Last night, ZZ Top descended upon London’s Wembley Arena for their only UK show of the Elevation Tour.
Following opening hard rock acts Those Damn Crows and Rival Sons, guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard entered on stage for Got Me Under Pressure.
The wonderful eccentric showmen were joined by the late Dusty Hill’s guitar tech Elwood Francis playing a giant 16-string yellow bass; provided an epic opener.
This would be one of several instrumental changes throughout the show including the iconic fluffy axes for Legs.
Throughout the concert, Gibbons’ hoarse vocals met the gutsy, grungy sound of his exceptional electric guitar riffs, as the fat bass vibrations pounded out; even being physically felt by the audience at the front.
ZZ Top gave fans the singalong hits from Gimme All Your Lovin’ to Sharp Dressed Man, alongside some heavy covers including Tennessee Ernie Ford’s 50s hit Sixteen Tons.
True showmen, the bearded Gibbons and Francis, dressed in sparkling jackets and shoes, danced with their axes in unison.
At one point the bassist, who says he’ll never replace Hill, even spun around in circles across the stage; much to the delight of fans.
It wasn’t a long set, clocking in at around 80 minutes, but ZZ Top kept offering fans more, especially during the encore.
Following renditions of Brown Sugar and Tube Snake Boogie, they concluded with their most famous track La Grange, with extended improvisations much to fans’ delight.
While some bands struggle to maintain quality after 50 years, Gibbons and Beard prove they’re still on ZZ Top.
