Ex-Tesla Guitarist Tommy Skeoch Recruited for New Project with Brian Wheat and Chris Holmes
It’s the obvious low-hanging fruit, so I won’t make some joke about Tesla cars and Tesla the band because, what purpose would it serve besides making me giggle? BUT, since we’re on the Tesla topic, it seems as though Tommy Skeoch, the band’s former guitarist and the current guitarist for the rock band Bad Marriage, wants to start a new band. If/when it happens, the new, yet-to-be-named project will feature Tesla’s current bassist Brian Wheat and W.A.S.P.‘s former guitarist Chris Holmes as well.
Skeoch talked about the possiblity for a new band in a recent interview with Talkin’ Bout Rock:
“We’re all doing our own thing, and I don’t know when we can ever get together, all of us. Although, when [Brian] asked me about that, I did think it would be cool — I would like to play with that guy [Chris Holmes]. I think me and him would have a cranky guitar thing going on, probably. He’s kind of cranky like me. But it’s just if we can all get our schedules together, like if we’re not doing nothing. But we’re all busy. It’s hard.”
Skeoch reconnected with Wheat back in 2022. Wheat was already planning on working with Holmes on something anyway, so it seemed to be some sort of kismet fit. Speaking with Ernest Skinner from Canada-based Border City Rock Talk a few months ago, Wheat gave more background as to how the idea for the new band came about in the first place:
“Me and Chris are gonna do a band or a project, whatever you wanna call it, together. And Tommy has agreed to do it as well. So the three of us have talked about putting together a project, band, whatever you wanna call it this day and age, but me and Chris have already started to work on some songs. And I know me and Tommy know how to write songs together ’cause we did a lot in TESLA. So the next step would be to get me and Tommy and Chris together, whether it’s on a Zoom, working together like that or whatever, and write some material, and then find a singer that would be the right singer for that project.
“Me and Chris are pretty good buddies. We see each other when I’m at my house in Italy. He’s there all the time. He lives in France. And I’m in Florida now for the winter. Tommy’s in Florida. So we’ve all talked about it. So it’s just when we get around to doing it. And it’s just carving out a time where Chris isn’t busy doing MEAN MAN, I’m not doing Tesla or Violet Breed and Tommy’s not doing Bad Marriage.
“I’m looking forward to it, because I like Chris and I wanna work with Tommy again.”
Skeoch was fired from Tesla back in 2006 due to some issues with substance abuse. In a past interview with Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, he talked about the seeming lack of justice in his exit from Tesla:
“I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they’re still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn’t want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn’t look bad — they said, ‘Tommy’s just gonna spend time [with his family].’ That’s why nobody knows, and that’s why you’re asking this question. Everyone’s confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling ’em I wouldn’t, and I just couldn’t stop.”
When will music be coming from the new band? Who knows, but we’ll be waiting with bated breath.
