If you’ve ever been lucky enough to catch one of Bruce’s “surprise” gigs with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, you no doubt noticed the guitarist standing to Bruce’s left trading licks and solos with Bruce like a madman.  This is how most people know Bill Toms – as the guy who has stood on stage next to Joe Grushecky for 19 years as his lead guitarist and musical foil.  What most people don’t know is that Bill has always had outside projects, including, for the last nine years a solo career. 

Bill recently released  The West End Kid, his fifth solo record. In doing so, he stepped out of his role with the Houserockers to concentrate on his own development.  After years of being on the back burner, his career has taken off with the extra time dedication.  Bill just got off his first international tour.

Bill played along with saxophonist Phil Brontz.  He played at the Flood Aid concert with Bruce and was dubbed “the Medium Sized Man” by Bruce.  Phil plays in Bill’s band Hard Rain.  Hard Rain includes local singer/songwriter Tom Breiding on guitar and vocals, Jill Simmons on vocals and Houserockers Art Nardini on bass, Bernie Herr on percussion, Joffo Simmons on drums and until recently Joe Pelesky.  The band didn’t start out with so many Houserockers.  Bill just wanted to record some demos but more on that in a minute.

Bill sat down with Backstreets to discuss his music, his years with the Houserockers, and his experiences with Bruce, both onstage and in the studio.

What have you been doing lately?  You just got back from a tour in Italy.

How was that, how did it come about and did anything interesting happen?

The funny thing was that it came about because Marc Resiman (Houserocker harmonica player and original member of the Iron City Houserockers). I was looking to do something things in Europe and he asked me if I’d be interested in doing some things in Europe.  . We talked to a friend, Lorenzo (from Italian band the Apple Pirates), about doing a tour.  This was Marc’s baby.  I was invited along.  Marc had personal issues selling his house couldn’t make it.  I still wanted to do it.  So Lorenzo and I looked at the dates and invited Phil Brontz to come along.

You mentioned something that happened with your car and the guy was a Springsteen fan.  What happened with that?

I could go on forever about stories on the road… Coming back from a gig at three in the morning, hardly anybody on the road, and we get pulled over by random in Lorenzo’s car.  He wrote Lorenzo up for having expired registration.  After an hour sitting through this, he asks Lorenzo what we’re doing out this late. 

So he says we are musicians, and the cop asks what kind of music do you play?  So we’re trying to explain our sound.  The cop said something like “oh like Bruce Springsteen”  “Oh yeah, Bill and Phil both played with Bruce!” Well the cop really changed his tune.  He still gave him the ticket, but four days later the Lorenzos’ neighbor said “The police have been looking for you.”  This is never a good thing.  Lorenzo calls police back; they say; “We made a mistake, sorry.” He went without a car for four days for nothing.

There are over a dozen songs your co wrote in your Houserocker days?  I’d guess those aren’t the only songs you’ve written till your solo cd came out.

I actually started out wanting to be a songwriter, not aguitar player or even really singer.  

In my first bands, Shades and Pendulum, all I wanted to do was write songs.  Joe (Grushecky) asked me to join the Houserockers to play guitar. I just concentrated on doing that the best I could.  I took a writing break.

A few years later I picked up writing again, searching for my roots - how I wanted to be represented as a songwriter.  That’s what brought me to Paradise Avenue (first album). My idea at time was to write a bunch of songs and make a tape of them.  Maybe try to get a publishing deal.  I got sucked into writing and changing songs – they all started out solo acoustic.  Towards the end of record, I brought in friends. One thing led to another

So this must have been right around American Babylon.  You must have been busy.

Well there were a lot of expectations, and the tour with Bruce got a lot of publicity.  I toured Europe for the first time with the Houserockers but it’s not like when Bruce goes out on tour for a year or two then takes time off, and then Nils and Patti et al can go do their solo work; we played weekends here and there and had a lot of down time.  I’ve always played in two bands.   I had time to work on my project.

When did the Springsteen connection start? 

As far as we were concerned, Springsteen started in 1993.  What I remember happening was we had nothing going and had just done a record with Razor & Tie (End of the Century).  It wasn’t going anywhere.  And I think it was a damn good record. I think what happened was we talked about doing another record – Joe called up Bruce or management about playing on a song.  If I remember correctly, Joe and I were doing an acoustic show on the South Side (at Margaretville).  He got a call from his wife that Bruce called.  This was before cell phones so Joe ran in kitchen to call Bruce back.  That’s how ball started to roll. 

So, when was the first time he actually sat in with the band?

1994 at the Mars Club in Long Branch, NJ.  At the time, Joe had started recording a couple songs in New York with Bruce.  Joe suggested getting the band together to do the rest of the album. 

That was with Shane Fontayne, Tommy Sims, and Zac Alford

Yeah, this was right after that. We were in New Jersey playing and Bruce came down and sat in with the band.

What was that like?  Did you rehearse?

