This is one of a series of posts expanding on my 50 States in 50 Dates blog by documenting the global touring adventures of George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers and the earlier years of their career.
Quick Links:
- Nov. 10, 1980 – Grant Hall. Kingston, ON.
- Nov. 11, 1980 – Le Plateau Auditorium. Montreal, QC.
- Nov. 12, 1980 – Ottawa Civic Centre Salons. Ottawa, ON.
- Nov. 13-14, 1980 – Music Hall. Toronto, ON.
- Dec. 4, 1980 – Playhouse Theatre. Winnipeg, MB.
Grant Hall. Queen’s University. Kingston, Ontario.
Date: November 10, 1980.
Venue: Grant Hall. Queen’s University. 43 University Ave. Kingston, ON. K7L 3N5. Canada.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/pp2w9fPiLDE7HtVy5
Venue Exterior:
1981:
Source: Queen’s University. Tricolour Yearbook. 1981. Pg. 38.
2020:
Venue Interior:
2019:
Source: Queen’s University.
Opening Act: Dutch Mason Blues Band.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not (yet) come across a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ show at Grant Hall. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Queen’s Journal. Nov. 7, 1980. Pg. 22.
Ticket Price: $8.00.
Ticket Stub:
Attendance: Unknown. The Queen’s Journal reported that the Destroyers played “to a capacity crowd” on the night. Grant Hall held approximately 900 people in 1980.
Set List:
- “I’m Ready” (Given typical set lists of this era, this may have been “I’m Wanted”).
- Madison Blues
- Ride on Josephine
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
- Reelin’ and Rockin’
- Move It On Over
Source: Queen’s Journal. Nov. 14, 1980. Pg. 21.
Was the Concert Recorded? Unknown. Please get in touch if you have any information.
Concert Photos:
Above: Photos of George Thorogood and Dutch Mason from Queen’s University in 1980. In addition to the George “Thorgood” spelling issue, the photograph is reversed such that George is shown playing guitar with his off hand. Source: Queen’s University. Tricolour Yearbook. 1980. Pg. 88.
Source: Queen’s Journal. Nov. 14, 1980. Pg. 21.
Concert Reaction:
Source: Queen’s Journal. Nov. 14, 1980. Pg. 1.
Peter Locke of the Queen’s Journal student newspaper filed a positive review of the Destroyers’ 1980 concert in Kingston, Ontario:
“Monday night’s performance by George Thorogood and the Destroyers and the Dutch Mason Blues Band will be forgotten by few.
Playing to a capacity crowd, Thorogood displayed the masterful control that has earned him the distinction of being ‘the new king of slide guitar’. Starting out strong with “I’m Ready”, he set the tone that would last to the end of the show. The crowd gathered at his feet [for] numbers like “Madison Blues” and “Ride on Josephine”.
But the best was yet to come. Thorogood kept playing to please, leaving feet shuffling and ears ringing. Two and a half steamy hours of music finished with encores “Reelin’ and Rockin’” and the ever-powerful “Move It On Over”. His deliverance of blues and rock ’n roll puts George in a class of his own.”
Source: Queen’s Journal. Nov. 14, 1980. Pg. 21.
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue: Grant Hall continues to function as a venue for public events on the Queen’s University campus.
Le Plateau Auditorium. Montreal, Quebec.
Dates: November 11, 1980. Two shows.
Venue: Le Plateau Auditorium. 3700 Avenue Calixa-Lavallée. Montreal, QC. H2L 3A8. Canada.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/VC4rHmiDBo6DTtco7
Venue Exterior:
1959:
Source: City of Montreal Archives.
2019:
Venue Interior:
1940:
Source: City of Montreal Archives.
Opening Act: Lonnie Brooks.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not (yet) come across a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ 1980 shows at Le Plateau. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Press & Promotion:
Above: “Tickets on sale Thursday” version. Source: La Presse. Oct. 18, 1980. Pg. C13.
