Concert overview
Out of the 91 shows performed during the Continental Safari Tour, each show had a similar set list. There were 19-22 songs performed by the band at each show. The concerts typically began with African drum/electronic music played through the PA system, during which the band members would walk on stage.
Main set
During the first European leg, each show opened with a performance of "I Thank You." Following "I Thank You", the band performed "Stop Breaking Down", "I Walked from Dallas", "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings", "Mexican Blackbird", "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide", "Brown Sugar", "What's Up with That", and "She's Just Killing Me." "Blue Jean Blues" was featured during the middle of the set, as well as "Heard It on the X." "Pearl Necklace", "Cheap Sunglasses", and "Just Got Paid" were played at most of the early European shows. Those songs were followed by the trio of hits from the Eliminator album, which included "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs."
For the rest of the tour, the band's set had small changes, opening with "Got Me Under Pressure." "Mexican Blackbird" was omitted, adding the songs "Pincushion" and "Party on the Patio." Songs from Rhythmeen were performed, including "Vincent Price Blues", "Rhythmeen", and "Bang, Bang."
Encores
The band would walk from backstage to perform old fan favorites like "La Grange" and "Tush." In later shows, "She's Just Killing Me" was featured in the encore instead of the main set. This was followed by another brief break, and the show would close with "Tube Snake Boogie" and a cover of "Jailhouse Rock."
A total of 25 different songs were played throughout the tour. Out of the 12 songs on Rhythmeen, only five of them were played in full at least once.
ZZ Top is an American rock band from Houston, Texas, formed in 1969. The group consists of founder Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard. Initially rooted in blues, ZZ Top's style has evolved throughout their career, with a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues guitar style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. Their lyrics, often embellished with sexual innuendo, focus on their Texas roots and humor. Popular for their live performances, the group has staged several elaborate tours.
Mescalero is the fourteenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in September 2003, as the band's final release for RCA Records. While the band still retained their foundation in blues rock, Mescalero explored genres like country and Tejano. Recording sessions took place at Foam Box Recordings in Houston, with Billy Gibbons as producer.
A Bigger Bang was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album A Bigger Bang. At the time, it was the highest grossing tour of all time, earning $558,255,524. It has since been surpassed by U2's 2009 to 2011 U2 360 Tour, placing second as of 2019.
The Wings Over the World tour was a series of concerts in 1975 and 1976 by the British–American rock band Wings performed in Britain, Australia, Europe, the United States and Canada. The North American leg constituted band leader Paul McCartney's first live performances there since the Beatles' final tour, in 1966, and the only time Wings would perform live in the US and Canada. The world tour was well-attended and critically acclaimed, and resulted in a triple live album, Wings over America, which Capitol Records released in December 1976. In addition, the tour was documented in the television film Wings Over the World (1979) and a cinema release, Rockshow (1980).
The News of the World Tour was a concert tour by the British rock band Queen, supporting their successful 1977 album News of the World. The tour spanned from 11 November 1977 to 13 May 1978 over three tour legs: North America, Europe, and The United Kingdom. Rehearsals for the tour took place at Shepperton Studios in October 1977.
The Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour, sometimes referred to as the A to Z Tour or Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Tour, was a concert tour headlined by American hard rock bands Aerosmith and ZZ Top. The tour, presented by Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, took place in the summer of 2009 until it had to be cancelled unexpectedly due to shoulder injuries sustained by Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.
The XXX Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Staged in support of their 1999 album XXX , the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1999 to 2002. With five legs and 134 shows, the tour began in Denver, Colorado on September 12, 1999 and ended on November 1, 2002 in London, England. The first two legs took place in the United States before the next leg visited Australasia. After three legs, the band was initially expected to tour Europe, but the European leg was postponed until over two years later, which was branded as "Euro-Afrique". Although the tour provoked a range of reactions from critics, it was generally well received.
The Summer North American Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top. Launched in support of the group's 2003 album, Mescalero, the tour's concerts were performed in festivals and casinos from June through September 2004. The tour's backdrop was made of multi-colored tinsel. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill wore sequined smoking jackets designed by Jaime Castaneda. The Summer North American Tour consisted of two legs and 50 shows.
