Wednesday 28/10/09 ZZ Top, Steel Panther @Wembley Arena

Not in a long time has there been a night quite so loaded in rock nostalgia as this night at Wembley Arena this Wednesday night.

Steel Panther are arguably a little up against it: their joke 80s hair metal renaissance is perhaps a little at odds with a crowd distinctly more in tune to the legendary blues rockers. But it stays entertaining; swooshing peroxided sprayed hair, ridiculously complex, over blown guitar solos and spandex as tight as a duck's bottom – what's not to like? And indeed despite the injoke Steel Panther run through their tongue-in-cheek set, including their personal anthem 'Death To all But Metal', with some real talent. A solid cover of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' wraps up proceedings very nicely (despite a suspected backing track) on a band that could well teach Britain how to laugh and to rock at the same time in a way not seen since Wayne's World.

Then its time for the main attraction. Going now for over thirty year, ZZ Top prove that they can still pull it out for the crowd. Nailing sublime blues rock from the first note, Top prove they're impressive (if not slightly static) performers. Choosing a range of material that's generally a greatest hits list – 'Cheap Sunglasses', 'Give Me All Your Loving' and 'Party on the Patio' firmly demonstrate this band's pedigree if such an action was ever required. And a dead-on cover of 'Foxy Lady' is an additional treat.

A play back of the original music video on big screens during 'Sharp-dressed Man' shows how far these boys have come from their early 80s heyday. The beards are longer and greyer – and I reckon the famous hot-rodded 'top-mobile' may well have gone with the car scrappage scheme. Still, playing furry guitars and with Billy Gibbons chomping on a cigar during a sublime performance of 'Legs' shows they're as iconic now as they've ever been.ZZ Top are still not given the status they deserve. Yet tonight proves they are as good true blue rockers as you will ever see, as an extended finale of 'La Grange' rounds things up.

Its not always the case that classic groups live up to their name. ZZ Top more than do. More the fool anyone in the capital who didn't give them that chance.

The show in photos: