all.... on of the world's best bassists ever. No kiddin' 

   http://www.tmstevens.com/
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