The Hollywood Blues Tour was a concert tour through the United States and Canada, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top. Named after a warm-up show at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California, the tour was their second of which to be staged without a supporting album. As a result, they did not perform any newer material. Although this was a criticism for the tour, it was generally well-received—a critic from The Florida Times-Union regarded the band as "one of rock's most reliable acts; you just know they're going to put on a good show". In contrast to ZZ Top's elaborately-staged productions from previous tours, the Hollywood Blues Tour utilized an austere stage setup. To embrace the group's renowned concept of visual imagery, the stage featured an LED drape for a backdrop video screen that showed visual effects, video clips and flashing text phrases, along with amplifiers stacks and a Van de Graaff generator.
The Worldwide Texas Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Arranged in support of their 1975 album Fandango!, the band visited arenas, stadiums, and auditoriums from 1976 to 1977. To match the newfound success of Fandango!, the tour was envisioned to differ from their past and surpass expectations of the band. Contrary to ZZ Top's modest stage setups from previous tours, the Worldwide Texas Tour was an elaborately staged multimedia event. It utilized audio and visual stimulation by striving to introduce "Texas paraphernalia" to its audience. To avoid their reputation being insignificantly and overly criticized, ZZ Top adopted a more playful and self-deprecating persona on tour. The Worldwide Texas Tour and Fandango! were essential to the group's success in the 1970s.
The Expect No Quarter Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Launched in support of Degüello, the band performed in coliseums from 1979 through 1981. Unlike the previous Worldwide Texas Tour, the Expect No Quarter Tour's stage set was simple and featured a drum riser with an animated screen of the band's logo. The tour saw band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill sport chest-length beards.
The El Loco-Motion Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. The tour took place in North America and Europe from 1981 through 1983. Most of the venues were coliseums, though arenas were visited in later tour dates. Embracing the image of the El Loco album cover, band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill would typically perform in boilersuits with top hats. The El Loco-Motion Tour consisted of five legs and 105 shows. The set list included material from El Loco and their previous albums, along with several covers.
The Fandango! Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Launched in support of their fourth studio album Fandango!, the tour's show took place in arenas and convention centers from March 1975 through February 1976. It had three legs and 55 shows, taking the band across North America and Europe. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill wore rhinestone suits designed by Nudie Cohn. The set list included songs from Fandango and their previous albums, along with various covers. The tour received mixed reviews from critics.
The El Camino Ocho Tour was a concert tour through North America and Europe, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top. The tour's concerts were performed in casinos and fairs from May through September 2008. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets, along with baseball caps and boots. The El Camino Ocho Tour consisted of three legs and 60 shows. Some of the tour was depicted in the concert film Double Down Live.
The In Your Face Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top. The tour's concerts were performed in performing arts and convention centers from September through November 2008. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets with rhinestones, as well as baseball caps and boots. The In Your Face Tour consisted of 23 shows. As with the previous El Camino Ocho Tour, some of the tour was shown in the concert film Double Down Live.
The European Tour 2009 was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top. The tour's concerts were performed in arenas and festivals from May through June 2009, consisting of 14 shows. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets, along with similar hats and boots.
The Necessity Is a Mother Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top. Launched in the wake of the cancelled Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour, the tour's concerts were performed in theatres and arenas from September through November 2009. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets, along with similar hats and boots. The Necessity Is a Mother Tour consisted of three legs and 28 shows.
The Double Down Live Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top. Launched in support of their newly released DVD Double Down Live, the tour's concerts were performed in casinos and arenas from November 8 through December 1, 2009. Like previous tours, the stage set was simple and a LED drape was used as a backdrop. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets, along with similar hats and boots. The Double Down Live Tour consisted of two legs and 14 shows.
The 2010 World Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top, which began in April 2010 and ended in December 2010. Like recent previous tours, it was a short outing, though for the first time in the band's career, they performed in South America, including three shows in Brazil. The band played many of their classic 1970s and 1980s hits. Critical reaction to the tour's shows was generally positive, although the absence of new material was noted. A great number of tickets were sold within a month of the tour's announcement, which prompted more dates to be added.
The Tonnage Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top in support of their 2016 live album Live! Greatest Hits from Around the World. The tour consisted of six legs that alternated between indoor and outdoor shows in the US, along with arenas and festivals in Europe. Much like their recent tours, the Tonnage Tour featured a stripped-down, intimate stage design. The band played a mixture of older and newer material during their set, which included songs from their latest studio album La Futura (2012).
