Reviewed by DJ Ash
That little old band from Texas proved on Tuesday night that they ain’t too old to put on a kick ass rock show! Yes America’s very own ZZ Top provided a top night of blues at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall with support from L.A rock band Steel Panther. NSR’s very own rock show “SMASH IT UP!” was luck enough to be invited along to the show. Steel Panther who recently featured on NSR said how thrilled they were to be supporting a band they grew up listening too and hold great respect for. They also said we should all show respect for the amount of chicks ZZ Top have had, that deserves recognition as much as the music! If you’re unfamiliar with Steel Panther their debut album Feel the Steel came out in June and is a combination of bands like Van Halen and Motley Crue with elements of The Darkness and Tenacious D mixed in. Their live shows are filled with hilarious banter and outrageous lyrics. If you’re easily offended then we recommend you stay away. Steel Panther make no excuses about their image and why they want to be in a rock band. They don’t seem to take themselves too seriously; they love what they do and are thrilled that so many people are picking up on the band and this style of music.
Hitting the stage at 8pm Steel Panther open with “Turn out the Lights” before jumping into songs like “Hells on Fire”, “Fat Girl” and their recent single “Community Property”. With the majority of the audience tonight being over 40 and many not having heard of Steel Panther it takes a little while for the crowd to loosen up. However they soon come around especially the ladies. Dressed in their signature spandex and cowboy boots the band provides a great opening to the show. Running around the stage their stage presence can be felt even right at the back of the hall. It’s not long since Steel Panther came off their first sold out headlining UK tour and playing in front of a ZZ Top crowd allows them to connect with some of the older rock fans.
ZZ Top take to the stage just after 9 appearing from the shadows they burst into “Got Me Under Pressure” from the classic “Eliminator” album. Complete with their signature hats, cheap sunglasses and beards intact, the band look and sound on top form! The great thing about having such long beards is that they don’t even look as if they’ve aged. The band are blown up on stage through three huge drop down video screens projecting each band member on each screen. The screen’s also feature shots of the band in the early days as well as silhouettes of dancing girls, cars and the bands logo.
The band take us on a trip threw some of their old classics from as early as the “Tres Hombres” album whilst fitting in songs like “Cheap Sunglasses” , “My Head’s In Mississippi” and “La Grange”. Musically the bands sound awesome proving that it really is amazing what you can do with two guitars and a drummer. Billy Gibbons shows his guitar playing is still on top form as is his singing. Dusty Hill still also proves he still has what it takes as he lends his hand to lead vocals throughout the night as well as providing some great backing vocals. The band gets a huge cheer from the crowd when they ask for some technicians to bring out Billy’s blues hat. These turn out to be two hot girls waiting in the wings who present him with his hat wearing bunny rabbit ears and hot pants. Even after nearly 40 years together the band haven’t lost their charm with the ladies.
The closing part of the show is what really gets the crowd excited. The band plays classics from Afterburner and Eliminator before finishing up with their old classic “Tush”. “Gimme All Your Lovin” and “Sharp Dressed Man” the two biggest hits feature clips on the big screen from the videos and vintage photos of the band in their early days. For “Legs” the band brings out their signature furry guitars whilst projecting women on the screens behind them. A great way to end the show and great to see a band like ZZ Top can still put on a great show. They may not have any fancy edges but what makes ZZ Top so appealing is that they stick to their guns, do what they do best and are real honest about it. They truly are that little old band from Texas, the one and only ZZ Top!
For more information on ZZ Top visit the bands official site at www.zztop.com
ZZ Top live from Texas is out now on Blu Ray and DVD from HMV, Amazon.co.uk and Play.com
Steel Panther Feel the Steel is out now from ITunes, HMV, Amazon.co.uk and Play.com
www.smashitupshow.co.uk
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