Above: “Photo in white box” version. Source: La Presse. Oct. 25, 1980. Pg. C13.
Above: “Special guest in white box, second show added” version. Source: La Presse. Nov. 1, 1980. Pg. C11.
Above: “Special guest on black background, second show added” version. Source: La Presse. Nov. 8, 1980. Pg. C9.
Above: “Tonight” version. Source: La Presse. Nov. 11, 1980. Pg. B10.
Above: Concert listing with the St. Denis Theatre listed as the venue. Source: Townships Week. Nov. 7, 1980. Pg. 8.
Source: La Presse. Nov. 8, 1980. Pg. C12.
Source: La Presse. Nov. 11, 1980. Pg. B12.
Ticket Price: $8.50, $9.50.
Ticket Stub:
Attendance: Unknown. Official capacity for Le Plateau is 1,307 people.
Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia. Dec. 13, 2013.
Set List:
- I’m Just Your Good Thing.
- The Sky is Crying.
- It Wasn’t Me.
Was the Concert Recorded? Unknown. Please get in touch if you have any information.
Concert Photos: I am still looking for photos of these concerts. Please send me a note if you know of any.
Concert Reaction:
This article from an unnamed reviewer at Concordia University’s The Link newspaper shows Thorogood’s tapping into the friendly rivalry that exists between Canada’s two largest cities:
“Playing to sell-out crowds, George Thorogood and the Destroyers nearly lifted the roof off Le Plateau Auditorium Tuesday night. Only Springsteen’s energy could come close to matching that of Thorogood. He cranked out pure traditional rock ‘n’ roll numbers with such remarkable musical punch that the crowd was on their feet dancing with increasing frenzy as the evening wore on. Even with the blues numbers, like I’m Just Your Good Thing and The Sky is Crying, Thorogood’s powerhouse slide guitar kept electricity racing through the crowd. When he kicked into his Chuck Berry style duckwalk while he ripped off It Wasn’t Me, he had the crowd screaming.
In his amiable way, Thorogood transformed the night into a friendly party, as he related with the audience through his quips about the city. Early on, Thorogood raised a roar when he said “I tell you, every time I come to Montreal, all I see are beautiful women. Where do you hide the ugly ones? Ya send them up to Toronto?”
Drummer Jeff Simon and bass player Billy Blough coupled with a new sax player [Hank Carter] contributed their chunk of power with professional edge.
The special warm up group, The Lonnie Brooks Blues Band, also put on an excellent show. The Chicago based band played four rockin’ rhythm ‘n blues tracks that merited the crowds demand for an encore. Brooks played guitar that actually matched him with the great Jimi Hendrix. Not only did he rouse the crowd by playing upside down behind his back, but at one point he popped everybody’s eyes by accurately picking the guitar strings with his teeth.”
Source: The Link. Nov. 14, 1980. Pg. 10.
Under the headline, “A Real Rocker at the Plateau. George Thorogood’s Stunner”, Nathalie Petrowski of Le Devoir wrote:
“No need to expand on the subject. George Thorogood is a rocker, a real one. He wears tight, James Dean-style undershirts and balances his white guitar on his hips as he steps forward on one foot, his back arched like Chuck Berry. He sings about women, fun, scotch and beer, hoping to break the sound barrier and blow [our] eardrums. George Thorogood is a real rocker.
[At] the Plateau Tuesday evening, […] sweat drips down the walls and the room transforms into a fiery sauna, two-chord and sometimes even one-chord songs follow one another under the sharp guitar stroke of Thorogood who is not a particularly subtle musician.”
Source: Le Devoir. Nov. 13, 1980. Pg. 14.
John Griffin of the Montreal Gazette filed this report about the Destroyers’ early show in Montreal on the night of November 11th, 1980:
“There was nothing very subtle about the music performed by George Thorogood and the Destroyers before a packed house at Le Plateau auditorium last night. But then there is nothing at all subtle about true rock ‘n roll, either, and that’s exactly what singer-guitarist Thorogood and his three-piece outfit are all about. Spare us the art, Jack, these guys came to play.
