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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/themetalden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/BillLonero1.jpg\" "\\"BillLonero1\\"")
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\nInstrumental rock guitarist Bill Lonero plays with groove and attitude. His band, LoNero, gave birth to ‘Guitarcore’ with their first release entitled Relentless <\/em>in 2007. While he may not be known by many still, the dead-serious musician has quietly begun to carve himself out a spot as one of the most important shredders emerging from the Los Angeles rock scene today. He is undoubtedly influenced by six-string heroes Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, and Joe Satriani. Within minutes of hearing him work his magic on the fretboard, any true lover of guitar will simply fall in love with who Bill is. On May 23rd, 2011, LoNero band released the new album J.F.L.<\/em> and since have been steadily jamming for bigger crowds and gaining more devoted fans who enjoy the man’s unrelenting pursuit to deliver quality rock guitar music.
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\nThe Metal Den\u2019s Randy \u201cRocket\u201d Cody has conducted an exclusive interview with guitarist Bill Lonero for his loyal worldwide Den Headz.<\/strong>
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<\/p>\nROCKET: Where were you born and raised?
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\nLONERO: I was born and raised in San Jose, California. Lived other places but San Jose is where I keep gravitating towards. Not sure why considering there isn\u2019t much of a music scene here. That could change considering there are a lot of great musicians here but of course people go out to live shows less and less and just hide behind their computers now. I don\u2019t get it really. Everyone loves music but somehow they\u2019ve become content to experience it sitting at a desk and watching it on a computer screen. Nothing replaces seeing a live show, feeling the music in your body, the energy from the band that\u2019s transferred to the fans and back to the band. It\u2019s a perpetual motion of energy and that will never be replaced by a computer. People wonder why concert tickets are getting so expensive? It\u2019s because less and less people are going out to live shows. Less audience means less money to cover costs of shows. So they increase ticket prices to cover expenses. Don\u2019t want your favorite bands to disappear? Support them. It costs money to record, tour etc. Playing music is no different from any other job. Resources are needed and those resources costs money. Plain and simple. So yeah to answer your question I was born and raised in San Jose. lol
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\nROCKET: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
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\nLONERO: Yes, three brothers and one sister. It was my sister that got me into AC\/DC which started me on my path to playing guitar.
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\nROCKET: Do you recall your first rock concert?
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\nLONERO: Definitely. My first concert was Ted Nugent at the local fairgrounds. My first real big concert though was AC\/DC at the Oakland Coliseum. That was an amazing show. To see Angus live for the first time was like a religious experience for me. I\u2019ve seen them 17 times now and not once have I been disappointed. Can\u2019t say that for many bands.
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\nROCKET: Obviously fans know Randy Rhoads inspired you in a big way. Who else would you say are your biggest guitar playing influences?
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\nLONERO: Well definitely Angus Young. He was and still is my biggest influence on guitar. Randy inspired me to play different styles. On my first CD \u201cSlather\u201d I put a Latin song, classical song, blues and of course rock songs. Those were all directly influenced by Randy and not being held to one style of music. But Angus is my ultimate guitar influence. Everything from his playing to his attitude has inspired me. He plays what he wants and makes no excuses and no apologies. People always get on AC\/DC and say \u201coh every song sounds the same\u201d. Really? That\u2019s why \u201cBack in Black\u201d has sold almost 60 millions copies. How many albums have they sold? Most artists will never reach 60 million in sales for their entire career. AC\/DC did it with one CD! Now add in all the other albums. Yeah they may all have similar sounds but that\u2019s their style. The same people that are bashing them are the same ones that hum \u201cBack in Black\u201d or \u201cHighway to Hell\u201d or the many other incredible songs they have. AC\/DC is a perfect example of simple is better. You can complicate a song all you want but as Brian Johnson said \u201cAt the end of the day people just want to go home, put up their feet and get laid\u201d. Joe Satriani is obviously an influence. I think any instrumental guitar player from the last 25 years has been influenced by him. When he came out with \u201cSurfing with the Alien\u201d it changed everything, finally an instrumental guitarist that had melody and wasn\u2019t all about shredding (which is what the whole Shrapnel records thing was all about). He\u2019s a very lyrical player and that\u2019s something a lot of guitarists lack. Joe nails it.
