ZZ Top Review- Wembley Arena 28/10/2009

Review: ZZ Top - Wembley Arena 28/10/2009


ZZ Top rarely travel to the UK, yet have been enduringly loved by their many thousands of British fans, and there is no doubt that they are one of the few surviving all-time classic rock n' roll bands. Their appeal has spanned 40 years, with (perhaps uniquely) the original line-up still intact. They have sold over 50 million records. None other than Jimi Hendrix himself anointed ZZ guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons as his favourite guitar player shortly before his death in 1970. None other than Keith Richards inducted them in to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Once, in their home state of Texas, I saw a bar brawl develop from the mildest of criticism of ZZ Top.

Perhaps as a result of such stature, and the rarity of their British appearances, there was the sense of a very special occasion amongst the thousands at Wembley. With the three band members recently turning 60, the crowd are also all-too-aware that they may never have a chance to see the band perform again. From the first chord there was a warmth and bonhomie between the band and audience, and even between the audience members themselves. An atmosphere of camaraderie prevailed. There was none of the aggressive shoving and jostling that often mars the standing-area experience at big rock gigs. Rather, the audience seemed to be almost hypnotically attentive, absorbing and cherishing the experience as best they could, and respectful of everyone else's will to do the same.

Opening act ‘Steel Panther’ (essentially an American answer to The Darkness) had taken to the stage with immense energy and bludgeoning technical prowess, and succeeded somewhat in entertaining with their relentless cock-rock pastiche. Of course banal self-ridicule will only take you so far, and, as with The Darkness, a joke becomes less and less funny every time you hear it. It’s safe to say that they won’t be performing their most popular song My Heart Belongs to You, But My C**k is Community Property in 40 years time.
When ZZ Top swaggered on to the stage with their trademark matching beards, sunglasses, shiny jackets and futuristic mic stands, the contrast between themselves and Steel Panther quickly became evident. Despite having a similar sense of theatre in their appearance and choreographed stage moves, ZZ Top's music and appeal proceeds from a genuine celebration of the timelessness of great rock ‘n roll rather than ironic mockery of its most dated aspects.
They gave the crowd exactly what they wanted - a greatest hits package with a few welcome surprises thrown in. A gritty opener - Got Me Under Pressure got the rock rolling nicely, and then the band hit the crowd with an irresistible one-two from their 1973 Tres Hombres album - Waiting for the Bus (a driving boogie) and Jesus Just Left Chicago (a soaring blues hymn). Sound problems plagued the first half of the gig, with Billy Gibbons' guitar and voice disappointingly subdued, but no-one seemed to mind as the band ploughed on through a succession of their 70's classics, including I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide and Cheap Sunglasses from 1978’s Deguello. However, by the time they threw in a Hendrix homage with Foxy Lady, the sound had settled. Gibbons’ guitar blazed into life with its trademark thick and distorted yet shimmering tone, and was complemented by the now audible rawness and warmth in his voice. The band began to cook, with Dusty Hill (bass) laying down the grooves with relentless, finger-flurried determination and sharing singing duties as Gibbons’ leads surfed the rhythms with relaxed fluidity and authority. Whilst Gibbons and Hill performed with infectious energy and a mischievous glint in their eyes, drummer Frank Beard (ironically beardless) appeared relatively disengaged and chain- smoked throughout, although musically he was his usual reliably-metronomic self.
By the time the band had arrived at the big crowd-pleasers from 1983's multi-platinum Eliminator album — Gimme All Your Lovin, Sharp Dressed Man and Legs, they had Wembley eating out of their hands, and even these glossier numbers were given a powerful, roughed-up edge. The encore included ZZ classic La Grange and concluded with the ever popular Tush from 1975's Fandango, complete with masterful slide playing from Gibbons.
ZZ Top left the audience with a warm glow from the sheer class and joie-de-vivre of their performance, and a sense of privilege from having witnessed one of rock's truly great bands at their consummate best. If this was to be the last time that these fans would see ZZ Top, then at least they left knowing that they had experienced a performance brimming with the passion and pride that the band's stature and legacy deserves. In an era of cynical cash-driven reunions, such experiences have become increasingly rare, and thus increasingly valuable.

Set List-

1) Got me under pressure
2) Waitin’ for the bus
3) Jesus just left Chicago
4) Pincushion
5) I’m bad, I’m nationwide
6) Future Blues
7) Cheap Sunglasses
8) Mexican Blackbird
9) I need you tonight
10) Foxy Lady
11) Brown Sugar
12) Party on the patio
13) Just got paid
14) Gimme all your lovin’
15) Sharp dressed man
16) Legs
Encore:
17) Tube Snake Boogie
18) La Grange
19) Tush