Way Out West Fest II – Billy Brooks interview (by Doug Mitchell)
When you conjure up a mental image of Tucson, AZ you probably don’t picture it as any sort of musical Mecca. A man with a beard is out to change that image one punk show at a time with the upcoming second installment of Way Out West Fest. I sat down for a brief chat with the man, the myth, and the legend that is Billy Brooks to see what he had to say about WOW Fest II, beards, booze and wieners.
So Billy… you’ve got to be excited about the second Way Out West Fest coming up in April. When you first came up with the idea did you imagine it as a one-time event?
At first the hope was that this would turn into an annual event that people looked forward to and got excited about. Whenever you take on something of this magnitude there is always the possibility that it
will fail or fall short, luckily for us people came and it seems that the consensus is positive. I’m looking forward to it and I feel like we are gaining momentum, obviously the goal is to have each year
better than the last.
Did you always plan on having as many bands as you ended up with, or is it the type of thing that just snowballed once you started putting it together?
Last year was way bigger than I had originally intended and this year I wanted to scale back, but we wound up with two more bands than last year. It’s easy to tell yourself “keep it small” but when the emails keep coming and friends are calling and sending text messages asking to play it’s hard to say no. Before you realize it you have over 60 bands planning trips to Tucson.
So it’s you, your beard and another dude who puts this whole thing together , who does what exactly?
Last year it was me and a buddy with both of our beards, but this year has been more of a solo adventure. I even went sans my beard for awhile this year. I was on the fence about trying again just because I want to put forth the best fest possible, but after reflecting and figuring what could be done better I decided to give it another go, and with some help from some friends we put together a party.
Judging by the lineup I’d say you’re doing pretty well for a one-man operation. Have you ever thought about getting a national headliner or two to bring more attention to the fest?
The way the fest is booked currently we try not to deal with booking agents because it’s not a big money-making endeavor organizing this thing and no one is guaranteed any money to play. I asked around 30 “well known” bands and due to various reasons we couldn’t get anything worked out. At a certain point music is a business, and even in this circle and when you start talking about “exposure” and “monetary compensation” an independent fest without a big sponsor isn’t really an easy sell. The reality is the headliner I was dreaming of wanted a $10,000 guarantee and that would have at least doubled our wristband price and I wasn’t ok with that. My feeling is that next year we’ll be seeing some big names on a Way Out West Fest poster.
Apparently the alcohol is free-flowing in Tucson, because Way Out West Fest has been called the “Liver Killer Fest” by some of last year’s bands and attendees. Since you don’t drink, what is your guiltiest pleasure?
I’m a glutton. I love food, it’s my vice and every meal is better with Dr. Pepper. I’m so weak.
What is a Sonoran Dog and what does it have to do with Way Out West Fest?
A Sonoran Dog is the key to most men’s hearts and a beautiful gift from our neighbors to the south. It’s a hot dog wrapped in bacon and tucked into a special type of bun topped with beans, tomatoes, onions,
jalapeno sauce, mayo and mustard. It’s the official food for carnivores at wowfest.
You’re making me hungry man. Speaking of gluttony…I’ll take two! Thanks for the time Billy, see you in April.
Way Out West Fest II will be held at The Hut in Tucson, AZ from April 13th – 15th. 3-day wristbands are on sale for $25 at http://wayoutwestfestaz.com/
Doug Mitchell plays guitar, drinks beer and occasionally writes stuff. You can see him doing at least two of these things with his band Margate (www.margatemusic.com) at wowfest on Friday April 13th.
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