Infinite Improbability »

When you get the rare opportunity to interview one of the greatest living guitarists in the music business today, even by e-mail, you certainly don’t pass it up, so when I heard “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas,” commonly known as ZZ Top, would be stopping at the Mt. Laurel Pocono Performing Arts Center, on Saturday, August 20, I jumped at the chance to talk to Billy F. Gibbons about his career, his road stories, and his precious guitar, Pearly Gates. The following was an e-mail exchange, so all answers are pasted directly from what Billy typed in response.

You started playing guitar at such a young age and picked up how to play pretty quickly. Why do you think you were able to ease into the instrument so smoothly, and what motivated you to continue playing?

I heard the sounds of blues and R&B thanks to a lady who worked in our house that we called Big Stella and her daughter who, logically, was Little Stella. They knew the blues in a big way and imparted that wisdom directly to an impressionable kid (yours truly) who soaked it up. They took me to places you wouldn’t expect a 10 year kids to be and I’m forever thankful for what they did.

What made you make the transition from a psychedelic band like The Moving Sidewalks to a more blues and boogie sound with ZZ Top?

It was the era of psychedelic sounds but at the root of it was the blues, of course. The transition to ZZ Top was, in some ways, a way to dig a bit deeper into those roots.

Was there a particular moment when you knew Pearly Gates was the perfect guitar for you that would consistently carry your band’s sound?

It was about the very first moment I plugged her in back in 19__. I’d never heard anything quite as fine as that and felt so fortunate to have Miss Pearly Gates in my life. Really delighted that Gibson has done a line of replicas and they’re as great sounding as you could hope for.

Many bands have internal conflicts and end up changing members, but you have kept the same line-up for over 40 years. How have you guys accomplished that?

We just like doing what we do and that goes for all three of us so really no need to make any drastic changes after all this time. We’re having fun so why stop the good times. If it makes you feel better, imagine that we’d broken up about 20 or so years ago. This would be our reunion tour.

The music industry can also be a tough business. Was there ever a time, maybe during a break or hiatus, when you felt it would be too hard to continue?

No, it’s tough but it’s also “tuff.” Meaning we dig going out there and playing for the people. It’s not as if we’d ever figured out any career alternatives because we got in a good groove and just stayed right there.

Everyone knows your best-selling hits, but what songs to you as a musician do you personally hold up to be your greatest work?

“Blue Jean Blues” is as low down as one could possibly get. It’s the “limbo” contest winner of all of our songs but “Jesus Left Chicago” is down there. Of course, “My Head’s In Mississippi” is kinda “fonky.”

With such a successful career, is there anything you feel you have yet to accomplish as a musician?

Getting to 50 years is a logical goal and playing with the Rolling Stones again would be something to anticipate.

What inspires you as a songwriter?

You never know. Could be a riff that just falls into place or a phrase you pick pick up on. The key thing is to marry the two and create an ambiance that serves the cause.

Is “Flyin’ High” an indication of what the rest of your highly anticipated new album will sound like?

It’s just one aspect of it. There are quite a few songs that are more elemental than that one but we liked the way it came out and when we found out our friend Mike Fossum was going into to space, we thought we’d send it along with him.

What are the challenges of writing a new album that sounds fresh but still maintains your classic sound?

We try not to get caught up in over conceptualizing things. If it feels good to us, the chances are it’s gonna feel good to the listener; it’s not as calculated as you think it is.

You’ve served as an inspiration for so many musicians out there. Are there any musicians that have left you a bit star struck or inspired you either by working with them or witnessing them perform?

Jimi Hendrix. Nobody before or since could do what he did.

You’ve played with many artists as diverse as B.B. King, Al Jourgensen, and Hank Williams III on various musical collaborations. Is there any one in particular that stands out to you as a favorite track, and if so, why?

BG: We had a great time with Josh Homme and the Queens of the Stone Age. Those guys are totally into it. Of course, playing with B.B. King was like being in the presence of royalty but B’s not a stickler for ceremony. He likes to let it all hang out, too, so he provides a comfort factor.

What is it you enjoy most about playing live? What keeps you going back on tour?

It’s the people who come and see us. They’re just get off on our music so much that we’re thrilled to be a part of that experience. Same as Santa Claus.

Do you have any favorite odd or fun road stories from over the years you’d care to share?

