Bad Billies - Joe Villalobos responding to an e-mail interview.
1) Describe your sound.
It's homegrown, refried rockabilly from the Mesilla Valley.
2) How do you feel about the competition so far?
The competition has been lots of fun. The crowd gets into the music and all the bands have been great to listen to. Actually, we are surprised that we are in the final round. The crowd response in Albuquerque has been the most fun because they know how to have good time. That's our kind of crowd, let's have some fun and go crazy. If you're feeling good at our show, then our job is done.
We get nervous and anxious before the show. It gets built up during the drive to Albuquerque, then is expressed when we go on stage. We use all the nervous energy to rock the house.
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3) Who are your influences? Name a local band you would go see on a Friday night.
We all have many influences that come together in our music. But the major influences are the Reverend Horton Heat, Elvis and the Stray Cats. The Las Cruces bands we like to go see on a Friday night are Tha House Rockas, Captain Jookie, New Mexican Erection, Somebody's Weird and the Mijas.
4) What's the worst thing that ever happened during a performance?
The worst thing, so far, was in the preliminary round. In the middle of our third song, the lead microphone stopped working due to a dead battery. We had to finish the song without any lyrics.
5) If you were stuck on a tour van for months, what items could you not do without?
Toilet paper, cigs and a radio.
6) Finish the sentence: If my band were a type of car, it would be . . .
A hot rod van, customized by Jesse James - that is fast and could carry all of our instruments.
