13/10/2002

From Fellow Guitarist:
Tom, what gear do you currently use on tour?

Tom:

I have a bunch of Hamer guitars on tour and I play through Soldano amps and Fender speakers. I use Line 6 effects and a Sampson wireless.

12/10/2002

From PLEASE READ:

Do you guys consider Beacon Street Collection to be your bastard child of an album? Why don’t you guys ever perform songs from the album?

Tom:

We love BSC! We recorded that one all by ourselves back in early 1995. Sometimes we play Total Hate and Open The Gate from it live.

12/10/2002

From The oldest ND FAN EVER:

Dear ND: PLEASE PLEASE tell me you are gonna sell MORE No Doubt Vans on the website. Some of us fans are NOT rich and it takes awhile to save up all that money and then get a credit card to use! PLEASE consider putting more of those and the No Doubt sweatsuit back in the store, they rock as do you guys!

Tom: We’re trying to put together a deal to have No Doubt shoes sold in stores by Vans, so keep checking here on the site for an official announcement.

10/10/2002

From Matthew:

Tom, is it possible that yours MAY be the laziest band in history?

Tom:

Interesting question, but incomplete. Lazy in what way? I feel like we work pretty hard at this. Take a look at the tour date archive on this website to find out how much we tour, and maybe that will answer your question.

10/10/2002

From Aynsley:

That was the greatest concert ever last night! I’ve been to 5 others of yours, and they just keep getting better and better! I loved it that you had that screen up on stage, that was really neat! I can’t wait til you come back to MN, or the area close by!

Tom:

Thanks. We were kinda nervous about last night because it was the first night on the tour and there were so many things that could’ve gone wrong. But it went well and the St Paul audience was great! Looking forward to all the shows coming up.

1/10/2002

From your name here:

Hey guys, first of all I want to say I LOVE YOU GUYS your music always makes me happy!! Hella yeah anyways I’m going to one of your shows in November at the Long Beach Arena I wanted to know if you will be playing any songs that weren’t on the Rock Steady CD?

Tom:

For this upcoming tour we will be playing songs from all five of our CD’s.

27/9/2002

From Shawn Michael:

Hey guys. I’m from Brooklyn but like for the past few years I’ve been bi-coastal. Like two years ago I think I was in Anaheim (Disney purposes) and like we were at some hotel and down the street was this like Cantonese restaurant/karaoke bar. Just wondering if any of you guys ever stop in there and sing. I think it’s like off Katella or something. One love. PS if Gwen ever gets pregnant Shawn Michael is the perfect name (ha).

Tom:

Good question. Actually none of us live in Anaheim anymore. We do like to hang out at better Mexican restaurants in the Los Angeles area, but I can’t tell you which ones. Years ago we used to spend Tony and Adrian’s birthdays doing karaoke at the Linbrook Bowl in Anaheim.

20/8/2002

From Please Answer!:

Hey! I have never gotten my questions answered my you guys not even once so I just wanted you to at least say "hi" so I can say Tom or whatever actually answered one of MY questions! It would be sooo Great!

Tom:

Hi there. You didn't really ask a question so I'll give a random answer. Yes, we are in Melbourne Australia today, and we're playing a show here tonight. Also I really don't know what happened to the Fan Forum, I'll try and find out for you guys.

18/8/2002

From Sexy:

Does BND stand for anything? What is the song Miss Fried about? Do you love me?

Tom:

BND stands for Brand New Day. The song "Sad for Me" is about Miss Fried. No.

18/8/2002

From D:

Don't take this the wrong way. Ever since you made Hella Good everyone including me was curious what dose your butt look like? I'm just another obsessed fan.

Tom:

Wow.

18/8/2002

From Timm:

I know that you and Sublime headlined the first (I think it was first, at least) warped tour way back in 95 (again, I think). What were the shows like there and then compared to your own, solo gigs? Would you ever play the warped tour again (I know you played at some point on the ROS tour, but I mean like a full time thing)? Cannot wait to see you guys on the 20th!

Tom:

Actually we didn't headline, we opened the first warp tour in 1995. We went on first at some shows and last at some shows (after the headliner, after everyone left). We enjoyed doing it, but I don't know if we'll do it again in the future or not....

16/8/2002

From Rocco:

First, I would just like to say that it would mean a lot to me if you guys responded to my question, I've asked a bunch of times, but haven’t gotten one yet so, here is my question..... What advice do you have for a band that has just started out, I mean, we have just gotten all our people in and have had like 2 practices... I would be very grateful for any advice.

