ZZ Top bassist visits Queenstown music store ahead of Gibbston concert
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
ZZ Top bass guitarist Elwood Francis delighted fans with an unscheduled stop at a Queenstown music shop this week.
Francis and band frontman Billy Gibbons are in Queenstown to perform at the Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert on Saturday.
Maya Music store owner Deo Bohn, himself a keen guitar and bass player, was surprised to see the distinctive rocker walk into his store early in the week.
“He just walked in the door with a roadie. They were looking at some instruments,” he said.
He had a chat with Francis, who shared some photos of the band’s concert in Taupō from the weekend, and grabbed a few photos.
Francis and Gibbons had stopped in a record store in Taupō and Bohn hoped Gibbons would call by his Queenstown store also.
Bohn had brought his copy of ZZ Top’s First Album into the store, just in case he could get it signed by Gibbons.
Gibbons has been with the band – famous for beards, hot rods and spinning guitars – since it formed in 1969.
Francis, previously the band’s guitar technician and famous in his own right for performing with a 17-string guitar, stepped into his role after the death of original band member Dusty Hill in 2021.
Queenstown man Andrew Wesney was having a guitar lesson when Francis called into the store.
“I was pretty stoked to see him and get to meet him in person. It was cool,” he said.
Bohn said it was not unusual for visiting musicians to call into the store, which was near Queenstown’s airport.
Some Kiwi artists such as The Black Seeds and Kora would book practice space at the shop before a gig.
“You never know who’s going to walk in the door in Queenstown,” he said.
Musicians Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo have also been in Queenstown during the week, posting a photo overlooking Lake Wakatipu, towards Cecil Peak, on their Facebook page on Monday.
Mora Wines and Artisan Kitchen posted a photo of the pair having lunch there on Thursday.
The Greenstone Summer Concert returned this year after being cancelled due to the difficulties of bringing in international artists under Covid-19 border restrictions last year.
ZZ Top is headlining the show, along with 90s grunge legends Stone Temple Pilots, four times Grammy Award winners Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, and Aussie rockers The Angels.
They performed at Taupō on Saturday but the Whitianga Summer Concert scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to weather conditions.
About 15,000 people are expected at Saturday’s Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert in Queenstown, which starts with Wānaka band Powder Chutes at 11.30am.
Organisers said it was forecast to be a warm and sunny summer’s day, so people should stay hydrated and use sunscreen.
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