Thanks to the folks over at www.zedlive.com, Frank Beard, Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons, aka ZZ Top, the meanest and coolest little blues rock band this side of the Rio Grande played in front of a super-enthusiastic crowd at the magnificent Villa Contarini setting in the small town of Piazzola Sul Brenta located near Padua (and not too far from Venice).
The Baroque-style Villa Contarini, surrounded by lakes and 40 hectares of land, had been presumably designed by the great Italian architect Andrea Palladio in the 1540s. It was indeed a “romantic” setting for this great little band which has been kicking some mean ass now for the last 40 years. The evening wasn’t only “hot” because of the music but because of the MASSIVE heat wave that has hit Italy in these days (close to 100 degree Fahrenheit/40 degree Celsius!).
The band was formed way back in 1969 in Houston, Texas and its image has been as unchanging and memorable as their own music. Their signature style of dress and accessories are hard to miss, as one can see by the pics. Gibbons and Hill often use the same synchronized dance moves while performing onstage, driving fans nuts. And with few exceptions they always appear in public wearing those famous dark sunglasses. Unquestionably coolness at its top!
It’s also ALWAYS great to see a band whose drummer’s last name is “Beard”, but out of the three, he’s the only one without a beard! In fact, in 1984, Gillette offered Gibbons and Hill $1 million each to shave their beards for a tv ad. They allegedly declined, saying "We're too ugly without 'em!"
ZZ Top was inducted by the Stones’s Keith Richards into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" on March 15, 2004. Memorable was Keith’s introductory remarks, as recalled by Beard in ZZ Top’s 2007 DVD concert shot at the Nokia Theatre in Dallas, Texas: Hill asks Beard what exactly Keith had said that evening because he had missed some rather important parts of the speech. Beard says: “Blah, blah, blah…..a tradition..….blah, blah, blah…..blues……blah, blah, blah……love em’ ZZ Top”! Beard laughs his head off recalling that episode while Hill, somewhat still perplexed, says: “Yeah, ok, that’s what I figured he had said”! Seems like Keith was so stoned that evening that no one really could figure out what he was trying to say! Typical Keith Richards!
And the origins of the bands unusual name? It’s often said to be a combination of two popular brands of rolling paper, Zig-Zag and Top. It’s also been claimed as a tribute to blues singer Z.Z. Hill. However, Gibbons wrote in his autobiography, “Rock + Roll Gearhead”, that it actually came from a tribute to and a play on the name of blues guitar master B.B. King. The band had planned to call themselves Z.Z. King, but felt it was too similar. Since B.B. King was at the "top", they settled instead on ZZ Top!
Gibbons that night at the Piazzola concert also used his highly-prized 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (nicknamed "Pearly Gates” after the barely-roadworthy car Billy had sold to raise the money to buy the guitar many years ago). And yes, much to the joy of all the fans Hill and Gibbons also used a pair of guitars that are the spinning "white fuzzies" (covered in white fake fur) used during the song “Have Mercy!", a tribute to hanging fuzzy dice in the custom street rods of the '50s.
The band was also joined on stage by two lovely and elegantly dressed women who gave Gibbons his infamous rock’n’roll cowboy hat. At that point, the band blessed us all with such unforgettably great hits as “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Jesus Just Left Chicago”, “Legs”, “Tube Snake Boogie”, “Cheap Sunglasses”, “Pin Cushion”, "Sharp Dressed Man", "Legs", “La Grange” and naturally EVERYONE’S all-time favourite, “Tush”!
But a very special and rather moving moment was also dedicated to the late, great Jimi Hendrix as the band played “Hey Joe” in his honour, with not only a large image of Jimi which was flashed on a giant screen but also Gibbons who at one point during the song turned to salute the Seattle native (n.b. legend has it that Gibbons had apparently taught Hendrix how to play the slide-guitar. True or not, it was nevertheless a nice added touch by ZZ Top for someone who is still today considered by many as THE world’s greatest guitarist!).
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