When you give up an opportunity to photograph a full moon eclipse, the show you're heading too has got to be a must-see event. Indeed it is. George Thorogood and the Destroyers are in BrisVegas baby!
Like a woman possessed by the powers of the pending blood moon, tonight (8 November) I am on a mission to get to The Fortitude Music Hall to get my rock on. I know. A school night and all!With the powers of Luna on my side, I am arriving heaps early with time to grab a tour tee and even have a drink and a chat with mates. I am ready, willing and raring to check out Hamish Anderson's opening set. It seems like I am not the only one.
The blues rocker, singer-songwriter graces the stage with his bass and drum players, yelps of a cowboy nature pierce the din of other punters loudly engaged in conversation.
Hamish Anderson - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Anderson looks unassuming, yet confident and while it's a known fact he has shared the stage with great blues guitarists before him, we are getting firsthand evidence of why this is so. I am in awe.
Anderson's magic fingers and blues-tainted croon have our full focus for the first three songs. The tempo then chills a little for song four on the setlist, 'Steal Away'. This one along with 'Trouble' is definitely a cheering fan favourite.
'Tea and Sympathy' follows with a little more rock in stock and has Anderson footstomping as he plays. Big claps of appreciation to which Anderson responds by saying he's going to play the blues for us now. We laugh.
There is a playfulness as he teases us with a little 'Bang A Gong (Get It On)' T. Rex/ Marc Bolan at the start of 'Working Blues', which has many in the crowd neck-sliding as they rock on the spot to the tight, driving rhythms of the bass and drums.
Lauren Stockner (bass) who has impressed me all night, takes a photo of the crowd before they play 'No Good'. This banger keeps us grooving, not wanting to leave. Then it's pure delight – a David Bowie cover! 'It Ain't Easy' with a major twist of Anderson blues-tang is giving it a real Bowie blues. I am enchanted.
Hamish Anderson - image © Clea-marie Thorne
After telling us that he will "get out of our hair" after this one (which we didn't really want just yet), we get the delicious grooves of 'Hold On Me'. After a divine set that has us pumped for the main act, fans are showing a loud admiration of Anderson's honed guitar skills that have been oozing with blues and '70s rock flavour.
Add to that his mellow vocals and he has me believing him when he sings the blues. Check him out.
Here we go! The venue is getting a little darker and all eyes shift expectantly toward the stage as out comes the rockin' bluesman himself, to the tune of 'The Good, The Bad, The Ugly'. Joining him are the touring 'Destroyers', also taking their places onstage.
The five-piece smash us right up front with 'Rock Party'. What a banger to get us started. I love how the lyrics have loose lines from his other hit songs. As Thorogood sings: "Everybody is gonna feel alright, at the rock party tonight!" I see smiles all around, hips wiggling and swaying, heads bobbing and arms pumping. Man I couldn't agree more with those words.
George Thorogood And The Destroyers - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Leading with big guns, Thorogood sets us off some more with his Bo Diddley cover of 'Who Do You Love' and its chugging vibe insists we all get loose – and we do.
Growling the spoken lyrics ahead of jangly strumming and twang-rich plucked guitar notes, Thorogood brings it in like a freight train and we are lost in the thumping beat, as we sing in our very best shower-only voices. There is an immense sense of rock & roll camaraderie in the room.
Thorogood tells us that we are going to "do some dirty things tonight, we are gonna play some nasty things and we gonna play some very bad things". Hell yes! This what we are here for.
The party keeps rolling now with some garage rock 'Shot Down' (cover of The Sonics), which many a fan may be forgiven for thinking it is a Thorogood original – 'cause he just owns it. The beats keep pumping for 'Night Time' (another cover – The Strangeloves) with the fast tempo leaving us footstomping and boogieing our asses off.
George Thorogood And The Destroyers - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Man! Thorogood is playing with all the energy of a man half his age, with as much precision and perfected improv as you can imagine. His solo jaunts to the front of stage are lapped up by the crowd and we are first-hand witnesses to the master axeman at play.