Tom:

The most important thing is to have fun doing your music. We always enjoyed the process; writing songs, rehearsing, playing shows at clubs or wherever we could. Don't focus too hard on trying to "make it", focus more on enjoying the moment.

15/8/2002

From Chino:

Hey guys, is the tour gonna be seated? Lately alot of big shows lately and have been seated and I feel lame. What can we expect? By the way glad ya'll are coming back to Jacksonville, it’s been a few years.

Tom:

We prefer to play venues with open floors, but most venues are half seated and half open. If you want to dance without the burden of being stuck in front of a chair, then try to get floor seats.

14/8/2002

From Mcastro:

Hi I was wondering if Tom went to my school, Lakeside Middle School and Woodbridge High School? That's the rumour around here (Irvine, CA).

Tom:

Yes, I went to school at both.

14/8/2002

From Nina:

Do you pick the bands that open for you or no?

Tom:

Yes, we do. We always have. We're stoked to have Garbage and the Distillers on tour with us this fall.

14/8/2002

From Paul:

How much if any does the record company control which songs make it on the album. Do you have any songs that you wish were on the album that didn't make it?

Tom:

The record company has no control over which of our songs end up on our albums. We decide everything. For every album there are usually a handful of songs that don't make it, and they sometimes end up as bonus tracks on singles and albums released in Europe and Asia.

14/8/2002

From Lionel:

I was at the concert in SIngapore last night!! You guys ROCK!!! I just wanna thank Tom for the guitar pick!! ( It has your name and everything! Kewl!) Do you sell the pic anywhere else?

Tom:

Thanks, the audience in Singapore was amazing! You can't buy my picks anywhere, except for maybe on ebay. On another note, thanks everybody for writing questions here. There are about 20,000 questions coming in every week, and I wish it was possible to answer them all, but there are not enough hours in the day. See you all on tour very soon.

13/8/2002

From Tiny giant:

Hey, great band and music, I have a question, did you ever make a cover of Come on Eileen orginally from Dexy's Midnight Runners? I can't find proof of it but I have an mp3 and the voice is very similar to Gwen’s voice... and no you don't get anymore sucking up..

Tom:

No that wasn't us. That was another band from Anaheim called "Save Ferris".

13/8/2002

From Laine:

Hi, I was watching this thing on VH1 that said Gwen was starting a clothing line and a friend of mine said she was going to call it "lamb". Is that true?

Tom:

True.

12/8/2002

From J:

What's up with Good Charlotte at the Chicago show? What happened to Garbage?

Tom:

Garbage will be in Australia at that time and therefore can't make the first few shows.

12/8/2002

From Joanna:

For the tour that you guys will be on with Garbage and The Distillers, which band is headlining? Also is there a starter band?

Adrian:

We are headlining, garbage is second, and the distillers are the starter band

21/7/2002

From Sunday Appleman:

Hi, first I just want to that your show in Holland totally rocked!! Okay my question is: I saw that Tony used two cabs of 4 ohm, does he use them both at the same time and does he uses the high output on his GK 800RB amphead or just the low outputs? Well I hope you're coming back real soon, cause I just can't get enough of you!

Tom:

Thanks! I can't tell you much about Tony's bass gear, but I will say that our European tour went very well and many thanks to everyone out there who came to the shows and got wet and muddy with us at the festivals.

21/7/2002

From Jason:

My friend and I are having an argument, because he says that he saw a show where Adrian and Tom said they wore size 7 vans shoes. I say you all have bigger feet than that! Please answer so we can quit mud wrestling each other!

Tom:

I wear 11 and Adrian wears 10 1/2 size shoes

4/6/2002

From Freak:

Hey Tom, how come you are the only one to answer the questions, doesn't the band have 4 members?

Tom:

As it turns out, the band does have 4 members. Everyone does their own thing and certainly has access to your questions at all times. But I'm just the one who likes to do this. I don't prevent them from answering, as some have implied before. Maybe we should re-title this section "Ask Tom".

4/6/2002

From Steph:

No Weenie Roast this year? Word. This years an awesome line-up, but would be even better with u guys...how come??

Tom:

Hmm. This is a tough one folks. We always love playing the Weenie Roast. That night we have to play at the Rose Bowl across town in Pasadena. I could lie and say that we've never played at the Rose Bowl and this was our chance. Maybe I could say that the Rose Bowl is only 5 minutes from Gabrial’s house and it would afford us the chance to have a nice BBQ over there on the 15th. The truth is that this is how it goes sometimes. We'll be back doing our own full-on shows in L.A. and O.C. later in the year.

