Phil Toms

PHIL TOMS

  Phil Toms comes from a musical family. His father Don Toms co-wrote and

 recorded some of New Zealand's earliest original songs with Peter Cape, including

 "She'll be Right" and  "Down the Hall on Saturday Night". His Brother Arthur is a

well known identity in the NZ folk music scene. Phil started playing the guitar aged

11 and by 18 was earning a living playing solo guitar in Auckland restaurants, also

playing in a duo at  folk festivals, doing session work, and taking part in the

"Mommba" road show.

 His first band "Head For the Hills" was based in Waiatarua (where he made 

handcraft pottery) and played at the first (1978) Nambassa festival.  After moving

to Coroglen (Whitianga Harbour) he helped form "Tribrations", a 5 piece original

jazz rock band in which he played guitar and shared bass playing duties.  Tribrations

played many gigs around Coroglen and surrounds including Nambassa'79 and

'81 and Taratara '81. Their single "Coromandel Gold" also appeared on a compilation

album called "Coromandel No Mining". Phil also played in an offshoot project

"Coromandel Gold"  with Cadzow Cossar .They did local gigs as well as playing

the first Sweetwaters.

 On moving  back to Auckland, after a stint playing guitar at the "Sheraton"

reception lounge (now the Powerstation) Phil joined Herbs as their Bass player,

taking part in recording and producing "Whats Be Happen", the first Herbs album,

and the world's first ever  pacific  reggae album,  writing the melodic and well

received

"One Brotherhood", which was used for the "Te Maori" exhibition which toured the

USA in the early '90s and was sung by the congregation at St Matthews Cathedral

at the reception for Nelson Mandela. He also co-wrote several early Herbs songs.

 He features on the Herbs videos  of "Azania" and "Dragons and Demons".   Herbs

at the time comprised two Samoans, one Tongan, and Maori and one european,

Phil Toms. Not feeling fully appreciated by one or two in this band of polynesian

radicals he left, continuing his bass playing in "Hattie and the Havana

Hotshots", Neighbours" (played on the album "Vocal at the Local") The

Fishermans Wharf band, "Mark Heke and the Honeymooners", Mahia Blackmore

 and Head Office", and the "Lady Sings the Blues" show. In 1999 he recorded his

first solo album "Storm Warning" which received very good reviews. In 2002 Phil

recorded "I wanna be G.E. Free" and the video  was played daily for many

months on triangle T.V.

The Electric Car 's new album "Tall Stories From Beyond the Grassy Knoll"  employs

 no less than nine different modes of the major and melodic minor scales. "Tall

Stories" features 3 part harmonies, saxophones. flutes, and even violins. It is

almost unique in New Zealand in that it focuses on relevant current political issues

including America's war, and globalization. Musically, it has been described as

"like Steely Dan without the keyboard”.  With strong melodies and passionate

 lyrics this album is one of the best to be released in New Zealand this year.