ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard quits tour to address ‘health issue'
ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has announced his departure from the group's forthcoming tour plans due to an unspecified 'health issue'.
The Texas band confirmed the news on Saturday (15 March), telling fans that Beard would miss their Elevation tour because he needs to undergo a health procedure.
'Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top's management, has announced the band's drummer, Mr Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term,' a social media statement posted to the band's accounts said.
The announcement also revealed that 'fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer' would fill in for Beard, having done so previously when he underwent an emergency appendectomy in Paris, in 2002.
'He is looking forward to a speedy recovery,' the post concluded.
ZZ Top kicked off their Elevation tour in October last year in the US and began the Australia and New Zealand leg on 5 March.
Beard has been a member of the band since 1969, after replacing founder Dan Mitchell on drums, with singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill completing the lineup.
Together with Beard, they grew their hair long and dyed it blue to match their name:
'In the Sixties, having long hair in Texas, you took your life in your hands,' Hill told the Dallas Morning News in 2008. 'But having long hair and blue hair, people just assumed we were nuts and left us alone.'
Named in part for Texas blues singer ZZ Hill, the band played some of their first shows at cafeterias and lumber yards.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and have continued to experiment with their later work including 2012's La Futura, which was co-produced by the legendary Rick Rubin.
The lineup has been mostly unchanged for 51 years. Longtime bassist Dusty Hill, played with the band from the late Sixties until his death in July 2021. It was announced that longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis would play bass, per Hill's wishes.
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Time Out
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- Time Out
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Time Out
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The 14 best things to see at SXSW London 2025
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Prepare for a dynamic live performance that's filled with glistening electronic flourishes and ethereal vocals. Jaguar Shoes (Main Room), June 6 2025, 10-10.35pm. Jasmine 4.t Manchester-based singer-songwriter Jasmine 4.t's debut album You Are The Morning was produced by US supergroup boygenius and received widespread critical praise upon its release earlier this year. The first UK act to be Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records, Jasmine uses her music to shine a light on the saving graces of queer friendship and formative experiences of being a trans woman in this country. Her production methods span sorrowful string arrangements to ferocious guitar solos, all backed with intimate lyrics that make her an absolute must-see. 93 Feet East (Live Room), June 7 2025, 6-6.30pm. DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown aka Erykah Badu Performing as DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown, Erykah Badu will be performing alongside multi-instrumentalist Henry Lau on the House of R&B stage. Expect a cosmic blend of jazz, R&B, pop and experimental dance music closing the day of DJ Ace's carefully curated programme Everything R&B. This is an enticing and unusual way to catch the five-time Grammy winner in an intimate setting. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 6 2025, 11-11.59pm. Film Chosen by Phil de Semlyen. The first ever SXSW London film programme offers a typically provocative, edgy and enticing array of movies, shorts and talks from the UK offshoot of the world-famous Austin arts festival. You'll find new films and new voices in its line-up – all of them exciting, all carefully curated to fit the new festival's ethos of discovery. There are two world premieres and 30 UK premieres at the festival – but plenty to look out for across the programme. Here's four films to look out for. The Life Of Chuck Love Stephen King? SXSW London is here for you with two new adaptations of the Maine horror legend's work. Alongside a serialisation of his 2019 sci-fi horror The Institute, a spiky sci-fi horror about telekinetic kids being experimented on in a mysterious facility, you'll find Mike Flanagan's (Doctor Sleep) take on this short story from the cheerier end of the King oeuvre. Tom Hiddleston plays an ordinary joe called Chuck Krantz who may hold the key to an impending apocalypse. Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan co-star. June 7. Rich Mix Screen 1, 8.40pm-10.30pm and Curzon Hoxton Screen 1, 9.15pm-11.15pm. Stans The film strand of the festival kicks off with a sideways look at fan culture courtesy of Slim Shady himself, Eminem. The rapper co-produces a doc that turns the camera on fans and fan culture – from the enthusiasts to the obsessive stans – in a 'revealing, edgy, and disarmingly personal journey into the world of superfandom'. Its SXSW London world premiere should give the film programme a turbo-charged lift off. June 2. Barbican Centre, Cinema Screen 1, 6.30pm-8.55pm. June 5. Barbican Centre, Cinema Screen 1, 9.15pm-11pm. Queer as Punk One of the joys of any good film fest is the chance to dive into new cultures and learn a thing or two about what makes them tick. In the case of this raucous rock doc, it's raw, punk energy as embodied by queer Malay band Shh…Diam ('shut up'). It's a perceptive, empathetic and high-energy journey into what it's like to be trans and queer in a country where same-sex relationships remain illegal. Expect a music doc like no other as this unique four-piece lets rip. June 5. Rich Mix Screen 1, 8.30pm-10.23pm. June 7. Curzon Hoxton Screen 3, 2pm-3.38pm. Everyone Is Lying To You For Money Crypto bros come under the spotlight in The O.C. star-turned-filmmaker Ben McKenzie's cryptocurrency exposé, another SXSW London world premiere. Filmed over three years and spanning New York, London, Austin, El Salvador and Miami, it'll open your eyes to the shadowy corners of the crypto industry. McKenzie even tracks down big-name fraudsters like Sam Bankman-Fried and Alex Mashinsky to get the scoop on the dark side of crypto. Planning on investing your life's savings in Bitcoin? Book a ticket. June 6. Rich Mix Screen 1, 6pm-7.55pm. Talks and panels Idris Elba Award-winning actor and household name Idris Elba is one of SXSW London's headline conference speakers. The actor, who is also a musician, entrepreneur, anti-knife crime campaigner and rumoured future candidate for London's mayoralty, will be speaking in a talk named 'Creativity as Capital for Change'. He'll be talking about how creativity can be used as fuel for real economic and social transformation, as well as to 'challenge injustice and unlock new economic models'. If you can't get enough of Elba, he'll also feature in a Q&A alongside rappers Giggs and Nas after a showing of Meji Alabi's film Victory on Saturday (June 7). Idris Elba in Conversation. Creativity as Capital for Change: Truman Brewery (SXSW London Stage), June 4 2025, 4.45pm-5.30pm. Victory + Q&A. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 7, 2025, 2pm-3.20pm. Dame Jane Goodall Dame Jane Goodall has spent over six decades studying chimpanzees, and at SXSW London she'll impart some of that wisdom upon lucky Londoners. What's more is that Dame Jane won't just be chatting chimps – the 91-year-old ethologist, conservationist and UN Messenger for Peace will be talking (with CNBC broadcaster Tania Bryer) about a wider range of topics including 'hope, humanity, and the future of our planet'. Couldn't be timelier and more essential, if you ask us. In conversation with Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE. Truman Brewery (SXSW London Stage), June 3 2025, 3.10pm-3.55pm. Bimini Former Time Out cover star Bimini Bon Boulash will host a live episode of podcast The Pieces with Bimini at SXSW London, with reality TV star Olivia Attwood (of Love Island and The Only Way is Essex) as their guest. Drag queen, author, recording artist and model Bimini's podcast is all about revealing the moments that shaped their guests' identities, and the live edition will be at Shoreditch Town Hall on Friday. The Pieces With Bimini. Shoreditch Town Hall (Shoreditch Town Hall Stage), June 6 2025, 12.05pm-12.35pm. Dina Asher-Smith Former world championship gold medal-winning runner Dina Asher-Smith will be joined by ELLE editor-in-chief Kenya Hunt to talk about the relationship between women in sport and luxury fashion. Asher-Smith, who is currently a contributing editor at ELLE and has been on the cover of the mag several times, will talk about the 'growing relationship between sport and luxury fashion', as well as delve into her career on and off the track. 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Time Out