4/6/2002

From Kristen:

Are you still planning to put out a b-sides album? When?

Tom:

My master plan includes the release of a comprehensive album of b-sides, pre-tragic kingdom demos and rare live tracks. I have yet to approach the band and label about this but with some luck maybe I can get into it this year, between touring and all that

4/6/2002

From Jackie:

Is it true Gwen is starting her own fashion line?

Tom:

Might be true. Likely actually. But I'm not sure.

4/6/2002

From gwenstefani#1fan:

I just want to apologise on behalf of the entire fan forum for the acts we have done in the past. It is a very active site, where many people get their feelings very hurt for very little reason. I just want to say, that no matter how mean some people are, or what they say, we still love you. (Well, I can speak for myself at least). Gwen, Adrian, Tom, Tony, I am truly sorry.

Tom:

Thanks. It’s all good folks. We're happy campers and generally avoid the FF because that stuff is no fun to read. So go crazy and complain and argue all you need to. That’s what our society is founded on. We'll just be doing what we do best: making music and playing shows.

26/5/2002

From Raven:

You guys are the best band ever!!!!! I just read in a magazine about Gwen and it told facts about her. And one of the facts was her real name is Gwendolyn. Is that her real name or is it just Gwen? Thanks so much!!!!

Tom:

There has been some debate about this before. The magazine is wrong. Gwen's true actual legal given birth name is Gwen. Just Gwen. Not Gwendolyn or Gwenivier.

2/5/2002

From Matt:

I went to your show at House of Blues last night. All I can say is UNREAL. You guys totally blew the doors off the place. I was wondering if you feel a kind of let down the day after a show or are you so busy that you don't have time?

Tom:

There's no time to feel let down. We just play another show in the next town!

2/5/2002

From Someone Else:

Why did you go from ska to rap? I really liked the music you had out before. Another thing that I would like to say is rap is definately not better then ska.

Tom:

Ska? The truth is that we are a rock band, and Gwen is really more of a singer than a rapper. We're just really big music fans, we love everything. Just wait to hear what we do next!

1/5/2002

From Sarah:

I recently purchased what I thought was a backstage pass for your show and have realized that it is fake. Is there a pass that I can buy? The show is Thursday May 2 in WPB, FL. I can't wait to see you rock. You're the greatest.

Tom:

You CAN NOT buy backstage passes to our concerts. Backstage passes are given to family and friends of the band for FREE only. Check the warning on the front of this website about how people are selling fake backstage passes. They are no good!

1/5/2002

From Sandra:

My ears are still ringing!! Have you ever experienced your ears ringing? Do you think there should be warning posters/signs at concerts warning people to wear earplugs?

Tom:

Come on, you need to be responsible for your own ears! If you don't like loud music then please wear earplugs at No Doubt concerts, by all means.

1/5/2002

From Brandy:

I love No Doubt oh soo much! and I have tickets for the Cleveland show that was cancelled. I heard that it’s getting re-scheduled is that true? What’s the deal?

Tom:

Believe me the last thing we ever want to do is cancel a show, we didn't make that decision without a great deal of thought. Gwen is feeling a lot better thanks to those extra days at the doctor and extra days of rest. We've tried to figure out a way to reschedule the shows but our tour schedule going forward really doesn't give us any time to do that. Hold on for a few more days and we'll make an announcement about refunds. If it's any consolation we do have another U.S. tour booked for the fall and we'll get to come back around Cleveland and Pittsburgh then.

23/4/2002

From Lara:

I heard Gwen was sick and shows were cancelled. Does Gwen have the flu? Are you guys still planning to tour the US again in the fall? Get well soon Gwen!

Gwen:

Hey we are in Philadelphia and I am trying to recover from being sick for over two weeks straight! Touring is very physically demanding and I give it everything I have every night. It is hard to stay healthy when you are travelling and meeting so many different people everyday. Chances are some of them are sick and germs are everywhere in the clubs. Think how many hands I shake!! This is why I don't give kisses and hugs...getting sick means cancelling shows and that really sucks. The worst thing for me is doing a show when I'm not at my best. It is a horrible feeling. I will soon be healthy again and ready and excited to do the shows feeling good and without a sore throat. Hope you understand.

