MAJESTIC 2000 -
By Fred Monster

Tommy, back in 1983 when you were 14 you did your first album with Swedish hard rockers ATC. That must have been quite an experience for a young lad like you were...

It was amazing!
I was a very promising tennis player when i grew up and i was torn between staying with that or focus on music but back in the early 80’s for a kid to “focus” on music…well it’s not easy!
But i’ve learned through life that destiny has plans for me and always guides me to where and what i’m supposed to do.

How were you discovered?

Well…i woke up one Monday morning, a regular school day, and a voice
inside me said “don’t go to school today…you need to go into Stockholm!”
I didn’t know why cause when i got to town i just sort of drifted around the music stores and such as always.
Back then there was a kind of meeting place for hard rockers in a big department store so i went there cause i knew the guy selling hard rock T-shirts and so, he always had the latest and rarest video playing there.
But this day he had some awful video by a band called The T-shirts funny enough and me and this other guy were just shaking our heads saying bad it was….and that guy was Mappe from ATC (who later started Candlemass).
We started talking and i found out that he was in a hard rock band and they were looking for a lead guitarist so i “auditioned” and got the job.
Soon after i wrote one of my first hard rock songs that helped us get a deal with Vertigo/Polygram who at the time was know as THE biggest hard rock label in the world, and while we were making the first album i got noticed by other people in the studio as a talented young guitarist and they started hireing me for sessions…so if i hadn’t cut class that Monday who knows where i’d be today!

Were you the only guy in the band that was that young?

No the drummer was 15 and the other guys were about 18-19.

Three albums were released with that band. I guess you must have sold well...

We only did one full length LP that sold OK and we're on a couple of compilation albums plus we recorded a single called “Backseat driver” with Michael B Tretow who did all the ABBA albums…but that never got released.

Obviously ATC split up at a certain moment. What happened after that?

We split up in 1985 after having played at this huge amusement park in Stockholm called “Grona Lund”, we drew about 8000 people to that show and everybody from Europe, Treat, 200 Volt, OZ, Heavy Load and so on were there to see us.
After that we reformed the group with just me the drummer and the bass player who later became the bass player for TALK OF THE TOWN and is now a GLADIATOR on swedish TV!!!
We recorded a couple of singles and appeared on compilation albums under various names but nothing happend so i was very frustrated and knew i need something better to happen.
So in 1987 i moved to Los Angeles where i stayed for about 3 wonderful years, doing sessions and playing with many of my teen idols.

© Fred Monster