On one of the hottest weekends so far in 2010, one of the most diverse guitar blues bands from Texas performed at the Moon & Stars Festival last Saturday in Locarno: ZZ Top. Since the ambience in Locarno seems quite special, I found this the ideal place to see the gentlemen live. The Piazza Grande exudes an extravagant, cozy atmosphere and, thank God, it is not only the snobbish Zurich locals, who otherwise abound in Locarno, in the audience. Otherwise you can find this slurping pack of slurps in Locarno on every corner, so be careful! Fortunately, the festival holds around 12 spectators and so the audience was very well mixed and ZZ Top really rocked the Piazza Grande! Yeah

Unfortunately, the opening act was one of the guitar gods, who demonstrates his art of playing the instrument like a dog in heat jumps at pretty much everything to make it happy or to really masturbate. Yes, the man masters his instrument, without a doubt, it's not for nothing that you're a five-time Grammy Award winner, but I just don't go for the guitar wank. It doesn't matter whether it's psychedelic or progressive guitar music, his skills just don't convince me, although he admits he gets everything out of the guitar that is possible: rock, jazz, funk, everything mixed in an intoxicating way, extremely impressive and in general, but not really my cup of tea. For a full hour he "spoiled" us with his music and tried to get the crowd in the right mood for the main act, which I didn't really succeed in doing, but what the heck, now it's time for rock 'n' roll!

ZZ TOP Locarno moon & stars 10.07.2010/3/XNUMX - XNUMX - Hey Joe

The blues rock trio from Houston, Texas with a sure instinct for hits like "Gimme All Your Lovin'" or "Legs" has consisted of the same three musicians since its formation in 1969: singer and guitarist Billy Gibbon, singer and bassist Dusty Hill and the only beardless Frank Beard on drums. The men have practically always looked the same for years: trench coats, hats, their beards and of course their sunglasses. Today the beards are a bit grayer, but they still have blues rock in their blood, no question, because that's exactly what they show from the beginning of their show and they have their instruments completely under control...

Her blues roots came through strongly on her first two albums. The trio had their worldwide commercial breakthrough in 1983 with the acclaimed album «Eliminator», which supplemented the initially guitar-heavy blues with drum machines and synthesizers. With «Eliminator», their videos on MTV also become a hit - not least thanks to the scantily clad, sexy women with whom the band members cooed, but were not represented at the show in Locarno, which was in no way a shortcoming. Those who needed it could admire the dancing ladies on one or the other song on the big screen

legs, zz top, piazza grande, locarno 10.07.2010/XNUMX/XNUMX.

What I particularly liked is the fact that the long-established gentlemen don't have to jump around on the stage like rubber balls, don't have a big pyro show or do any other clubbing or fuss, no, rocking their boots together, the guitars each other Moving back and forth for a few bars at the same time or a shrug of the leg in a duet are enough to put the audience in ecstasy. Simply great to watch the masters of the small gestures and listen to this ingenious music ...

The setlist (see below) was a veritable potpurri of the band's career. A few songs from the bluesy beginnings from the 70s, a few more commercial hits from the 80s and a few newer songs. Absolutely awesome! In this great setting, the show was extremely pleasing and the technology was also top notch and the sound came across as awesome! In the back a huge screen, on which, among other things, tracking shots over parked trucks, car and engine parts, excerpts from wrestling matches and old westerns could be seen. In front of it the drums - equipped with aluminum rims, exhaust and shock absorbers. This concert, puristic and cool, belongs to one of the highlights of this year for me and left in my eyes Kiss to look pale

gimme all your lovin ', zz top, piazza grande, locarno 10.07.2010/XNUMX/XNUMX.

The setlist was as follows:

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 (Willie Brown cover)
7. Rock Me Baby (BB King cover)
8. Cheap sunglasses
9. I need you tonight
10. Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix cover)
11. Brown Sugar
12. Party on the patio
13. Just Got Paid
14. Gimme All Your Lovin'
15. Sharp Dressed Man
16. Legs
17. La Grange
18. Tush

For the videos attached to this article, I would like to contact dujak222 and buckyx and for the great pictures Romy thank you. Anyone who would like to hear the gentlemen live will have another opportunity this autumn in Zurich's Hallenstadion ...

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