16/4/2002

From Anthony:

Tom, my guitar teacher tells me that I need a smaller guitar (small fingers) and I really like my guitar right now and I have to struggle to play simple notes and I was wondering if this has ever happened to you and also if I was to get a new one which guitar should I buy that would be good for me???

Tom:

Your guitar teacher probably knows what’s best for you, but you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable. If you're going to buy a new guitar I would have to suggest Hamer, they are the guitars I play, and they're obviously great. Good luck.

16/4/2002

From Hitomi:

Hey No Doubt, I'm glad that you are doing smaller venues, because to me, it feels much more personal. Ok, my question is does Adrian always do weird stunts (like the frog episode) for money or just because he felt like it? If he does, do you think you can share some stories with us? I'm also very excited to see you Thursday at Roseland. And I'm glad you'll be coming back around to the States in the fall, my friends and I can't get enough of you guys. Thanks for rocking on!

Tom:

Adrian is a very spontaneous guy, and the funny stuff he does is usually intended to make his friends laugh. By the way, the frog was completely unharmed in that incident!

16/4/2002

From Elise:

Hey... what's up? Well I just saw this thing on MTV and Gwen was on it.. She was voted #6 for the most sexiest music artist. And I was just wondering is her first name really Gwendolyn? Thanks a bunch!

Tom:

Gwen's first name is Gwen. Just Gwen. No -dolyn or anything like that.

13/4/2002

From Bethany:

First: I LOVE YOU GUYS! I saw you in LA and were just everything I had hoped for and more. Okay, so who are the other two guys in the Sunday Morning video? The ones on the porch.

Tony:

The two guys hanging on the porch in the Sunday Morning video are our good friends Donnie Spada and Robert Ortiz. You can also spot Eric Stefani lying on the driveway and Terry Hall (of The Specials) sitting on the swinging bench.

13/4/2002

From Samuel Stevens:

Does anyone besides Tom answer questions here? Oh yeah, what kind of bass does Tony play?

Tony:

Samuel, I play Yamaha basses and MusicMan basses mostly, but I also have some great Fender basses as well.

13/4/2002

From Evelyn:

Hi!! I’m writing you from Venezuela. May I say that I truly enjoyed the concert you gave on the Caracas Pop Festival. Like most people say, you guys really rock!! I just wanted to know your opinion about my country: the way you felt the audience and any other things you may want to talk about. Keep rockin'!

Tony:

Evelyn, we loved Venezuela. Playing the Caracas Pop Festival last month was one of the most memorable shows we have had in the 15 years of playing as a band. 42,000 people singing along with every song was awesome. Thanks!

10/4/2002

From fmesmelmebme**:

Hey No Doubt what's up? I love your music so much and I wanted to know how much longer are you going to stay the same until you pop out like what brandy did? Because I don't want you to do that cuz I love you guys now and I don't want you to change.

Tom:

We will always be ourselves and always keep changing. Some people think we "popped out" back in '95 when we put out Tragic Kingdom. And some people think we "popped out" again this year with the release of "Rock Steady". I'm glad you don't think we've popped out yet, though.

10/4/2002

From Bonnie Hemmings:

Hey!!! Don't you think your hey baby hey baby, song is totally different to past records. And that you have gone from a indie rock band to a r'n'b hip hop electro sound??

Tom:

Isn't it cool? We're proud to have created a body of work that rivals Picasso's for genre-hopping. What an exciting age we live in! Thanks!

10/4/2002

From Jane:

Hey! I've been a fan of you guys ever since I was little even though I’m only 12 now. My question is are any of your songs written or dedicated a song to John Spence?

Tom:

There was a No Doubt song years ago called "Dear John" that was written in memory of John Spence. It only exists in its original demo form from back in '89 I think. Maybe you can find an mp3 of it online. Good luck

10/4/2002

From your name here:

Mullets are fun.

Tom:

I tried to grow a Euro-mullet a few months ago but it didn't look so good. I agree, though that they are very fun

10/4/2002

From Katy:

I just wanted to say that as artists you are all amazing and so unique and as people you seem so real and fun (No Doubt is like a family to me). I was just wondering why when you play in Pittsburgh you always play in I.C. Light Ampitheatre? Is there a reason?

From Tom:

When we book a tour, we usually spend a lot of time trying to pick the right venues in each city. We take into consideration the size, acoustics, open floor vs. seats, facility fees and all sorts of stuff to make it the best show we can. Sometimes our choices are good, sometimes imperfect. In Pittsburgh, the I.C Light seems perfect, what do you think?

