[kj] OT: This is MadneZZ

[The Mighty TB]

"Neil Perry" wrote:



> Hello everyone and  belated New Year greetings.

>

> What I want to know is, has anyone here ever, in the last two or even 

> three

> decades, ever seen ZZ Top play?

>

> I was sat at the computer the other morning and girlfriend happens to

> mention that ZZ Top are playing here in Oslo. I didn't think much of it 

> but then checked

> it out and they are playing a club, I guess it holds around 400 people. 

> The tickets

> were going on sale that particular morning at 9am - I looked at the clock 

> and it

> was 8.59, so WITHOUT THINKING I immediately went and bought a pair of 

> tickets

> for um, cough, a moderately large amount of cash. (A day later, it was 

> sold

> out.)

>

> What have I done? Should I be happy/excited?

>

> Someone reassure me, please...


You'll have fun.  I've seen ZZ Top a few times since the late 70's, always 
in arenas, usually in decent to excellent seats and have enjoyed their shows 
but it's never been anything special. Usually, their arena stage show was 
littered with ridiculously over the top props and gimmicks. However, a 
couple years ago, I saw them in a House Of Blues club (the same one KJ 
played in Hollywood last year) and it was outstanding.  Billy Gibbon's is 
still an understated master on guitar and overall the band is still pretty 
sharp live.  They do a few of the old goofy moves onstage during songs like 
in the old MTV videos but it never crosses the cheese factor line.  The band 
really shines in a club setting these days.

The only negatives I can come up with is that they use backing tapes and 
even a hidden singer or prerecorded vox for several of their "Eliminator" 
mid 80's era songs (Legs, Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin) usually 
played during the encore.  And of course, you gotta like their style of 
Texas blues, otherwise you may be in for a tough evening.

T.B.