'Same three guys, same three chords' - ZZ Top rock in Cork
Without the late TV presenter Vincent Hanley and the Technicolor Lisdoonvarna-like carnival of MTV-USA to brighten our Sundays in 1980s Ireland, we may never have been introduced. Of course, the Texan three-piece did have the notable dowry of eye-popping videos. 1983’s Eliminator album coincided perfectly with the arrival of the three-hour weekly music television in 1984. It spawned a slew of singles; each promo video featuring a red customised 1933 Ford Coupe and promising all kinds of delights.
As soon as the band break into the opening chords of ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’, the first single culled from the album, the sense of that teenage crush being relived is palpable. Drummer Frank Beard beats out the intro but it’s those snaking guitars that set the pulse of the audience racing.