When we went out with the bison, buzzard, bulls and snakes it was an unforgettable time. The animal wranglers knew their stuff and, as far as I know, no humans or critters were any the worse for wear. We did a show in New Zealand a while back that we were told was the largest gathering of humans in the southern hemisphere. Sounds like one of those odd baseball statistics but, believe you me, there were a lot of people out there and they certainly had a good time.

What can fans at Mt. Laurel expect from a ZZ Top live performance?

We try to cover he full breadth of our repertoire starting waaaay back around the time the earth cooled and bring it up to date. Even if you have all of the records, there’s gonna be something you haven’t heard so listen carefully!

You’ve also had an interesting career outside of music. How did you end up with a major role on Fox’s Bones, and what is it like playing a fictionalized version of yourself? How much of your own personality is in the role?

The “Bones” character and I have to sit down and talk about our motivation from time to time. He’s a tough one and I wouldn’t want to cross him on any level. Of course, playing a guy who plays guitar for a living isn’t all that much of a stretch. The character is only known as “Angela’s Dad,” by the way but I’ve never asked to see his ID to determine his real name. That would be too scary.

Is there anything else we haven’t talked about that you’d like to add?

Just hope that everybody comes out to see us and is prepared to have a good time ’cause we’re gonna get loud ‘n down!

The Local Beat »

While many bands on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival are continuing their established acts, Hell or Highwater has given several musicians the chance to Begin Again, as their new album so aptly states.

The hard rock and heavy metal festival will be stopping at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Hell or Highwater vocalist Brandon Saller is better known to many metal fans as the drummer and occasional singer of Atreyu, but with that band currently on hiatus, he was given the perfect opportunity to release songs in a different vein of rock through Black Cloud Collective. Made up of himself and friends from “random bands,” BCC eventually became HoH when he chose a permanent line-up made up of several other successful musicians.

“I just feel like it was something fun for me, something that started out as just writing music and having a good time, that turned into something that has really opened my eyes all over again to music, playing music and writing music and what it really is to be in a band,” Saller explained.

“I feel all of us are in pretty transitional periods in our lives. Everyone in the band is, like myself, taking a break from what they’ve done for a long time. Everyone’s out of other bands…Hell or Highwater, to us, is kind of like a musical awakening and I feel like all of us have the passion and the fire to make this project work no matter what. Everyone really feels that this is the band of our lives. We’re writing the music of our lifetime.”

He emphasized that while he was grateful for his musical history and the fans it has generated, he would not be relying on his past to shape his future career.

“We don’t want to have anything handed to us because of what we may have done in the past. We want this band to earn everything that it gets because of what we are, not because of what, individually, we’ve been in the past,” he said.

“I was always at the back of the stage with that security blanket in front of me. Now I’m up front…and it feels like my baby. I’ve put everything I’ve had into this band. It’s a cool perspective to be able to perform in a different way and be on stage and really let loose.”

This fresh start allowed the band to release their first record, Begin Again, on Aug. 9 independent of any record label or outside control. Their first single, Gimme Love, was released for online for free via Facebook.

“In this day and age, it’s really great to do things on your own terms. We could either spend time looking for a label and maybe not have a record out until next year or later. Luckily, we were able to do things on our own. The record that we wanted to put out exactly how we wanted to put it out is coming out right now,” he said.

HoH had a three-week “trial run” earlier this year, but Uproar will be their first major tour, making them the only unsigned band in the festival. Saller has been pleased with the response he’s received from audiences thus far and is looking forward to touring with many of his best friends in the music business.

“This music really energizes us and puts big smiles on our faces, so with anyone that’s seen us so far, it’s rubbed off on them. It’s a fun show to watch,” he enthused.

“I write lyrics that are representative of what I’m feeling and what I’m thinking, but I wrote them in a way that people can relate to them as well. I lay everything out on the line plain and simple because I feel like that way people will relate to it and maybe get the same feeling that I have.”

The album’s overarching theme not only captures this synergy, but it also seems to serve as an effective account of Hell or Highwater’s foundations as a band.

“There’s a theme that kind of peeks its head a bunch on the album – the thought of wanting more in your life and wanting better for yourself in any aspect of your life, whether it be relationships or your career or anything. I know that a lot of people these days are feeling that way. The world is kind of down in the dumps, if you will. I feel like there are a lot of songs representative of that,” Saller acknowledged.

“It’s never too late to start over. It’s never too late to do something incredible with your life.”