SXSW Music News - The beard to end all beards鈥.
This is the best thing that鈥檚 happened to me since I鈥檝e been here (and very nearly the best thing that鈥檚 ever happened to me). I was having some Chinese food (when in Rome and all that) with a couple of friends, when one of them stops mid-wonton, and starts pointing, slack-jawed across the room.
鈥淭hat,鈥 he says, jabbing a chopstick towards the bar, 鈥淚s Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top....鈥
None of us believed him. Yes, the legendary rock band do hail from Texas. Yes, they鈥檙e rumoured to play at every SXSW festival. And yes, the gentleman in question did have a huge beard, just like ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gib鈥.
鈥淏loody hell, that's Billy Gibbons.鈥
After ten minutes of us individually pretending to go to the toilet so we could walk past him and have a proper look, one member of our party summons up the courage to speak to the great man.
And lo and behold, he turns out to be utterly charming.
鈥淚 thought you were from England鈥 he comments (What was it that gave us away? The weak bladders?) before chatting about his extensive collection of guitars and cars, and explaining that no, ZZ Top are not playing this year, but he鈥檚 around to 鈥渟oak up the atmosphere and check out some bands鈥.
Then (and this is the best bit) he asks how many of us are in our group - we say five - as he reaches into his pocket and whips out five pictures of himself, signs all of them, and gives them to us.
What a dude (in a real Big Lebowski way).*
From now on I鈥檓 going to carry around pictures of myself, then sign and give them to everyone that speaks to me. Even if it鈥檚 just in the supermarket.
Just so you know.
Matt
*Sadly, I can鈥檛 confirm that he was driving the red 1933 Ford 3-window coup茅 ZZ Top Hot Rod car that featured in a the videos for Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin鈥 and Legs, cos we were to excited when we left to check the car park.
But I bet he was.
