Hillbilly Vegas Talk New Single, Touring With Ted Nugent And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Joe Ward
Oklahoma based Southern Rock powerhouse, Hillbilly Vegas have recently released their new single ‘Hell To Pay’ and will tour the UK in January/February 2024. They gave us some Southern hospitality and chatted to us at JLTT:
Who is in HillbillyVegas and what do they play?
Steve Harris-vocals
Stacy Thornburg-Lead Guitar
Johnny Reed-Guitar
Geraldo Dominelli-Guitar/Keyboard
Todd Ronning-Bass
Troy Hollinger-Drums
You will be flying over to the UK in January 2024 as special guest to Luke Morley on his tour before doing some headline club dates. How did that opportunity arise?
We have to thank Conquest Music for working tirelessly to get this tour done and giving us all the tools we need to make it a success.
How are you feeling about performing in the UK for the first time?
It’s actually our second trip to the UK. The first being last year doing acoustic performances. But this will be the first time with the full band and we are excited to make some real noise!
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Poteau, Oklahoma
1-It’s
2-Wonderful
3-Small
4-Town
5-America
There ya go…also the home of the highest hill in the world!
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals?
We have some companies that have been with us since the beginning we love. Apex strings, Hercules Stands, Orange Amps, Pig Hog Cables, Babicz Bridges and of course Gibson Guitars
You released the single ‘Hell To Pay’ earlier this year. What is the story/inspiration behind the song?
It’s really just about the never ending grind. Sometimes you want to just stop and hide but you can’t because so many people rely on you. So you keep going all the while knowing some day…you’re going to have to pay. I’m sure most people can relate.
How do you look after your voices?
Truly, I know a lot of singers do warmups, teas…etc. I don’t do any of it. I just live my life and ask the same of my voice.
Interestingly, you toured the USA as special guests to Ted Nugent. What was that experience like and do you have any interesting, memorable or funny stories from those shows?
We had a great time with Ted. He was supportive, fun and took great care of us. I know a lot of people think a lot of things about Ted but they’re probably all wrong about him. He’s real. He’s energetic and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He’s family to us. As for funny stories…not any stories but I will tell you about backstage with Ted. His wife, kids and grandkids were with him the entire tour. It was a huge family affair. Most people have a different idea of what happens behind the scenes. We just came to work every day, played music and enjoyed getting know the Nugents. We love them.
Do you have any further releases planned in 2024?
We’ve been working on a new album. Hopefully around summer we will get it out. We’ve got about half of it recorded as of today.
What makes Hillbilly Vegas happy and what makes you unhappy?
Happy…playing our music and meeting new people.
Unhappy…bad food
Photo Credit: Joe Ward
Hillbilly Vegas will tour the UK in January and February 2024 on the The Great British Hustle Tour. Tickets are available here https://www.hillbilly-vegas.com/
They will play the following dates:
January 24 Winchester, Railway Inn 25 *Wolverhampton KK’s Steel Mill 26 *Glasgow Cathouse27 *Newcastle Riverside28 Old Parcels Office, Scarborough29 *Nottingham Rescue Rooms 30 *Cardiff The Globe 31 *London Islington AcademyFebruary 1 Leicester, Musician 4 Planet Rock, Winters End, Trecco Bay 6 Newcastle, Trillians 7 Stoke, Eleven 8 London, The Cavern, Raynes Park 9 Hastings, Black Box 10 Southend, Chinnerys*Special Guests of Luke Morley.