10/4/2002

From Saruca:

Lemme first say that I love No Doubt's music, but after getting to meet you guys in person, I love Gwen Stefani more than the rest of the band. Tony, Tom, Adrian, Gabe, and Steve were almost rude when we met. Maybe it was just one of those days. So my question is this, why do you want to be No Doubt "the band" in magazines and interviews, but when you get around your fans, Gwen has to answer all the questions?

Tom:

Good question. The truth is that regardless of what you may perceive that we "want" to be, we are technically speaking a "band". We write and perform our own songs; we play instruments together and perform concerts. We've been together for over 14 years and we're all best friends. You're totally right to love Gwen the most. She is a sweet and friendly person and deserves your love. Sorry the rest of us were rude, maybe we'll try to be nicer the next time.

8/4/2002

From Sandra:

Do you actually read every single question sent in or do you skim through them and just read/answer the most interesting ones? I'm still waiting for my question to be answered. I don’t mind waiting, I was just wondering. Hope your having fun on tour!

Tom:

Okay this is the honest truth. We get about 1000 questions a day here. I try to read as many as possible, but answering every single one is impossible. I would literally never have time to eat or sleep or play shows if I answered every question. I know that that sucks, but I'll get to the commonly asked ones and do my best. And thanks a tonne for taking the time to be fans and to ask!

8/4/2002

From Durdy:

I've followed No Doubt's work since I was very young. (7) I fell in love as soon as I heard Trapped in a Box. This new album is nothing like any of your others though, I couldnt help but notice it has a reggae meets punk/pop culture feel. I was just wondering what made y’all decide on that type of genre?

Tom:

Nothing like our others? I disagree. It's the same people making the music. We messed around with different instruments this time, fooled with synthesisers and gave the guitars a break. We wanted to make a CD that was fun and upbeat, that would rock on the dancefloor and that incorporated dancehall reggae beats. We had an amazing beautiful time writing and recording Rock Steady, and we're proud of it. We like changing things up, we always have and always will. Some people dig it, some don't, and that's cool with us. We love it.

8/4/2002

From Tim:

I went to high school with a member of The Faint. I was wondering what you think of their music and why did you choose to have them open for you since they have a different fan following and style of music.

Tom:

The Faint are rad. We asked them to tour with us because we like them and thought our fans might too. It’s cool if they sound different from us, because diversity is often compelling.

8/4/2002

From Dingdong:

How can I get backstage to meet you guys at your concerts?

Tom:

The only people coming backstage to hang out are friends and family pretty much. We caught someone selling fake backstage passes, so don’t don’t buy any! Fake ones won’t get you backstage! You can’t buy real ones, you can only get them from us in the band personally.

5/4/2002

From Steve-O:

How come I can’t download any of the full songs from Rock Steady on Kazaa you get most of the song but not all of it. Thanks.

Tom:

I have no idea why you can’t get the whole song online, but why don’t you just buy the album? We have the full versions on there!

5/4/2002

From Nate:

I heard on MTV News awhile back that No Doubt collaborated with Beenie Man on a song called Magic to appear on the Bridget Jones Diary. My question is is this true and if so how come it’s not on the tracklisting of the soundtrack? PS you rock.

Tom:

The Neptunes did a remix of our song Magic’s In The Makeup with guest vocals from Beenie Man. But at the last minute the Bridget Jones movie people decided not to use it. So it’s never been released.

24/3/2002

From Jamie Swier:

What’s the difference between the regular Beacon Street Collection and the reissue?

Tom:

There’s no real difference besides the ‘reissue’ text on the front cover. The original was independently manufactured by us, and the reissue by Interscope records. The music is exactly the same.

24/3/2002

From Kathryn:

There’s a rumour going around my school that Adrian went there, or someone else in the band. I go to Lakeside Middle School, one of the teachers actually said they had Adrian – is this rumour true?

Tom:

It’s close but not true. Adrian grew up in Cypress, California. It was me who went to Lakeside in Irvine.

24/3/2002

From Hilary:

Who wrote the instrumental version of Too Late? Is there anyway that I can purchase that written music for a violin concert?

Tom:

The music for the instrumental version of Too Late was written by myself, Tony and Gwen, and the arrangement was scored by a guy named Paul Buckmaster. The written music isn’t available for purchase as far as I know.

24/3/2002

From Tony:

Hi Tom, my question is who is the guy in the video for Sunday Morning who is sitting on the swing watching the band play? Thanks a lot, Tony.

Tom: