Christchurch mayor spotted at ZZ Top concert
By Monique Steele of RNZ
Rock and roll legends ZZ Top and superstars George Thorogood & The Destroyers electrified Christchurch fans at Wolfbrook Arena on Thursday evening.
The bands that have rocked for more than half a century nailed the first leg of the Elevation Tour in New Zealand, following a four-stop tour across the ditch in Australia.
Throwing back to the 1970s and 80s when life was about good times, blues and rock and roll, both frontmen, aged 75 years old, showed no signs of slowing.
Self-proclaimed 'bad' boy, George Thorogood entertained the Christchurch crowd with his 10-song, one-hour set.
The natural showman led his longtime five-piece band the Destroyers, which demonstrated a tight production without flaw.
Thorogood's theatrics with the crowd led to an eruption during hit 'I Drink Alone' off 1985 album Maverick. The giddy audience, getting 'gassed' themselves, burst with excitement for the following 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer'.
The motley crowd at Wolfbrook Arena, partying on a school night, revelled in the satire of 'Get A Haircut' - defying the cry to 'get a real job.'
Coming off a tour of Australia to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, Thorogood wooed the audience in Ōtautahi.
'The people of New Zealand out-rock the people of Australia,' he said.
The set ended with the thrill of 1982 hit 'Bad To The Bone', prompting a young lass atop shoulders in the crowd to bare skin and be b-b-b-b-b-baad.
Rock giants ZZ Top, that 'little ol' band from Texas', brought the A-game to the show, having toured for more than 50 years since the release of ZZ Top's First Album in 1971.
Singer and guitar legend Billy Gibbons, drummer John Douglas (in place of original Frank Beard for health reasons) and bassist Elwood Francis burst into an energetic 16-song set rolling from hit to hit.
Bopping and dropping in unison, Gibbons and Francis bounced off each other.
Seats in general admission were left unused, as fans wrapped arms around each other during 'Gimme All Your Lovin'' off 1983 album Eliminator.
The album's commercial success saw other tracks 'Sharp Dressed Man', 'Got Me Under Pressure' and mega-hit 'Legs' also delight the crowd.
Gibbons beared his familiar long beard, hat and dark sunglasses, while dressed in leather and designer sequined clothing that sparkled in the stage's light show.
Guitar fanatics were dazzled with an array of different guitars, including a bonkers 17-string bass guitar, furry ones and ones with digitised screens.
They hung low off their shoulders and helped them defy the odds of what rock and roll could shred from just three artists.
Gibbons' own, 'Brown Sugar' soothed the soul with its bluesy beginnings that got feet stomping when the drums drove the song's rock evolution. Hits 'Pearl Necklace', 'I Thank You' and 'I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide' also did not disappoint.
Several in the rowdy crowd front and centre failed to contain their excitement, lifting their shirts in joy.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger was spotted at the event, which mirrored the 'good for the city' banter from punters in the smoking and vaping outdoor area following Thorogood's set.
ZZ Top with special guest George Thorogood & The Destroyers will play Auckland's Spark Arena on 17 May followed by Wellington's TSB Arena on 18 May
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Article – RNZ 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values.' Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values,' Tauanu'u said. 'Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. 'There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai – the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. 'Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture – the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs.' The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. 'I was familiar with the words – the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying,' the author explained. 'The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. 'We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes.' Initially, the author said he viewed the project as 'just another book,' but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. 'Now it comes to me – my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people.' Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. 'They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. 'Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life – the support network of family, the support network of faith. 'Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food.' Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, 'the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book'. 'It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources.' Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. 'This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,' she told the launch attendees. 'I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. 'It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them.' Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Article – RNZ 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values.' Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values,' Tauanu'u said. 'Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. 'There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai – the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. 'Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture – the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs.' The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. 'I was familiar with the words – the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying,' the author explained. 'The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. 'We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes.' Initially, the author said he viewed the project as 'just another book,' but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. 'Now it comes to me – my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people.' Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. 'They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. 'Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life – the support network of family, the support network of faith. 'Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food.' Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, 'the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book'. 'It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources.' Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. 'This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,' she told the launch attendees. 'I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. 'It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them.' Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
Scoop
18 hours ago
- Scoop
A Chief's Children's Book Weaves Fa'amatai And Proverbs
Article – RNZ , RNZ Pacific Journalist While many childrens books are written in Samoan, Alagā'upu Fa'asamoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti may be the first to bring fa'amatai (the chiefly system) and traditional proverbs into a story made for young readers. Authored by a renowned teacher and language and cultural expert in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata, the book is written in Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and English. The launch was led by his children and grandchildren with support from Auckland Council and Auckland Library. 'I didn't want the children to miss out on the richness of the values,' Tauanu'u said. 'Values about church, about family relationships, about brother and sister, about existing together, about helping each other. 'There's one that goes e lele lava le toloa ae maau i le vai – the bird flies, but will always go back to water because it's sustenance and it helps them in everyday life. 'Wherever we go, we always come back to our families. It is our home, and it is where we learned at an early age, and it is where we learned all the values that we have in life. So that's why those are the cornerstones of Samoan language and culture – the family, the church, the parents, relationship between people, respect. Try to capture in these sayings and these proverbs.' The book is brought to life by vibrant illustrations that mirror village life. 'I was familiar with the words – the pictures really enhanced what the words were saying,' the author explained. 'The skill of the artist is they asked me, 'What do you want to show in the pictures?' and I think the artist created something even more. 'We go back to the visuals of our path; the visuals of the family sitting around; the visuals of the parents talking to the children; the visuals of the church in the background where everyone goes.' Initially, the author said he viewed the project as 'just another book,' but soon realised there was little available for younger generations. 'Now it comes to me – my calling is to write for young people, from five to 18 or five to 20 or wherever. It's got to be in both languages, just to expose the richness of our language to our young people.' Tauanu'u stressed that while many Samoan youth are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, they still see traditional values. 'They still see the care and love of the parents. They still see the strictness that goes with, 'You are important. You're going to go to church and keep an upright life. You're going to go to school and you're going to learn, nothing else'. 'Sometimes young people don't go to church and they question the relevance. But somewhere along life, there's an experience will bring you back to the anchoring of your life – the support network of family, the support network of faith. 'Maybe we put too much emphasis on a nice house, a nice car. But some of the greatest people live in very simple houses. And everyone goes there because they get a laugh, they get food.' Oratia Publishing representative Peter Dowling said while this was a project that communicates Samoan values and the traditions, 'the morals, the values that are communicated are universal, and that's one of the beautiful things about this book'. 'It's a long-cherished dream of ours to have more books and creating more books in different languages that represent the communities of Aotearoa, especially Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages where there has been a dearth of resources.' Project lead from the Auckland Libraries Veronica Ligaliga said the first person that came to mind for this book was Tauanu'u. 'This project was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,' she told the launch attendees. 'I wanted to create content that will not only honour Tauanu'u's contribution to the success of the debate, but a book that will become part of the local history of Tāmaki Makaurau. 'It's about creating connected communities from inside out. Auckland Council libraries is committed to increasing the representation of Pasifika languages and cultures in their collections, and this project is just another one of them.' Students were also present to support Tauanu'u, where they performed traditional siva Samoa.. One student they were grateful that they got to experience this alongside him, while another said they were happy to see him finally acknowledged and on a big stage too. Samoa Language Week finishes on Saturday.
