Meet the Thomas Oliver Band
The Thomas Oliver Band, affectionately known by fans as The T.O.B., have taken modern rock by the collar and shaken the soul back into it. The T.O.B. seamlessly fuse genres and bend the rules.
Their debut album, Baby I'll Play, blends grinding blues beats with clean folk melodies, and slips solid rock into big-chorused country / roots ballads.
The strength of this critically acclaimed album scored them the Best New Zealand Blues and Roots album 2011 on iTunes and saw the album debut at #12 on the New Zealand Music Charts.
“When I finally saw the T.O.B. live, I got that feeling that you get when you witness something special. Chops, guts, self-belief and taste, rough and smooth, they've got it all.”
— Peter Urlich
Thomas Oliver and company came together over the course of 2005, through a shared love of Dave Matthews Band and The Roots. Originally a trio, The T.O.B. expanded to a five-piece in 2007 after Thomas met sax player, "Mowgli", at a skatepark. "We are all tight friends who share a passion for good music, skating, surfing, getting drunk and having a good ol' time," says Thomas Oliver, “but all 5 of us are also quite different, which adds to the dynamic when we come together musically."
Long a favourite in Wellington, the coolest little capital in the world, the band owes its distinct sound to a combination of strong instrumentation including lap-slide guitar, baritone sax and double bass.
Boasting a big onstage presence, The T.O.B. have spent the last few years touring the country and supporting the likes of Joe Cocker, Cold Chisel, Fat Freddy's Drop and Gin Wigmore. 2012 sees them embarking on to Australian soil.
It's not unusual for an audience to participate enthusiastically by adding their own ‘woops and hollas' in songs or by taking over Thomas Olivers' lyrics in favourites like Bad Talkin' Man.
Check out their website : www.thethomasoliverband.com
