Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa catches up with Metal Express Radio to talk about Black Country Communion, Beth Hart, forthcoming solo projects, and what it’s like playing with legends BB King and John Lee Hooker.
MER:
You’ve got such a strong work ethic and you seem to be on tour constantly. How many shows do you get through a year?
JB:
I think last year with Black Country Communion and my solo band it was something like 180 shows last year. We did 6 weeks of shows with Black Country Communion but this year I’ll probably only do about 110 to 115 shows. I’m taking most of the summer off this year, so I’ll get a bit of a break. To use a baseball analogy, there’s only so many pitches in the arm before you start hurting yourself. I’m turning 35 this year so I’m going to pace myself a little more from now on. I don’t know how BB King has managed to do it for as many years as he has. He’s still out there well into his 80s and still manages to outwork everyone. I don’t know how he does it. He’s an anomaly and someone I really look up to. I really cherish my association with him.
MER:
Each year you tour you play bigger and bigger halls. You started off in the North of England at the Customs House in South Shields, then to the Newcastle City Hall, The Sage, Gateshead and this tour you’re playing at the huge Metro Arena. Does it surprise you that a Blues artist can make the step up out of the clubs into the Arenas in this day and age?
JB:
I think I’m more of a crossover artist. I don’t do 100% Blues 100% of the time, so maybe there’s something a little different in there that people can relate to and people want to hear. A few years back who would have thought that I’d have been able to sell out the Albert Hall in London? It’s amazing, really. I’m very happy that my music over the last seven years has reached a wider audience. Any musician would be lying to you when they started off if they said they didn’t want to sell as many records as possible or play to as many people as possible. I’ve been really honored by all of the success and it all started in the UK.
MER:
Do you miss the proximity of the audience when playing in such large venues?
JB:
I do miss the sound of the small clubs to be honest with you. Everything is so immediate in a club. All you need is your amp. When you have a stage the size of a soccer field you need monitors all over the stage and everything is so loud. The drums sound bigger and everything is delayed a touch. You’re hitting notes and those people at the back of the hall hear them a second later, but then again it’s a lot of fun playing to so many people in these larger halls.
MER:
Last year you had to postpone a couple of dates in Blackpool and Nottingham and you’ve added them into this tour. Will these shows be slightly different than the rest of the dates?
JB:
The tickets are honored for those shows, but it will be the same production as the rest of the tour.
MER: Have you finalized the set list for the tour?
JB:
We start rehearsing in a couple of weeks and I haven’t really thought about what we’re going to do just yet. There’s a couple of old songs I want to pull out and also some songs I’ve been working on for the new record that I’d like to play as well as some of the crowd favorites too.
MER:
As far as your touring band, you’ll have Carmine Rojas in there on bass who’s been with you for a while now. He played on Bowie’s Let’s Dance album. He’s also toured with Rod Stewart and played with BB King and Stevie Wonder, amongst many others. How did you first hook up with Carmine?
JB:
That was through Kevin Shirley, my producer … he introduced us and he’s been me with for a while now. He’s a real gem — one of the best musicians I’ve ever worked with. I’ve also got Tal Bergman on the drums who’s played with Billy Idol and Chaka Khan. I’ve got a great band with me; they make one hell of a noise.
MER:
What is it that you look for in a drummer when putting your band together?
JB:
You want someone to play with the same soul and feel that you have and interpret the music the way you want it. You need them to play so dynamically, which is really critical. They need to be able to play loud and then take it down to a whisper when it’s necessary. You need someone who can lock into a groove. Tal can do that and Jason Bonham from Black Country Communion can too. They both have the “X Factor” — it’s something you can’t teach … it’s in their DNA.
MER:
You’ve recently released the album Don’t Explain with Beth Hart on vocals. How did you first meet Beth?
JB:
I’ve known Beth for a few years now and I see her a lot at festivals. I’m a huge fan of hers. Actually, her show is one of the few I’ve been to in the last five years where I’ve gone as a paying punter. I just woke up one morning and had the idea of doing some great Soul and R&B tunes and putting a crack band together to do that and Beth was perfect. I suggested it to Kevin Shirley and he thought it was a great idea, so we got in touch with Beth and she was up for it. It’s just a marriage made in heaven — everyone really compliments each other and it works so well.
MER:
Don’t Explain is a fantastic collection of Soul covers. There are so many great songs to choose from … how did you whittle down the list to record?
JB: “For My Friends” by Bill Withers is one of my favorites on the album. We all put forward ideas for the album. Beth had a couple of songs she wanted to do, and so did I, and Kevin also made some great suggestions. We had twelve tracks and recorded four tracks over three days. That was it … we recorded it as quickly as that … it was such a spontaneous record for us to make. We recorded it pretty much live, so rather than repeating a solo over and over again, we just wanted to capture the energy of the moment.
MER:
Have you any plans to do any live shows together?
JB:
We’ll be doing a second album sometime next year, so we might do some shows together once that album is out. We’ll have two albums worth of material to choose from … then we’ll go out and do some dates. They’ll probably be a couple of shows next summer in the USA and in the UK. The Sage in Gateshead would be a perfect venue for that. I love The Sage — it’s a great venue. I love the City Hall in Newcastle too — it’s such a beautiful building and the acoustics sound great.
