Just in case you were wondering, George Thorogood is alive and well and still bad to the bone.  Never having seen him before, I had no idea what to expect.  The only visuals I could come up with were the videos from back in the 80’s of this cocky little shit playing raw n dirty, three chord rock n roll. 

After witnessing the legend that is Mista Thorogood, I now understand fully why he is held in such high regard.  I also came to realize there is more to George than one might think.  At 58, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

The other cookie cutter can be defined as follows:  a band who has everything laid out for them by other entities such as writers, producers, musicians, choreographers, stylists… you name it, these guys have no creative ability whatsoever and just follow someone else’s agenda. A few bands that’ll make it all clear to you:  Backstreet Boys, Milli Vanilli, most of that dance music out there, and Kiss.  Yes I mentioned Kiss in both categories, cuz at one point in their illustrious career, they were a respectful cookie cutter band but they done ate all the cookies, regurgitated them up and are now trying to feed them to the Kiss army year after year.  Well I aint eatin anymore.  Gimme the first 6 studio albums and then fuck the rest.

That being said, the simple 70’s three chord cock rock has really made a resurgence and piqued not only my interest, but I think a whole lotta people are resorting to this stuff cuz it’s for real.  It’s fun, it’s dirty, it’s politically incorrect it’s easy to digest and most of the time it comes with a smile on it’s face.

If you happen to be wondering why there is no real review of the show going on here, it’s cuz I wasn’t actually signed up to DO a review.  What does that mean?  Well in the basement of Copps Coliseum it means you are led to the photo pit the minute the band is ready to take stage. You shoot for exactly 3 songs, no flash, and then you are led out of the building.  YES ladies and gentlemen.  The building.  3 songs and then get the fuck out.  So I said to the guy, Rob, how the fuck am I supposed to do a review, if I can’t watch the show?  He told me I had to be “signed up” for a review.  Well when I requested a pass as the REBEL REVIEWER, didn’t that kinda give a bit of a HINT as to what I was after?  I guess not.  It really wasn’t Rob’s fault at all.  He actually was VERY nice about it and put up with my raving for a good 10 minutes with a good natured half smile on his face the whole time.  That’s just the rules, and he’s just following them, fucked as they are.

SO… what I can do, is tell you that in the 3 songs that I saw George, he really kicked ass.  He walked out on stage with a great big smile on his face and a whole lotta confidence to boot.  He picked up his white, Gibson ES-125, and showed us all that his fingers are still 25 years old.  He kicked off the show with Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction”, went into “Who Do You Love” and finished with a newer song I didn’t know.  That was the show for me pal.  Hey, but I’m still a fan.  I was in the pit cheering George on, clapping, having a good time.  And George knew it.  I was probably the only photographer he’s seen in ages who actually gets into the show.  Everybody else is so fuckin “professional” it’s sickening. 

George gave me a few shots that nobody else got, guaranteed.  In three songs I shot 321 photos, and that’s with a camera that’s slow as shit AND me taking time to rock out with Thorogood.  These other photographers in the pit had REAL equipment that could easily double what I did.  But I gotta say, with all humbleness aside, the pic they ran in the Hamilton Spectator didn’t hold a candle to the great shot George gave me during the solo to “Who Do You Love”.  I’m just glad I was there to take it.

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