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\nROCKET: When exactly did you first start playing the guitar?
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\nLONERO: Technically seven years old but I don\u2019t think I really got into proper playing until I was ten.\u00a0I heard \u201cHighway to Hell\u201d and that opening riff hooked me. It was pure power and I was sold! Once I saw the cover and Angus with his snarl and devil horns I thought \u201cNow THIS is rock and roll\u201d. I used to stand in front of the mirror and try to copy his snarl when I was a kid. For the record though I have never played air guitar. Just wanted to get that out in the open. lol
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\nROCKET: Did you ever take any formal guitar lessons?
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\nLONERO: I tried to take one formal lesson when I was fifteen but it was a disaster. The teacher did more harm than good. He really wasn\u2019t interested in teaching me what I wanted to learn. He wanted me to learn HIS style which I wasn\u2019t interested in. I\u2019m on the fence with lessons. On one hand I think they are good for the student if they are done in a way that will lead the student to discover their own path. However if the teacher just treats the student like someone he can mold to his liking than the student usually won\u2019t discover their own style, and in doing so the student will usually either get smart and find another teacher or become disinterested in the guitar all together. I\u2019m also a proponent of self-learning. Yeah sometimes it may take a little longer to pick up things but along the way you will discover things that you never even imagined and you will find your own style.
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\nROCKET: LoNero, the band released the full-length instrumental album entitled “J.F.L.” in 2011. How has the response been on that?
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\nLONERO: The response has been fantastic! The fans have really seemed to grab onto it. It\u2019s a full on frontal assault with no apologies and no excuses. Most instrumental albums are focused on the solos and lead guitar player. We\u2019re not about that. For us it\u2019s about the band and it\u2019s about the music. And if that means the guitar solo is only 8 measure than so be it. Rhythms are very important in LoNero. They are 100% of the song. You have to have good rhythms. In our songs if you take out the melodies there are still rhythms there that can hold their own. That\u2019s the way it should be. I\u2019m not interested in hearing someone wank over a 5 minute chord vamp. Boring! My friend and rock photographer Neil Zlozower summed up our music the best. He said “Unlike most instrumental guitar players out there who’s music is soft, LoNero’s music is mean, intense, nasty, urgent, aggressive and angry! I’m definitely a fan!!!!!”\u00a0 He\u2019s seen and shot just about everyone since 1967. So coming from him that is a HUGE compliment!
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\nROCKET: Who produced it and where was it recorded?
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\nLONERO: It was produced by me and Grammy winner Michael Rosen. He\u2019s worked with Metallica, Joe Satriani, Testament, Tesla, etc., amazing engineer and producer. Really a great guy. We recorded all the tracks at our rehearsal\/recording studio and he mixed it at his studio. We used to actually rehearse upstairs at a machine shop (how metal is that?). There was a 6,000 square foot loft that they weren\u2019t using. However they sold the business so we needed to find a new spot. So when I came back from NAMM I was looking around and found a warehouse with a loft and two offices. We turned the back office into a control room, the front office into a lounge and the loft into our hang out area. The main floor has 26\u2019 tall ceilings and the room sounds fantastic. We\u2019ve been there two years now and it\u2019s worked perfectly. It\u2019s definitely afforded us more freedom to create without having to worry about noise constraints or other bands etc.
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\nROCKET: Where is the best place for fans to buy it?
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\nLONERO: FROM US at www.LoNero.net. All CD\u2019s ordered from us are signed with free shipping worldwide. However if they want to get it somewhere else all the usual online places as well brick and mortar stores should have it.
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\nROCKET: What kind of guitars do you currently play live and in the studio?
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\nLONERO: I\u2019ve been playing and endorsing the Peavey Wolfgang for about 8 years. Absolutely LOVE it! However they no longer make the Wolfgang. Which really sucks because I\u2019d love to get some new ones but they are hard to find. I haven\u2019t tried the new EVH Wolfgang yet but from what I\u2019ve been told it\u2019s great. Would love to land an endorsement with them one day.