MER:
You’re also lead guitarist in the Hard Rock band Black Country Communion. Do you tend to write differently for Black Country Communion than you do for your solo work?
JB:
I can just focus on Rock. The whole point of the band was to play early ’70s-style Hard Rock, so I write in a way that reflects that. By myself I’m more into the Bluesier stuff and that’s what I do, but Glenn Hughes, he’s a Rock guy and so are Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian — they are all Rock guys. When we write it takes on a more Rock feel because of those guys. It’s a great band to be in.
MER:
Glenn Hughes is acknowledged as one of the best Rock and Soul singers the UK has ever produced. Did he give you any advice on singing techniques or was he coming to you for guitar lessons?
JB:
I’ve always admired Glenn’s voice and have always loved the way he sings. Just being around him has made me a better singer — watching him sing and doing it every day has helped me so much.
MER:
Is it quite liberating for you on stage having someone like Glenn doing most of the vocals? Does it allow you to concentrate more on your guitar work?
JB:
Hell yeah! That’s why Glenn is in the band … to do the singing. I wouldn’t have agreed to join the band if I was going to be the principal singer — that’s what I do in my day job. I’m more than happy to only sing a couple of songs. Last tour I sang “John Henry” and a couple of tracks from the Black Country Communion records. The rest of the time I can just play my guitar.
MER:
“Hadrian’s Wall” is one of the ones that you sing. Was this song inspired by your trips into Northumberland when you have been to the UK on tour?
JB:
Yes it was. What I wanted to do was write a song with an Iron Maiden type of theme. You know how they do with a “Flight Of Icarus” type of story? They have all these cool British titles for their songs, so I just wanted to write a story about a battle for Hadrian’s Wall.
MER:
You’re currently planning album #3 with Black Country Communion. How far are you with that process?
JB:
I’ve been writing with Derek this afternoon, so we’re literally at the beginning now. You heard it here first. We’ve spent an hour and a half so far and that’s it. It’s too early to mention song titles, but that’ll come soon enough.
MER:
You’re all busy musicians with your own projects. How do you fit in Black Country Communion around each other’s commitments?
JB:
It’s tough … it’s really tough … that’s why the tour took over a year to organize. We just find a way to make it happen.
MER:
As far as your own music goes, you’ll be releasing Live At The Beacon, which was recorded late last year at New York’s legendary Beacon Theatre. That included some guest appearances by the likes of Paul Rodgers. That must have been a really special show for you to have done …
JB:
It was very special for me to play there. I used to live very close to The Beacon and it meant so much that I got to play there. I used to walk past and see the neon lights and see who was playing. You could see Steely Dan or The Allman Brothers do a ten night run there. It was just one great band after another playing. Being a New Yorker it meant the world to me to be able to play at The Beacon. We did two nights and Paul Rodgers came over and Beth Hart and John Hiatt too, and they came up on stage with me. That was such a thrill, it was so cool.
MER: What about new solo material, have you prepared anything for your follow up to last year’s Dust Bowl?
JB:
I’ve thought about it and there are some good ideas there. I’ve got a great band and the material’s going to be really good. I’m very excited about it.
MER:
You’ve worked closely over the years with producer Kevin Shirley. It’s clearly a winning combination. What is it about Kevin that works so well for you?
JB:
He’s the best musician in the room. He challenges you and that’s the best thing about him. I haven’t thought about working with anyone else as Kevin is the best there is. He knows what the record will sound like before we’ve even started.
MER:
When you were 12 you played with BB King. How did you manage that?
JB:
I got booked to open up the show and I met him and he was really cool. I’ve known him for 20 years now and he’s an incredibly generous guy.
MER:
Were you nervous?
JB:
I just went along and played. I just like to play really. I don’t remember being nervous … I was just happy to be playing.
MER:
You also got to play with John Lee Hooker. You must have fulfilled a few of your life’s ambitions by the time you were a teenager. Is there anyone out there that you’d still really like to play with at some point in the future?
JB: .
I played with John Lee Hooker about a year later and I got to play with Albert Collins and Buddy Guy too. I was just old enough to appreciate that these guys were still in their prime. It was a wonderful experience for me. Albert died not long after I played with him, that was such a shame. I don’t have a bucket list of people I want to play with. If an opportunity comes up and it makes sense and it’s for the right reasons, I’ll do it. All those guys that played with me at the Beacon last year, they all meant something to me and it was just right that we played together.
MER:
Being able to play to such a high standard at such a young age is an inspiration to all musicians. What is your advice to a kid who is just starting out learning the instrument?
JB:
The best advice I can give to anybody is to play what you like when you like it and don’t stray from that. You have to enjoy what you’re doing. If you’re not, then don’t force it. It’s about fun. It’s good to know chords and scales, but it doesn’t need to be like schoolwork. Just go out and enjoy playing the guitar.
MER:
After your UK shows are over what have you got planned over the coming months?
JB:
I’ve got the summer off and then I have a solo tour in the Fall and it’s going to be a busy year touring, writing, and recording. For now, I just can’t wait to get back over to the UK to play for you guys.
Joe Bonamassa’s UK tour starts on the March 23, 2012 at the Brighton Centre and ends on April 5, 2012 at the Opera House in Blackpool.
Joe Bonamassa’s new album Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre – Live From New York is set for release on March 26, 2012.
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