ZZ Top on Friday played their first concert since the passing of their bassist Dusty Hill,
During the concert in Tuscaloosa, Ala., lead guitarist Billy Gibbons only touched upon mentioning the death of Hill. Throughout the course of the show, Gibbons talked about the late bassist’s desire for the band to continue on even after he died.
Hill died at age 72, the band announced Wednesday.
“We’re gonna have a good time in here tonight,” Gibbons said to the crowd after the group played their opening song, “Got Me Under Pressure.” “Got a new guy up here, as you know. Dusty gave me the directive. My friend, your pal, Elwood Francis is gonna hold it down behind me.”
“How about that Elwood, tearing up that bottom there for Dusty,” Gibbons said later in the show.
For numerous weeks, Francis has been filling in for Hill after he was out of action while he was dealing with a hip issue.
“I think everybody was relieved that we had a little bit of time to regroup and think things through. But at the same time, everybody was ready, standing on point,” Gibbons said. “And they said, ‘Come on. You heard Dusty’s directive as he was bowing out to go off the deck. He turned and pointed and he said, ‘Come on. The show must go on.'”
“So here we are. [Friday] night, we’ll kind of pick up sticks and carry it on. I may grab his stage hat and throw it over his microphone, and I’ll sing one for the Dust,” Gibbons continued.
