ZZ Top announce short tour of Australia

Next year short Australia tour has been announced by the ZZ top.

The Texan blues-rock band, which consists of Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, said that they will coincide their appearance at the Byron Bay Blues Festival in April with a five-date national tour.

Gibbons told AAP: "We're the same three guys, bashing out the same three chords. The band's mantra remains the same - Tone. Taste. Tenacity."

The group will perform at Melbourne's Festival Hall, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Sydney's Enmore Theatre and the Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.

The last time they performed in Australia was 10 years ago.

ZZ TOP AND GOOD CHARLOTTE SET TO ROCK ITM400

ZZ Top and Good Charlotte will join Kiwi V8 Supercar drivers, Fabian Coulthard and Shane van Gisbergen in Hamilton next April (15-17) for the new-look, new format 2011 ITM400 Hamilton V8 Supercar Championship Series street race.

On Saturday night following the day’s racing rock legends ZZ Top will take the stage at Seddon Park.

Life after 40 for ZZ Top

USA - After more than 40 years together ZZ Top continue to tour worldwide. In 2010 they continued the long tradition of Bandit Lites, also 40 plus years old, as their illumination supplier. Tour manager Pablo Gamboa, production manager Rob Kern and long time lighting designer Chris Stuba all worked with Bandit VP Michael Golden through the year to "deliver Texas to the world".

Stuba's design involves VL 3000 Spots, VL 3500 Washes, VL 2500 Spots, MAC 2000 Washes, Atomic Strobes, Color Blasts and Grand MA consoles. Bandit Jeff Archibeque travels the world keeping continuity to Stuba's crew, wherever the show may be.

PhotoShots of Recent Performance By ZZ Top In St Petersburg

MOSCOW, RUSSIA. OCTOBER 28, 2010. Members of USA's band ZZ Top Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill R perform at the Yubileiny Jubilee Palace of Sports. Photo ITAR-TASS/ Ruslan Shamukov Photo via Newscom

ZZ Top Working with Rick Rubin

Billy Gibbons has revealed that ZZ Top are working on their first studio album since 2003 and that it’s being produced by producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin. Gibbons told Spinner.com that his Texas trio will return to the studio following a small stint touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (who have also worked with Rubin).

“He’s very instrumental in striking a resonant chord,” Gibbons said. “He’s able to find ways to pull things out that you might not know were there in the first place.”

Although ZZ Top remain a popular band and a concert draw, they haven’t had a Top 10 album since 1990’s Recycler. Does Gibbons think that Rubin’s golden touch might return the band to the charts?

“There's more music now in every shape and form – something to please everybody,” he said. “I think the bigger challenge is: Where do you go to discover it? If you’re lucky, maybe word of mouth. Somebody will make a recommendation, and if you trust them, you might take the time to check it out.”

However, on the whole, he feels fortunate about ZZ Top’s standing in the music world.

“We’re kind of in the cat-bird seat,” Gibbons said. “We’re very fortunate that we’ve established a gangload of fans that may not have a place to go buy a CD but, by hook or by crook, they will either beg, borrow or steal it.”

ZZ Top lure peoples to fair

ZZ Top concert gates opened at 7 p.m. and people take their tickets from 5 to 8 p.m. before the concert began. At the gate Steve Bennett and they friends group take tickets ready.

Bennett said to a salem native, "My favorite song is ZZ Top 'Pearl Necklace".

Waiting to pick up tickets to Keith Watson of Salem, said he's been a ZZ Top fan "since way back." Although from the band he doesn't have a favorite song, he's appear them perform various times.

He said, "Haven't appear 'em in a long time and can't wait to see them again". "They've been nice and every time."

Vendor Jenny Armitage has art paintings and mud work set up in Artisan's Village.

She said about the performances at the village stage, "You never know what you're going to get. There was a good to combine of people, blues and Native American drumming.

He said, "At the fair this is our first time. But we're gettin' the same love we do at home."

Doing a little dancing to Ty Curtis' tunes, Jerry and Patty Hall of Keizer said they came to see ZZ Top.

"We're going to come back on Sunday with the grandkids," Patty Hall said. "Today we saw the dinosaur exhibit, the Timbersports, and, well, basically everything."

Also in town to see ZZ Top, Crystal Parman and her boyfriend, Kevin Halloway of Eugene, said they've seen the Ty Curtis Band a couple of times before.

"But I haven't been to the fair since I was 5," Parman said.

Just behind the Spirit of Oregon Stage, a group of girls tested their skills on the mechanical bull.

Amy Mattson Velansky of Vancouver said she brings her two daughters, Reese, 4, and Simone, 6, to meet friends at the state fair every year.

ZZ Top, Prince Albert of Monaco rocks to Iggy Pop

Front of the Royal Palace in Monaco, Prince Albert and his fiance rocked to Iggy Pop and ZZ Top in a rousing concert where everyone let down their hair, metaphorically at least.
In special, Albert's intended, South African Olympian Charlene Wittstock, and Albert's sister, Princess Caroline of Hanover seemed to be jumping around and dancing with joy, truly enjoying the tunes of these legendary musicians.
The gig was great for all involved as Iggy Pop and The Stooges as well as ZZ Top had the whole place hopping, including Prince Albert of Monaco. Enjoy the Associated Press photos of the European concert that actually did rock!