Wearing a sleazy lizard-skin jacket, black chinos, and patent leather shoes, and clutching his white Gibson guitar like a lover, Thorogood worked the crowd into a frenzy with his full-throttle “damn the feedback — full steam ahead” approach to music. His playing is often sloppy, and there is nothing in the group’s repertoire that you haven’t heard before, but when Thorogood starts grinding into the rhythm, flashing his maniacal grin, and duck-walking across the stage, thoughts about style and technique go out the window. This is dance music, sweet, simple, and loud.
Thorogood stuck with familiar material for first of two shows last night. John Lee Hooker received a homage of sorts with the band’s rambling approximation of One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, a song that the playful Thorogood turned into a tribute to the girls of Montreal. The band seemed ideally suited to the jungle rhythms of Bo Diddley’s classic Who Do You Love with Thorogood rifting wildly and trading lead lines with the band’s new member, sax player Hank Carter. Jeff Simon beat his simple drum kit like a man possessed and bassist Billy Blough somehow kept the whole volatile mixture from self-destructing.”
Source: Montreal Gazette. Nov. 12, 1980. Pg. 105.
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue: Le Plateau Auditorium remains in use as part of the Le Plateau school.
Ottawa Civic Centre Salons. Ottawa, Ontario.
Dates: November 12, 1980.
Venue: Ottawa Civic Centre Salons. 1015 Bank Street. Ottawa, ON. K1S 3W7. Canada.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/PvyEKuvfm5DU2usX8
Venue Exterior:
1967:
Source: The Financial Post. June 17, 1967. Pg. 35.
2018:
Venue Interior:
1985:
Above: Metallica / WASP concert at the Ottawa Civic Centre Salons. Source: Facebook.
Opening Act: Doug and the Slugs.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not (yet) come across a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ 1980 show at the Civic Centre Salons. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Nov. 8, 1980. Pg. 32.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Nov. 12, 1980. Pg. 79.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Nov. 12, 1980. Pg. 79.
Ticket Price: $8.50.
Ticket Stub: I have not (yet) come across a ticket stub for the Destroyers’ 1980 show at the Civic Centre Salons. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Attendance: Unknown, but estimated to be 2,000. The Ottawa Citizen reported that the Destroyers “crammed the Civic Centre salons to capacity. Outside, crowds of disappointed, ticketless supporters huddled in the cold. Desperate fans begged for stray tickets”.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Nov. 13, 1980. Pg. 91.
Set List:
- House of Blue Lights
- Who Do You Love?
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
- Cocaine Blues
- Madison Blues
- One Way Ticket
- Bottom of the Sea
- Night Time
- No Particular Place to Go
- Move It On Over
Source: The Charlatan. Nov. 20, 1980. Pg. 25 & Ottawa Citizen. Nov. 13, 1980. Pg. 91.
Was the Concert Recorded? Unknown. Please get in touch if you have any information.
Concert Photos:
Source: The Charlatan. Nov. 20, 1980. Pg. 25.
Concert Reaction:
See the image above for the review of this show by Karen Shopsowitz from Carleton University’s “The Charlatan” student newspaper.
Bill Provick of the Ottawa Citizen had this to say about the Destroyers’ 1980 concert at the Ottawa Civic Centre:
“It all started with opening act Doug and the Slugs who didn’t merely warm up the audience, but caused a few flash fires of their own… Doug dishes out the rap and the songs and the Slugs slam it all home with some great, hard-hitting rock and roll. It was more than enough to draw a well-deserved encore…
Finally [the Destroyers] sprinted on stage and, in the middle of a thundering welcoming cheer, broke into the rock and roll assault of House of Blue Lights (from the band’s new album)… It was immediately evident that everyone – musicians and audience – were in extremely fine form. Thorogood is a spirited, highly adept blues guitarist who likes to rock… It’s what the crowd had gotten up for and it’s what he gave them as he expertly rode the crest of this ready-made rock and roll rowdiness”.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Nov. 13, 1980. Pg. 91.