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\nROCKET: Killer. What kind of amps?
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\nLONERO: I was using the Peavey XXX but I got a Diezel Hagan and it is incredible! 4 channel monster! I\u2019ve been using that through an open back Dr. Z 4 x10. Played it through many 4×12\u2019s but it didn\u2019t quite have the punch I was looking for. The 4×10 delivers it perfectly!
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\nROCKET: Do you play with any effects live or in the studio?
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\nLONERO: On my pedal board I have a prototype Dunlop 535 wah (the chrome one), a Digitech Whammy II, a EVH flanger and a BMF Great Wide Open distortion pedal that I use as more of a boost. Rack gear wise I just have a TC Electronics for some delay and a little reverb. All of that goes through a ISP Decimator ProRack G Noise Reduction unit. That thing is a life saver. There\u2019s also a Furman power conditioner in there.
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\n(Bill Lonero at Randy Rhoads’ 30th Memoral <\/a>in 2012)<\/strong>
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\nROCKET: How many hours do you practice on the guitar daily?
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\nLONERO: Not enough. lol I always hear of players that practice 15 hours a day but I just don\u2019t have time for that. Between doing all the band business, running the website, social networking sites, graphics etc and all the other things I do there is no way I can practice that much. But I do always have a guitar around me and I\u2019m always playing it when I\u2019m home or at the studio. I\u2019m always trying to write new riffs. I never listen to other guitar players anymore though. In fact the only music I\u2019ve been listening to the last month has been Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Listening to non-guitar music really helps me come up with melodies and not feel like I\u2019m ripping off some other guitar player.
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\nROCKET: Do you have a warm up that you do before you play a gig?
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\nLONERO: I never play right before a show. Usually I\u2019m tending to band business or out in front talking to people. I like to just jump onstage and start the show. Just give me a stage and a guitar and I\u2019m happy.
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\nROCKET: I like to have fun with this next one. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you while performing live on stage?
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\nLONERO: I would have to say playing at the House of Blues with Cliff Williams from AC\/DC. That was a dream come true. A few days before the show we were rehearsing at S.I.R. in Hollywood and jamming through some SRV, Hendrix and Jeff Beck. Everything was great. The night of the show we got onstage to play AC\/DC\u2019s \u201cT.N.T.\u201d and Cliff nudged me to sing back up. Now I know this song inside and out. I\u2019ve been listening to it since I was a kid. However when I got to the mic I forgot the words I was supposed to sing which was \u201cOi, Oi\u201d. That\u2019s it. That\u2019s all I had to say. But I was standing there playing and thinking to myself \u201cHoly Shit! I\u2019m onstage with Cliff Williams from AC\/DC!!\u201d and I totally forgot the words. I recovered fast though.
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\nROCKET: Are you writing any new material?
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\nLONERO: Always. We have basic tracks done for about 12 songs for the next album. This CD will probably have 12-14 tracks. So we\u2019re almost at the point where we can start demoing the songs and take the next step to get the new album finished.
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\nROCKET: What are some of the upcoming shows for LoNero we need to watch out for?
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\nLONERO: Well on April 19th we will be heading into the studios of BAMM TV to do some live performance videos. In August we will be heading out with Pat Travers again. In between that we are hoping to get out and play as many shows as we can. We\u2019re all about playing live. To us that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.
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\nROCKET: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
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\nLONERO: Same place I see us in one year; touring and releasing more music and making Guitarcore an official genre. We really want to get over to Europe. European fans really, really love their music! AND they are loyal to the bands they like. Plus they are crazy when they go to concerts!
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\nROCKET: Thanks very much for rocking this out with me. Best of luck with your music! Go ahead and give a shout-out to your biggest supporters.
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\nLONERO: Thank you for giving me the opportunity, Rocket. I really appreciate it! And of course a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our fans everywhere! I\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it always, our fans kick ass! They appreciate musicianship and good music. They don\u2019t buy into all the formulaic music out there that\u2019s shoved down everyone\u2019s throat.
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\nhttp:\/\/lonero.net\/<\/a><\/p>\n