Thursday, August 5, 2010

“Guys of ZZ Top enjoy Europe stops on tour, sticking with the beards”

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“Guys of ZZ Top enjoy Europe stops on tour, sticking with the beards”

Guys of ZZ Top enjoy Europe stops on tour, sticking with the beards

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 12:20 AM PDT

Gutsy blues-rockers ZZ Top play the motorcycle rally in Sturgis on Monday, and then cross the state to play the Sioux Empire Fair in Sioux Falls on Tuesday.

The three-piece Texas band has a hard-edged sound fans fell in love with on songs like "La Grange," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Gimme All Your Lovin' " and "Tush." Guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons, singer, bassist and keyboard player Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard were touring Europe in recent weeks, but Gibbons took time to answer a few Argus Leader e-mail questions:

Question: People still call you "That little old band from Texas." Have you guys remained a three-piece since the start?

Answer: Two didn't seem like enough and four seemed like one too many. The trio format is as basic as it gets, and we saw that the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream made a go of it, so we thought we'd give it a try. It's a noble experiment that has been going on for four decades, so it would seem to indicate that the formula is working.

Q: Are you the same three members who started the band in 1969, in Houston, Texas?

A: Yes, the same three guys and the same three chords all this time. It ain't broke, so nothing to fix.

Q: How did you meet?

A: It came together when I was introduced to Frank, who found a way to put his huge drum kit into a red Volkswagen. He introduced me to Dusty - they'd been in The American Blues together when I was part of the Moving Sidewalks.

Q: Who are some of your earliest musical influences?

A: Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, Elvis, Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Without them, no us.

Q: Did you ever add extra musicians for big concerts, or was it just you guys?

A: Always us. At one time, we wanted to have a horn section so we learned to play, filmed ourselves and then showed that film in our concerts so we could back ourselves up. Again, same three guys, same three chords. What you see is what you get!

Q: There are pictures of you performing overseas gigs, in Europe and knocking around in Spain. Are fans there excited to see you?

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A: They are very enthusiastic as a rule because they may have heard about us and heard our music but most haven't actually seen us in person, so there's this pent-up energy that manifests itself in a big way. We don't know if they understand all the words to the songs but it really doesn't matter. They get down and dig it just like people who come to see us at home.

Q: Have you been playing overseas for long? Is it the fans that make it fun?

A: We've been going over to Europe for quite a while, but when we get to a country we haven't played before (like Macedonia), it's really an over-the-top thing. Which isn't to say American fans don't more than hold their own. If it's in you, it's just gotta get out, and we're there to facilitate that.

Q: What about those long beards: Have you had them from the start? And the sunglasses?

A: They happened rather spontaneously. We had taken a lengthy break and hadn't seen each other for a good long while, though we spoke on the phone. When we got together in the flesh, we saw that we had grown these chin whiskers without ever comparing notes. We took it as a sign and laid off the razor pretty much ever since. Frank's last name is "Beard," so he gets a pass. And you gotta have shades.

Q: Did Frank ever try to match you guys, growing a longer beard?

A: He has long sported a goatee but you know how drummers are - they march (or shuffle) to their own beat.

Q: Would you shave the beards for $1 million?

A: The prospect of seeing ourselves clean shaven in the mirror is just too strange a concept to contemplate. Keep the money, and we'll keep the whiskers.

Q: I've heard people argue over the origin or meaning of the infamous '70s hit "Tush," some saying you meant "touch," other saying it's a rear-end reference, as in "Nice tush!" Who's right?

A: Actually, there was a saying we grew up with in which things were graded: "Tush," "Plush" and "Rico." Rico is the top tier, but something "tush" is pretty great. But since folks hear what they want to hear, we have no problem with other interpretations.

Q: Ever try other music styles?

A: "Rough Boy" is about as "emo" as we've gotten, and we dig some electronica, but, of course, blues is at the core.

Q: New album soon? Have an album name yet?

A: Started working on one with Rick Rubin producing, and we'll get back to it after we're off the road. Only the temp, working title has revealed itself, but the officiated moment will surely come.

Reach Jay Kirschenmann at 331-2312.

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