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue: The Ottawa Civic Centre, known as TD Place Arena at the time of this writing, is part of the Lansdowne Park complex and grounds. Lansdowne Park was substantially redeveloped beginning in 2012. The Civic Centre Salons were used for public events and trade shows prior to the redevelopment.
The Music Hall. Toronto, Ontario.
Dates: November 13 & 14, 1980. Two shows each night.
Venue: The Music Hall (aka The Danforth Music Hall). 147 Danforth Ave. Toronto, ON. M4K 1N2. Canada.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/DxidhXaH7WnJFFR59
Venue Exterior:
1979:
2019:
Venue Interior:
1947:
Source: Archives of Ontario.
Opening Act: Peter Shields and the Heaters.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not (yet) come across a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ shows at the Music Hall. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Press & Promotion:
Source: University of Toronto Varsity. Oct. 24, 1980. Pg. 10.
Source: FM Times. Nov. 1980. Pg. 6.
Ticket Price: $9.50.
Ticket Stub:
Above: Ticket stub from the Destroyers’ November 13, 1980 concert (late show) at Toronto’s Music Hall.
Above: Ticket stub from the Destroyers’ November 14, 1980 concert (late show) at Toronto’s Music Hall.
Attendance: Unknown. All four of the Destroyers’ concerts at the Music Hall were sold out.
Source: University of Toronto Varsity. Nov. 21, 1980. Pg. 8.
Set List (Late Show, Nov. 14, 1980):
Peter Shields and the Heaters (Opening Band).
- 99 and 1/2 Just Won’t Do
- Good, Good Lovin’
- Buy Me a Car
- In the Midnight Hour
George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
- Madison Blues
- Night Time
- It Wasn’t Me
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (“a 20 minute version”)
- Move It On Over
- Who Do You Love?
Source: University of Toronto Varsity. Nov. 21, 1980. Pg. 8 & Globe and Mail. Nov. 15, 1980. Pg. E9.
Was the Concert Recorded? Unknown. Please get in touch if you have any information.
Concert Photos:
Source: RPM Weekly. Oct. 9, 1982.
Source: McMaster University Radio Times. Dec. 1980.
Source: McMaster University Radio Times. Dec. 1980. Pg. 13.
Concert Reaction:
Andy Gemza of the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Medium student newspaper wrote glowingly about the Destroyers’ 1980 concert he attended at the Music Hall:
“Rarely seen in Toronto is the high energy and frenzy of truly great rhythm and blues mastery. George Thorogood and the Destroyers encroached this metropolis with one of the most exciting and powerful, majestic performances of the year… He knew what the people wanted and he delivered. Strutting across the stage in a variety of duck walks and stunts, his charisma and stage presence was electrifying. The crowd continued to dance throughout the show, they joined in the choruses, and otherwise really got into the performance”.
Source: The Medium. Nov. 20, 1980. Pg. 9.
Scot Blythe of the University of Toronto’s Varsity student newspaper filed this report about the Music Hall concerts:
“When a performer enjoys what he does, he does it well, and consequently, the audience enjoys the show. The people certainly enjoyed themselves – they were pressed up against the stage in the crumbling converted cinema. And Thorogood enjoyed himself – his set was longer than expected and for Friday’s last show, the best of the four, he came out for two encores, just because he likes to play...
Thorogood, with a mischievous grin that kept getting bigger and bigger, duck-walked and hopped across the stage, a la [Chuck] Berry and anointed people in the audience with his white Gibson while they hooted, clapped and cheered. In the middle of the song he launched into a blistering duel with his saxophonist, Hank Carter. He played the audience, making them a part of the performance as few performers can. If you weren’t up and dancing before [the] song, you were after”.