We kind of knew some songs, ’cause Bruce said he might stop down and play.  So we learned some Bruce songs, and Bruce knew some of our songs.  He came down to soundcheck, which was kind of cool.  We got to go over some songs as well. 

Is that the show Dion played with you too?

I think it was.  It was pretty fun.

Was that the first time you met Bruce?

Yeah, my wife and I were walking into the club / hotel in the parking lot.  He pulls up in his motorcycle and Joe was following behind in his minivan.

You had to be somewhat intimidated?

That’s an interesting thing, but no. As much as I want to say yeah, I don’t know if it’s Bruce’s ability to make you feel comfortable or my ability to not be intimidated by him.  I don’t know what it is… I’ve always felt comfortable around him. 

I can remember when we walked into the club to meet all the guys and we’re just sitting there.  We were still setting up the stage, Bruce was standing looking at the wall and no one would talk to him.  I just went up talked to him about the history of Asbury and Long Branch.  I just felt like I was always really comfortable.  In California when we were out at his house recording he just makes you feel very comfortable.  I’ve always appreciated that.

I saw you with Bruce ’95 and many times since then.  You seemed to play off each other very well.  Did that start at the beginning or develop after awhile. 

It goes back to that first show.  You don’t know what’s going to happen onstage.  I give a lot of credit to his personality.  He’s hospitable on stage – listens to everyone on stage.  Plays with everyone on stage.  He’s forceful but dynamic.  He’s more of an R&B pop player; I’m more rock n roll.  I think Bruce plays more like a sax player.  He’s very rhythmic.

Have you talked to Bruce much about your career or your songs?

Yeah, there were certain things he really liked.  He gave me some good advice The two hardest things to do as an artist are the two hardest: First, develop your own voice.  To me that’s how you present your music – through guitar, singing – communication ----I learned to do that on Paradise Ave and up through The West End Kid instead of trying to do things I think “they” want to hear.  Second, always connect with the audience.  Even if it’s a small audience, listen to the music and words.  Make sure that you get them to do that too.

When I first met you, you were just a nice friendly guy who worked at the record store.  From your stage presence people would probably say you’re a “fun loving happy guy” Your music definitely has some different turns in it than that.  Is that by design or did it just happen? 

It’s probably just a natural – more who I am then what you think.  First of all, for me to like what I do – for me to be content or happy, it has to be very serious.  I think I get this from my father, construction worker.  He died when I was very young, I was 22 years old.  So, I never really had a relationship with my father as an adult.

I remember as a kid my dad would get up everyday for work, rain, shine, never took a day off.  He took 2 weeks off in the summer and didn’t get paid for that, to take family on vacation.  He was a HARD worker.  I always felt music was a cop out, unless you really put some thought to it or seriousness to it.  Not to party or be social.  That’s not who I am.  I am very serious about what I write and how I write it, it’s serious to me - it’s not always heavy,  I can be light about certain things too, but I’m serious about what I do.  That’s the work ethic I was brought up on.  That in itself, when I’m doing that, makes me happy.  So maybe that’s what you see – I’m content with the seriousness of it.

Serious more than depressing?

I think it is.   I don’t think I write depressing as much as I write reality.  Art imitates life.  I write what I see and feel.  West End Kid is a great example…The way I was feeling as that album took shape goes back to This Old World – still trying to find myself, and what the hell I was going to do.

For the West End Kid project I just wanted to have all my friends over and play rock with no acoustic guitars.  So I had Joe, Marc Riesman, Rick Witkowski, Jill (Simmons) and all the band.  And it took off.  I saw it on the Americana chart.  First time in twenty years of recording I was ever on a chart.  The reviews and feedback I got were all so positive.  I wanted to really push it

You stepped out on your own this year.  Let’s talk about the decision around that.  How has that changed your career?

It’s a decision that took a couple of years in deciding.  I guess the real reason was my own ambition.  I couldn’t develop a career with the way things were set up with the Houserockers, it was too limiting.  Joe Grushecky is not like Bruce.  Bruce goes on tour for a year and then takes off a year.  The other guys go out make their records, go out on their tour.  We didn’t have that.  We were expected to be there – Pittsburgh, New York, Spain, kind of hit or miss.  And it’s every day of the year possibly.

I needed to make a break.  I gave four months notice. For me to sit here and play guitar in this rock and roll band, as good as it was and as much work I put it into it, I needed more.  It wasn’t against anybody else, it was for me. I needed to go out and develop myself as I solo artist.  I’ve always been project-oriented and restless - I need to have a goal.

So you’re restless.  What the next direction? 

American music, folk blues / story telling, songs about social issues I feel strongly about.  [is he talking about songs he wants to write, or songs he has ready?] I’m in the middle of writing a book.  I just recorded an old folk song. 

You seem at peace.

I am.  I control my work, my kids are old enough that I can tour whenever I want.  I’m a new artist at 45.  I look at guys like Shane Fontayne.  If he can put out his first cd at his age, I’m a young guy.

I feel like I’ve connected with an audience and am continuing to do that.  I’ve always enjoyed it and it keeps getting better all the time.