Hamilton Loomis

BM: What were your first experiences of the Blues?

Hamilton: My parents had a fantastic record collection of old blues, soul, rock, and funk. I was listening and learning ever since I was a baby.

BM: Who were the influences on your musical career?

Hamilton: Well, as far as guitar playing goes, Joe Hughes, Freddy King, Johnny Guitar Watson, and Gatemouth Brown were all influences. However, it was Bo Diddley who encouraged me to be original, so I took all the music I listened to growing up and made a stew out of it…that’s why my music is difficult to categorize, and I like it that way.

BM: What’s next in your musical career?

Hamilton: We’re branching out into mainland Europe in November 2010, supplementing our UK tour, so I’m excited.

BM: Do you think Blues is making a comeback?

Hamilton: Definitely. The younger generation is embracing blues and there is a resurgence of young blues players right now, not only in the UK but in the US as well. It’s also great when artists put a new “spin” on blues, or stretch the boundaries of blues because it broadens the appeal and the potential audience. Thanks to young players like Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamossa, and even John Mayer, we see young

people listening to blues-based music. And it’s important because all our popular music stems from blues.

BM: Does singing the Blues come from experience?

Hamilton: Singing ANY style of music comes from experience. As an artist, you write and sing about your experiences, or tell stories appropriate to you. That’s why I write the way I write…if you mean what you sing, and mean what you play, that’s all you need to reach people with your music.

BM: What was the first gig that you played and who with?

Hamilton: My first real paid gig was on drums when I was 12 with a band in my hometown of Galveston, Texas. However, once I got more confident on guitar, my drumming went permanently on the backburner.

BM: Which country do you enjoy playing in most of all?

Hamilton: I don’t really have a favourite yet…fortunately; music is such a universal language that people from all over the world can understand you.

BM: What was your first guitar and how many do you own?

Hamilton: My very first guitar was a Peavey T-15 I got when I was 7. I graduated up to a Gibson Les Paul when I was 14, and played it for many years. I now play Ernie Ball Music Man guitars, and they are the best in the world. I own 2 Music Man guitars, 2 Les Pauls, and my beloved autographed Gretsch Bo Diddley guitar. Since I play bass too, I have a Yamaha bass, a Fender bass, and an old Kay upright bass that I use for occasional sessions or jazz gigs. I’ve never been a collector, just a practical player.

BM: If you weren’t a musician (in a band) what would you be doing?

Hamilton: Good question…I’d probably make or build instruments. I was lucky to have studied under Chip Todd, a talented luthier in Austin Texas, so I learned a bit about repairing and building guitars from scratch. It’s extremely challenging, but fun as well.

BM: Which is the biggest festival you have played?

Hamilton: I played the Delta Blues Festival in Greenville, Mississippi when I was 17 in front of almost 20,000 people. It was pure adrenaline!

BM: Which is your favourite festival?

Hamilton: I don’t know…I think every festival I’m about to play is my favourite!

BM: Is there any instrument you would like to add to your line up that you think would enhance your sound?

Hamilton: No, because my band and I multi-task a lot. I play guitar, harp, and I do live rhythm guitar looping onstage. My sax man plays keyboard also…we are resourceful, to put it another way.

BM: Who was the last blues act that you paid to see?

Hamilton: I’ve been lucky in that I’ve done shows with many blues artists, so I don’t think I ever really had to pay to see a blues show! I would’ve paid, though…

BM: What was the last blues CD that you bought for yourself?

Hamilton: I can’t remember…then again, I can’t even remember what I ate yesterday.

BM: What do you do to relax when you have some spare time away from music?

Hamilton: Chill out, go camping, take trips away from the city, watch movies with the Mrs., and just do things that require as little brain power as possible. Being on the road is exhausting, especially mentally, so it’s good to relax the mind whenever you can.

Thank you Hamilton for some great answers will catch up with you at Carlisle Festival later this year.

Barry Middleton (Chairperson)
Nottingham Blues Society