Source: University of Toronto Varsity. Nov. 21, 1980. Pg. 8.
Other Notes:
Above: Backstage pass to the Destroyers’ concerts at the Music Hall in Toronto in November 1980.
Above: The Destroyers make an in-store appearance at Sam the Record Man during their stopover in Toronto. To annotate this scene slightly, Sam the Record Man was located at 347 Yonge Street. The photo is looking out of the store’s front windows, towards the Mr. Submarine sandwich shop located at 348 Yonge Street. Taped to the window is the Attic Records promotional poster for the Canadian release of “More George Thorogood and the Destroyers”. The caption incorrectly lists the band’s drummer as Jeff “Smith”.
Above: The exterior of Sam the Record Man in 1985.
Above: 348 Yonge Street in 1977.
Above: The Attic Records promotional poster for the Canadian release of “More George Thorogood and the Destroyers” from 1980.
Fate of the Venue: The Danforth Music Hall continues to operate as a concert venue as of this writing.
Playhouse Theatre. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Date: December 4, 1980. Two shows.
Venue: Playhouse Theatre (aka Pantages Playhouse Theatre). 180 Market Avenue. Winnipeg, Manitoba. R3B 0P7. Canada.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/dWwyM97u6srr619D8
Venue Exterior:
1980:
Source: City of Winnipeg. Historical Buildings Committee. “180 Market Avenue”. 1980. Pg. 10.
2019:
Venue Interior:
Unknown Date:
Source: City of Winnipeg. Historical Buildings Committee. “180 Market Avenue”. 1980. Pg. 13.
Opening Act: Rex Bartlett Band.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not (yet) come across a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ shows at the Playhouse Theatre. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Manitoban. Dec. 1, 1980. Pg. 8.
Above: Insert your “three cords” joke (beige, black or brown!) here. Ticket contest from Eaton’s in Brandon, Manitoba for the Destroyers’ December 1980 show at the Playhouse Theatre in Winnipeg. Source: Brandon Sun. Nov. 20, 1980. Pg. 20.
Ticket Price: Unknown.
Ticket Stub: I have not (yet) come across a ticket stub for the Destroyers’ shows at the Playhouse Theatre. Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.
Attendance: Unknown. Both concerts on December 4th were sold out. Playhouse Theatre had capacity for an audience of 1,500.
Source: City of Winnipeg. Historical Buildings Committee. “180 Market Avenue”. 1980. Pg. 4.
Set List:
- One Way Ticket
- Bottom of the Sea
- Night Time
- Madison Blues
- Move It On Over
Source: Winnipeg Free Press. Dec. 5, 1980. Pg. 31.
Were the Concerts Recorded? Unknown. Please get in touch if you have any information.
Concert Photos: I am still looking for photos of these concerts. Please send me a note if you know of any.
Concert Reaction:
Glen Gore-Smith of the Winnipeg Free Press shared these impressions of the Destroyers’ early performance on December 4th at the Playhouse Theatre:
“Rock ‘n’ roll has too many pretenders and too few contenders. George Thorogood is one of the music’s contenders. Last night, he got five standing ovations during the first of his two Winnipeg shows. Ovations erupted spontaneously in mid-song, and the audience stayed on its feet for the last two numbers, coaxing Thorogood back on stage, even though second show ticket holders were waiting outside in a long, shivering line…
Thorogood and his three accomplices have resurrected the feel of rock ‘n’ roll. His guitar lashed out like a blast from a hot air furnace. His coppery voice breathed fire like a street corner dragon. The sax player growled low and murky or chortled high and squawky. The bass chugged along like a barroom thigh slap, drums rattled off like a Thompson sub-machine gun. Most of the time, Thorogood drove with his foot jammed to the floor…”
Source: Winnipeg Free Press. Dec. 5, 1980. Pg. 31.
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue: The Playhouse Theatre is a National Historic Site of Canada. The facility continues to function as a concert venue.
50 States in 50 Dates 