Billy Gibbons’ Australia Tour Irks Fans; Promoters Explain Short Sets

ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons’ “Up Close & Personal” January visit to Australia struck some sour notes. Attendees in Wollongong took to social media to express their anger and demand refunds after the guitarist played just three songs. 

Gary Miller / Getty Images) – Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons performs with Willie Nelson at ACL Live in Austin Dec. 31

In Newcastle, police were called when the 300-strong crowd which paid between A$100 ($79.62) and A$200 ($159.23) became unruly after he left the stage after 45 minutes.

Some crowd members threw paper cups of beer at the stage while others shouted, “Ripoff!”

The remainder of the tour was cancelled. A post on Gibbons’ Facebook page stated, “Mr Gibbons was contracted to appear on those dates to discuss his passion for custom cars and hot rods with Jimmy Shine and to sign autographs and greet fans with no musical component called for or anticipated in the arrangement. It should be noted that, based on that understanding, he didn’t even bring, nor did he request musical equipment appropriate to such a performance.”

Tour promoters, The Brewer Brothers, responded with an apology to fans for the guitarist’s “appalling performance.”

They added, “Gibbons was clearly engaged to perform the same show he did for the Brewer Brothers in 2016 at the Gold Coast Arts Centre,” and offered to disclose documents of the agreement.