X’s Ex-Guitarist Zooms in on His Rockabilly Roots, for the Fun of It

When you say Billy Zoom has come full circle, it means two things.

Before 1977, when he and singer-bassist John Doe answered each other’s “musicians wanted” ads in the Recycler and launched the stellar L.A. band X, guitarist Zoom was pursuing a couple of key endeavors--one musical, one non-musical--which he then pretty much shelved.

The musical endeavor: Zoom had been fronting his own band (called, appropriately enough, the Billy Zoom Band), pounding out feisty rockabilly.

Since leaving X 3 years ago, he has resurrected the Billy Zoom Band, which plays tonight at Night Moves in Huntington Beach. “It’s not pure rockabilly anymore,” he said. “But it’s pretty rootsy stuff. We do some originals, some covers, some old songs, some new songs--just rock ‘n’ roll, but kind of rootsy rock ‘n’ roll.”

An equal emphasis, it seems, is placed on recreational rock ‘n’ roll: The Zoom Band--which also includes bassist Ken Jacobs and X drummer D.J. Bonebrake--keeps its bookings both local and light (tonight’s show, for example, is the only one this month).

“I’m back to playing music for fun, which I think is probably the way it should be,” Zoom said. Are there any plans afoot to travel beyond the L.A.-Orange County area? “No, no touring. I don’t think it would really work unless we had an album out. And then it would be a whole different thing. We’re not doing that--it wouldn’t be fun anymore.”

He added that he has been asked to put a Zoom Band album out, which is hardly surprising: effortlessly reeling off those fiery rockabilly-meets-Ramones guitar licks, he was X’s sonic MVP.

Elektra, X’s label, “wanted me to do an album,” said Zoom (who, extending a longstanding tradition, refused to give his age). “They called and asked me about it and I said, ‘Gee, I don’t know if I want to do that.’ They even extended my contract an additional 6 months to give me time to think it over. But I really couldn’t come up with something that I thought would be worthwhile.”

That conclusion wouldn’t have prevented a lot of other rockers from jumping at the offer--partially, at least, because they might not have had other ways to pay the bills. But Zoom does. Which brings us to the other way he has come full circle.

“I have an electronics business that takes up most of my time,” he said. “I do custom amp work, for guitar amps. I build or modify amps or repair them.”

Zoom says the business has been under way about 1 1/2 years--this time. “But I’d done it in the past. I was doing electronics work when we started X; that’s what I was doing then. I was working on repairing studio gear and stuff. So, anyway, that’s my main source of income now.”

Although the electronics business was on hold during the 8 years he was in X, Zoom still did a lot of offstage work with his hands--in particular, tinkering with Lambrettas and other motor scooters. Ask about scooters now, though, and you hit a nerve. Or at least a scar.

“Well, I still ride, but I fell on my chin about a year ago,” Zoom explained. “I was eating a Klondike bar on the way home from the grocery store while I was riding. The ice cream got away from me--the ice cream was sliding out of the chocolate coating and I fell on my chin trying to save it.”

That demonstrates pretty strong devotion to ice cream. “Yeah, well, you’ve seen those commercials on TV: ‘What would you do for a Klondike bar?’ I cringe every time I see that, ‘cause I feel so stupid,” he said, laughing. “I ended up with three stitches .”