During the show, Thorogood takes a moment to interact with the crowd, he is even combing his hair in front of us while his band is off stage. Mind you this is not the only Elvis move for the night. Right now he is raising a toast to the "good people of Australia. . . and your buddy who can't find the car".
For 'I Drink Alone' he tells us he gets a hangover from hell. Ahead of the crowd favourite 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer' he gives a PSA to "don't drink and drive" followed by some cheeky banter with punters in the front row and how we Aussies say "beeeer".
We are roaring with pride as he tells us how he loves hearing that song sung in our beautiful Australian accents and has a king size chunk of love for us.
George Thorogood And The Destroyers - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Next we get 'Gear Jammer' that has Thorogood, our favourite cheeky bluesman, up front for an insane solo, working the fretboard and sliding up and down the strings in front of us frenzied fans, like a musician possessed by the ghosts of all the greats that have passed.
Now the music tempo slows like a wind-up music box running out of steam; the heavy drum beats are cranking again and joined by vocals and the rest of the band on their instruments.
This show has all the energy and zest of GTAD of previous tours. On fire, is the man and his band. 'Haircut', also on the setlist tonight, is finding itself as a raucous bogan flavoured sing-along. Thorogood asks us how it feels to be 17 years old again and we roar in agreement.
We are asked to hold our hands out and bring them together for "Hamish Anderson. From Australia." And we show our appreciation for the opening act – not just because we are told to, because he is that bloody good.
Thorogood takes a small break that allows the band to showcase their impressive collective skills. The four-piece are left to pump out a cranking instrumental with a huge bassline and high and fast riffing. Oops, did I mention the sax? No, well I tell you all night it has been reaching down into my soul and giving me goosebumps galore. Wonderful control and tones that are just melting me. Hot.
George Thorogood And The Destroyers - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Thorogood returns to the stage and a masked man hands him a shot. He states that some people don't know Halloween is over; or maybe they'd do anything to get into show business.
Thorogood introduces the touring band members as John Dillinger on lead guitar, "bass in your face – Babyface Nelson", "more appeal that you can feel – Pretty Boy Floyd", and "Clyde Barrel on drums".
'Bad To The Bone' has punters voices resounding throughout the venue, glasses being raised up in the air and more boogie than the boogeymen at Halloween. I laugh when Thorogood tells us "I cannot sing, I just drink with the band", and find it fitting that we have been gifted with a rendition of 'Tequila' (Chuck Rio/The Champs) for his set.
Alrighty, I recognise the first sounds of Hank Williams' 'Move It On Over'. Thorogood is really rollicking onstage for this until he randomly stops and bows to the crowd. We are applauding loudly and he gets back on the axe with a sassy smile to play what is an extended version of the song.
George Thorogood And The Destroyers - image © Clea-marie Thorne
As he exits we realise that just may have been his farewell groove move! What? Wait! Nooo! There are hot and bothered women of all ages around me calling out "George" with deafening screams and others in the crowd calling less hysterically, but nonetheless enthusiastically, for one more song.
The band return to the stage and Thorogood invites Anderson to join the band to play lead guitar for 'Born To Be Bad'. We are enthralled and there is no doubt in our minds that Thorogood continues to hold his status as a truly talented blues-rock guitarist and showman.
Leaving the stage once again, Thorogood is returning for a final applause showing off his Australian tee with Advance Australia Fair playing over the speakers. He exits yet again, doing his best James Brown stunt by feigning near collapse and being helped by his body guard. He is faking shuddering and shaking (or is he truly possessed?), comes back and out AGAIN to be adored by his fans – stretching out his tee for all to see and then sets off again – hilarious!
While I have to wait until 2025 to get my next shot at a full lunar eclipse, I really hope we are not kept waiting that long before Thorogood eclipses the stage lights to rumble into the mic and show off his savage slide-guitar skills.
The growling guitar slinger gave enthusiastic fans a high-energy performance, leaving us no doubt that should Thorogood return to our shores in the future, we will be snapping up tickets to come and do it all over again. And again.
More photos from the show.
