What follows is my interview with Andy Bowman, direct from the Big Gun tour bus!

E.C.: First, how did the band come about? Was it just a love of AC/DC, or were you playing original music first?

Andy: No, actually it was started by another guy, the original “Angus” in the band named Brian Moore. He started the band in 2001 and approached me about singing for it. We got together and went forward from there. The first year was the same members, then we started changing the members after that. Now the only original members are myself and Clark, the bass player.

E.C.: Especially when it comes to KISS and Beatles tribute bands, there are a lot of bands with the same name. Did you have to trademark your band name? Of course you picked it from the song, but how long did it take you to come up with a final name?

Andy: No, actually we just went through all of the AC/DC tributes that there were and took a name that there wasn’t another one like. And “Big Gun” is kinda unique in itself because it is the only song that is not on an AC/DC album. It was on the LAST ACTION HERO soundtrack.

E.C.: One thing I’ve noticed about tribute bands is that many of them are “localized” – for example, those on the west coast play mainly only the west coast. You are based in Knoxville, correct?

Andy: Yes.

E.C.: Is your touring localized? What is your tour schedule like?

Andy: We go just about everywhere. We’re going to Michigan next week and then to Ft. Lauderdale. We’ve played a couple of shows up in Ohio…the Cleveland area, St. Louis, Illinois, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Virginia…just as far as we – I mean, there’s no place we wont go.

E.C.: Do the members have to have day jobs?

Andy: We all have day jobs, but we play pretty regular. I mean sometimes every weekend. And there’s times we have 3 or 4 days in a row.

E.C.: When I interviewed HAYSEED DIXIE a few years ago, they were actually noticed by AC/DC and were hired to play at a private party of one of the band members. Has your band received any response from the actual members of AC/DC?

Andy: Well, not directly. We’ve given the CD to Brian Johnson.

E.C.: What is the most memorable gig that you've played? Any real large shows?

Andy: A lot of the bike rallies…the one we just came from in Daytona was huge.

E.C.: How large was the audience?

Andy: People as far as you can see.

E.C.: What about playing with big name artists?

Andy: We just finished one with Slaughter last week in Cherokee, North Carolina. We played last year with Great White.

E.C.: But, when it comes to playing live, how much emphasis do you place on authenticity, i.e. the movements of Angus live, etc?

Andy: We try to be as authentic as possible. And I think you saw the set list, we have over 55 songs and counting.

E.C.: I imagine that you’ve studied some of the live footage of the band to get the “act” down?

Andy: Anything we can get our hands on.

E.C.: Any bizarre or funny gigs that you can think of? When it comes to numerous bands playing on a single bill - what is the strangest lineup that has happened to your band? Any real miss-matches or have you been placed on a bill with any other tribute bands?

Andy: (Laughs) The thing we just did with Slaughter, there were three bands – there was Slaughter, us and Southern Culture on the Skids. They (S.CO.T.S.) were just so different, but they were good.

E.C.: A lot of tribute bands aren't given enough credit just because they are a "tribute" band, hence not taken seriously. What is the main critique (if any) that you hear?

Andy: Like you said, they don’t give you credit. The fact that you are a “national touring act”. Unless you have a deal and a record out they don’t consider you a “national touring act” – which we are! We are doing the exact same thing that other bands are doing, we just don’t have a record. That’s pretty much the only difference that there is.

Right: Big Gun live in Atlanta 5-7-05 (photo by Ronnie)

E.C.: How do you balance the AC/DC songs that you play live? Is it a 50/50 split between the Bon Scott-era AC/DC and the Brian Johnston-era AC/DC?

Andy: Yeah, we try to…it just depends on the night.

E.C.: When singing, do you try and differentiate your voice between the Bon/Brian songs?

Andy: You have to think about that too when you are setting up the set list. You can’t jump back and forth, back and forth between those two singers.

E.C.: When I saw AC/DC on the FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK tour, they used cannons. Any pyrotechnics in your show? Or cannons?

Andy: We carry the most complete AC/DC show of any tribute that I have seen. Tonight we could not bring in all of our props. We have a complete Marshall stack back line. We have 2 Bells 2 1/2' x 2 1/2 ' for the small places (not enough ceiling height in there) and a 4' x 4' bell for outdoor events. They are identical to AC/DC's bell. We have 2 sets of cannons, of course the money blowers, And the only Rosie doll that I have seen. (The Peachtree Tavern didn't want us to use her) And I think you saw the set list, we have over 55 songs and counting.

E.C.: When it comes to audience response do you have any fans that treat you like the actual AC/DC band?

Andy: Oh yeah, it happens a lot. They want the t-shirts, they want autographs.

E.C.: Is there any groupie action, such as "Whole Lotta Rosie" stuff goin on?

Andy: (laughs) Lee [drummer] is the only single one in the band!

E.C.: Any final words?

Andy: Thanks for the interview, and remember that all tributes have a lot of people behind the scenes that do a lot of work, ie. soundmen, roadies, drivers and good friends all over the country, to pull off the shows that we do.