When you have moved to a new country, don’t know any one, have a new job, can’t speak the language you gratefully accept ANY offer of social interaction. So when one of my colleagues asked if we would like to go to a ZZ Top concert I jumped at the opportunity.
I ignored the fact that we had no money, or that it’s not normally a concert I would have gone to and we where in the process of trying to buy a car and spent the 100 euro required on tickets. As the day drew closer I was disappointed how ‘flat’ I felt, I wasn’t getting excited like normal – ‘maybe I’m just getting to old for this I thought.’ Of course I had to eat those words later on when my 38year old French manager decided to come and subsequently drove us to the concert.
Now this French manager who drove also hired me. However since that point has not said two words to me, we do have a standing joke that neither of us understands the other; OK so it’s not really a joke - it’s the truth, great working environment I know . . . yet somehow it’s just never a problem.
We arrived in a sea of Harley Davidson’s, Choppers, leather, tattoos and facial hair. Considering Luxembourg is the world capital of suits, ties and accountants it was a VERY respectable turn out, in fact I was quietly proud. We sat in a café having a bilingual competition to find the best beard and pair of leather pants (believe me it was a hard fought competition) The winner was a ‘gentleman’ who was covered in tattoos, had a goatee that would have touched his belly button and was wearing a ZZ Top t shirt from a concert he had seen in 1991.
We wandered into the Arena, and pushed our way to the front, beers and hot dogs in each hand. We stood there talking, and laughing – partially at the crowd, many looked like they pulled there mouldy, moth eaten concert clothes from storage for the first time in 20 years, then also because somehow all these clothes had also mysteriously shrunk? But mainly we laughed because Oliver pointed out that the ZZ Top members are 59 and not only had been playing together for 40 years but where also still cranking out the hits. Nicci then professed that she didn’t know any ZZ Top songs, which proved to be an absolute lie because everyone knows ZZ Top you just don’t always know it.
It was at this point of the night (about 3beers) that I then realised my French manager was speaking in English, its safe to say that he spoke more English in this one night that the entire year I have known him.
I ignored the fact that we had no money, or that it’s not normally a concert I would have gone to and we where in the process of trying to buy a car and spent the 100 euro required on tickets. As the day drew closer I was disappointed how ‘flat’ I felt, I wasn’t getting excited like normal – ‘maybe I’m just getting to old for this I thought.’ Of course I had to eat those words later on when my 38year old French manager decided to come and subsequently drove us to the concert.
Now this French manager who drove also hired me. However since that point has not said two words to me, we do have a standing joke that neither of us understands the other; OK so it’s not really a joke - it’s the truth, great working environment I know . . . yet somehow it’s just never a problem.
We arrived in a sea of Harley Davidson’s, Choppers, leather, tattoos and facial hair. Considering Luxembourg is the world capital of suits, ties and accountants it was a VERY respectable turn out, in fact I was quietly proud. We sat in a café having a bilingual competition to find the best beard and pair of leather pants (believe me it was a hard fought competition) The winner was a ‘gentleman’ who was covered in tattoos, had a goatee that would have touched his belly button and was wearing a ZZ Top t shirt from a concert he had seen in 1991.We wandered into the Arena, and pushed our way to the front, beers and hot dogs in each hand. We stood there talking, and laughing – partially at the crowd, many looked like they pulled there mouldy, moth eaten concert clothes from storage for the first time in 20 years, then also because somehow all these clothes had also mysteriously shrunk? But mainly we laughed because Oliver pointed out that the ZZ Top members are 59 and not only had been playing together for 40 years but where also still cranking out the hits. Nicci then professed that she didn’t know any ZZ Top songs, which proved to be an absolute lie because everyone knows ZZ Top you just don’t always know it.
It was at this point of the night (about 3beers) that I then realised my French manager was speaking in English, its safe to say that he spoke more English in this one night that the entire year I have known him.
When ZZ Top came on the crowd erupted, I have to take my hat off to Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, they are incredible - always in time, voices still in perfect control, and they sound just like they did 20 years ago. Best of all, I truly believe that both Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill still love to perform, you could see it from the crowd, they where laughing and having fun. It looks like they have a game where they try to trick the other into making a mistake. They really are like and old married couple – they know what the other is about to do before he does. A very impressive trick, Guitar riffs would get faster and faster or solos extended all in the name of entertainment. Incredibly they don’t use any peddles and all effects are done on the guitar by hand; best of all they still played for over 2hours (not bad for two old boys). These guys really know how to put on a show it superseded all expectations. They played the best songs including ‘Gimme All Your Loving’, ‘Legs’, ‘Got Me Under Pressure’, ‘Cheap Sunglasses’ and ‘Sharp Dressed Man’.
The next day at work both looking a little shady it was back to normal my manager still doesn’t talk to me but in English but everyone has decided to fix this all we need to do is get him drinking beer before coming to work.. It was one of the best concerts I have been to for some time, a fun night – not bad for lill ol Luxembourg, even more amazingly across town ‘Blonde’ was also playing another concert, so many decisions, so little time . . .
