TNT XIII: The Next Great Chapter

TNT XIII: The Next Great Chapter

The legendary TNT from Norway has been rocking your world since 1982, and are ready to unveil the next great chapter of a vast and brilliant career.  Their latest magnum opus is entitled XIII (now available worldwide from Frontiers Music Srl), jammed packed with memorable tunes destined to become hard rock genre classics for the ages.  Featuring charismatic new vocalist Baol Bardot Bulsara, TNT XIII is a dynamic auditory journey sure to captivate their longtime fan base as well as attract new converts looking to rock it out.  Highwire Daze Online recently caught up with TNT guitarist and founding member Ronni Le Tekrø to find out about the TNT XIII experience, live show possibilities, solo endeavors, and a whole lot more!  Read on…

How does XIII compare with the classic TNT releases?
To me it has the classic TNT elements although we`ll keep on experimenting on every album since the very first.

Select two songs from XIII and what inspired the lyrics.
Sunshine ….inspired by the beautiful planet surrounding us and the neverending Scandinavian nights with the Midnight Sun shining.

We`re Gonna Make It inspired by those long lasting relationships and that the truth and beauty usually is right in front of our eyes.

How did new singer Baol Bardot Bulsara become involved with TNT and where did you first met him?
Baol Bardot Bulsara joined the band last fall after having auditioned for the band. His act was very convincing.

Describe that first show you did with Baol opening for the Scorpions and what was going through your mind at that time?
The very first show with Baol was opening for the Scorpions in front of 8000 people.It must have scared the shit out of him, but I think he really did a good job considering it was his first gig with TNT. For the rest of the band, we felt pretty anxious, but I think we showed that we have the right to exist 🙂

What could one expect from a live TNT 2018 show?
You can expect a show packed with the classics from 82 and on,as well as 4-5 songs from the new album.We will keep on entertaining with our formula. Which is a positive show where we perform our best songs with love and dignity.

Any chance of TNT playing here in the States and when was the last time you played shows in North America?
I think there`s a fair chance of TNT doing shows in the US in 2019 and that we will keep our obligations there.  The last show we did was Monsters of Rock Cruise that was an absolute professional festival. I loved it. I know that there are a couple of
offers coming in for other festivals. We miss the USA and our friends there, so we hope to come back one day.

Do you keep in touch with previous TNT vocalists Tony Harnell or Tony Mills of Shy?
We speak occationally.  They are both sweet talented persons

You and Shy released your debut albums around the same time (82-83). Did your two bands ever tour together?
No, we never played together, but we read about them in British Kerrang Magazine now and then.

What do you think has kept TNT so alive and vibrant since your debut album in 1982?
I think that the reason is that we have constantly gone into different directions with our music, on an endless search for something special, has kept the ship sailing.  There was never any compromises when we made our music, and will probably never be a band has to be able to `lose`some fans in order to keep the original idea going.

You recently celebrated the 30 year anniversary of Tell No Tales. In retrospect, what do you think of that album today and does it really feel like its been 30 years since it’s release?
I think the album is OK and there are some great moments. It`s 100% original Hard Rock.  It feels weird of course to have a band going for 36 years, but Hey….here we are. We are one of the good old classic HR bands now. 🙂

What do you think is the most underrated TNT album?
The most underrated album is Atlantis in my opinion.

Are you currently involved with any bands or projects outside of TNT – any new solo albums on the way?
I have my solo project going and released two albums two years ago. Mein Ampf and Mein Ampf 2, which is physcedelic rock Tekro Style. I also have projects going on with Symphony orchestras and different progressive jazz and rock projects with international musicians. I try to go into as many exciting projects as possible. I also produce quite a few artists at my studio in Norway. wwww.studiostudio.no. Currently I`m working on and off on a new solo album `Journalist` due late 2019.

It has been 8 years since the last TNT album. Will we have the wait another 8 years for the next one?
If everybody stays healthy and the Gods and Fans are with us, not against us, there might be more music.

What’s up next for TNT?
Up next is the video release of Not Feeling Anything from TNT XIII, and we are rehearsing and getting ready for gigs starting June 21th.

Any final words of wisdom?
There`s No Tension…

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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