28-05-2025
- Time Out
6 food stalls to check out at GastroBeats 2025, including Texan barbecue, fresh oysters, and more
GastroBeats 2025 is back with a bang this year, bringing three weeks of music, games, and of course, street food from some of Singapore's favourite F&B vendors. The festival runs from May 29 to June 22, from 4pm to 11pm daily, at Bayfront Event Space – next to several i Light installations. With over 50 food booths but so little time, we've narrowed it down to six must-try stalls at this year's edition of GastroBeats. Here's everything worth queuing for. 1. Jett Barbecue (F01) This is not Jett Barbecue 's first rodeo at GastroBeats. This Texan barbecue booth is a hit among festival goers each year, and its claim to fame is its fall-off-the-bone tender beef ribs smoked for up to 12 hours. The team even makes the effort to haul down massive industrial smokers, flown in straight from Texas. Sink your teeth into the Texas-style smoked dino ribs (from $19) served over a bed of mashed potatoes and sauce, or try the smoked beef cheek tacos ($24 for two pieces), which come with generous chunks of meat. 2. La Levain (F14) This homegrown bakery-café is known for its inventive croissants and flawless egg tarts, but at GastroBeats this year, it's serving sourdough pizzas as well. La Levain 's slices are fermented for 72 hours for deeper flavours and a crisp yet chewy crust. Just for the festival, you'll be able to enjoy three exclusive locally-inspired flavours: tom yum, laksa, and nasi lemak ($13.80 for half, $22.80 for full). Prefer sticking to basics? We like the Fourcheese pizza, but the truffle and classic margherita are good shouts too ($12.80 for half, $21.80 for full). 3. Slurp Your Oysters (F20) One of our favourite local home delivery businesses has a booth at GastroBeats this year. Slurp Your Oysters is known for flying in some of the plumpest, juiciest, and largest oysters right off the coast of Murotsu Bay in Hyogo, Japan. These morsels (three for $16, six for $28, 12 for $50) have a creamy, briny profile, and are served chilled or grilled, with toppings of your choice. Load them up with Thai chilli, mango salsa, Korean gulmuchim, or enjoy them grilled with mentaiko or cheese. You'll also find grilled scallops ($16), mussels ($16), and more at the stall. 4. Aunty Siam (F40) Who knew we'd be able to get authentic Hakka cuisine at GastroBeats? This stall is run by a mother-and-son duo who are all about preserving Hakka flavours through honest-to-goodness cooking based on Aunty Siam 's recipes. Try the signature nam yu fried pork belly (from $12) – pork seasoned with red fermented beancurd – perfect for pairing with a crisp, cold beer. Or tuck into traditional Hakka dishes like abacus seeds ($12), stir-fried with mushrooms and black fungus. Other dishes available include braised pork belly buns ($12) and Hakka yong tau fu (from $8). 5. Golden Bao (F02) Combine the popular Chinese street snack guo kui with roti prata and you have Golden Bao. These folks are popular vendors at Kampong Gelam's bustling Ramadan bazaars, and they're making their GastroBeats debut this year. Watch these hefty pancakes being kneaded, stuffed with meat and scallions, and fried up in front of you. Take your pick between the signature beef ($10) or chicken ($9). Make sure to top up for the chilli oil ($1) which is meant for generously dunking your roti slices into – a lot goes a longer way in this case. 6. Warabimochi Kamakura (F20) This Japanese dessert drink took the internet by storm last year, and this year marks Warabimochi Kamakura 's first GastroBeats appearance, bringing its famed warabimochi drinks closer to the masses. Sip on festival exclusives like the Kinako Strawberry Royale (from $13.90) or the trending matcha strawberry warabimochi drink (from $11.90). Our favourites, however, are the kinako warabimochi drink with Hokkaido milk ($10.90) and the hojicha latte with warabimochi ($9.90), which are on the nuttier side.
