George Thorogood and the Destroyers Play Melbourne #Review - Noise11.com

George Thorogood & The Destroyers by Mary Boukouvalas

George Thorogood and the Destroyers Play Melbourne #Review

by Paul Cashmere on May 8, 2025

in News

George Thorogood formed The Destroyed in 1973, ZZ Top started in 1969. Combined, George’s 53 years as a Destroyer and Billy Gibbons 56 years as a Top gives this night an incredible combined 109 years of experience on stage.

This was Thorogood’s 10th Aussie show, including his Red Hot Summer shows. He will wrap it up after three more shows.

What we have with The Destroyers is one of the greatest bar bands of all-time. When George Thorogood formed The Destroyers in Delaware in 1973 Joe Biden was 31 years old and serving his first year in the U.S. Senate representing Delaware.

From those early days Jeff Simon and Bill Bough, Destroyers co-founders, are still with the band. Jim Suhler on guitar has been a Destroyer since 1999 and “the new kid in the band” Buddy Leach has been in the same job for 22 years.

These guys not only know what they are doing, they know what each other is doing.

The scene is set with the first song ‘Rock Party’. Ironically it has been with the band less than anyone in the band.

‘Who Do You Love’, One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer’ and ‘Move It On Over’ were from George’s indie days before moving to EMI and delivering the all-time classic ‘Bad To The Bone’ 43 years ago. Age doesn’t matter for Thorogood songs. For millions, they are the soundtrack to their lives.

This show at Melbourne’s MC Arena took The Destroyers indoors and capitalised on the cleaner, crisper sound of the room.

At 70 something George is entertaining with his suggestive lyrics in the song and banter between the songs. The lines, like the band’s parole officer allowing them to go out for the night, set the mood for some theatre of the mind.

‘Get A Haircut’, ‘I Drink Alone’, ‘Gear Jammer’, all player to the demographic. George Thorogood & The Destroyers have always been fun live and always delivered.

You can’t go wrong at a George Thorogood show. As track one states, it is a Rock Party.

George Thorogood setlist 7 May 2025 Melbourne

Rock Party (from The Hard Stuff, 2006)
Who Do You Love (from Move It On Over, 1978)
Mama Talk To Your Daughter (from 2120 South Michigan Ave, 2011)
I Drink Alone (from Maverick, 1985)
One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer (from George Thorogood and the Destroyers, 1977)
Get A Haircut (from Haircut, 1993)
Gear Jammer (from Maverick, 1985)
Move It On Over (from Move It On Over, 1978)
Gloria (Van Morrison and Them cover)
Bad To The Bone (from Bad To The Bone, 1982)

Thorogood will perform for Red Hot Summer this Saturday and Sunday 10 and 11 May 2025 with ZZ Top, The Living End, Baby Animals, Rose Tattoo and Dallas Frasca.

The final theatre show will be 13 May at ICC Sydney Theatre with ZZ Top and Dallas Frasca.

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