ZZ Tush captures sound, look of classic rockers
ZZ Tush isn't just a cover band. The trio from Davis pays tribute to ZZ Top — “that little ol' band out of Texas” — with an act that is much more than simply plugging in and playing the hits.
From their custom-made instruments, costumes and props to carefully studied stage mannerisms and Hollywood-grade make-up these sharp-dressed men have got multiple legs-up on the competition.
It all began when the cover band that “Jersey” John Roche and Dan Monaghan were in dissolved, and Roche had the idea to go in a different, more focused direction.
“The thing with ZZ Top, even if you're not a music fan, you know who ZZ Top is. They're just so iconic with their beards, with their custom guitars,” said Roche.
“My guitar player fit the bill of Billy (Gibbons) and I fit the bill of Dusty (Hill), so I said what about a ZZ Top tribute? Let's give this a shot.”
The first thing Roche realized was that he was going to have to step out of his comfort zone from his time in other groups, where he had mostly stayed out of the spotlight.
“It really got us out of our element because I always played in the back, I never had a microphone near me. I just played bass. I never got to a mic at all,” said Roche.
“And now we're going to be the front men, we're going to be doing all the vocals. Dan was an already accomplished vocalist, and I wasn't, so I took vocal classes, I took training, I watched videos. I brought my wife on as a speech therapist — she told me when you need to deal with breathing from the diaphragm and all that.”
The duo recruited Ed Koop for the part of Frank Beard on the drums, and they set about developing their tribute show — recreating not only the live music and singing but also the visual aspect of a ZZ Top concert.
“We worked our asses off and then every night just watched videos of the band playing on TV and seeing what kind of moves they did, and incorporated all that with our show,” said Roche.
Eight years down the road, ZZ Tush is cruising along like a fine-tuned 1933 Ford Coupe, having added custom-made guitars, stage costumes, amplifiers and microphone stands courtesy of Roche, who credits his time owning a billiards business for many years for his unique fabricating and building skills.
After ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill passed away last year while on tour, ZZ Tush added a special tribute to the late bassist, with a bouquet of roses and a hat like the one he wore on the side of the stage, along with a banner saluting him.
“We do a big tribute, he's always up on stage with us. And he's gonna be on stage every show because the real fans when they see it, they're like, `Oh, that's so cool!” said Roche.
One of the questions that the members of ZZ Tush always get asked is, of course, if their beards are real—the answer is no, but not because they can't grow them.
“I have to laugh about this, we cannot have real beards, because the hair I have on my head is white, and Dan's is snow white,” said Roche. “We'd look like ZZ Claus!”