George Thorogood Threw Me Off Stage – Literally
Did I ever tell you about the time George Thorogood threw me off stage – literally – in 2013?
People ask me for great radio stories all the time. When I tell them one, often they ask when I’m going to write my book. It’s doubtful that will ever happen, so I usually share them in articles like this! Since our incredible Big Gig with John Fogerty and George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers is coming up on June 7th, I thought I’d relay this doozy regarding George and me.
Several times over the years, we’ve done a cool thing before a show at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside. We’ll invite some listeners to a private Q&A and discussion with that night’s performing artist. It’s a really cool idea, in that there are only 30-40 guests invited to attend, in this huge theater! You can feel the intimacy between audience and artist so well that way. I loved the idea. We could have a live hometown broadcast across the street at the Keswick Tavern, then pop over to the theater for the pre-show event. How cool!
The first one of these we scheduled was on March 24, 2012 and it was with Dave Mason. When the MGK management asked me to host the event, I jumped at the chance! As you can see by the photos below, Dave and I had a great time chatting.
Dave Mason chats with 102.9 MGK’s Andre Gardner during an “artist spotlight” before Mason’s show On March 24, 2012 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. (Photo: Tom Collins)
The next “Artist Spotlight” scheduled was almost exactly one year later, on March 14, 2013. It was going to be with George Thorogood! Once again, he and I would chat for a bit, then the audience would ask some questions. Over the years, I’d met and/or hung out with both Billy Blough and Jeff Simon of the Delaware Destroyers, but never George himself. Both of those dudes are great and always cool. Now, the stage was set, literally, and I was excited to sit down with a local rock legend.
The invited guests took their seats and I came onstage to introduce George Thorogood. He came out, and we started to chat. We just got through talking about how his and George Harrison’s birthday were so close together, and I asked a follow up question.
That’s when things got weird.
I don’t exactly remember the next question I asked but it was absolutely benign, nothing confrontational or anything. Literally three words into my question, Thorogood’s face suddenly changed. It went from hyped up to angry, and he started waving his arms toward me. I thought maybe he was busting my chops and giving me a quick hit or something, but he proceeded to forcefully push me toward the edge of the stage. He was saying something like, “get out of here, we don’t need this!!” Thankfully ace local photographer Tom Collins was there with his camera, and snaped a few shots of the moment:
I felt a bit embarrassed and definitely surprised by what had just happened. Obviously not feeling the love from this guy, I stumbled and got my balance, and simply walked offstage to sit down with the rest of the invited guests. George ended up doing a very entertaining chat and Q and A with his fans.
To this day, I’m still not sure what the happened there. Maybe George was having a bad day, or maybe he didn’t like the look of me. But when I’m old and grey, and I’m recanting stories to my grandkids about my time on the radio, I will surely tell them about the time George Thorogood threw me off stage – literally! If George Thorogood is planning on an interview leading up to our Big Gig with him and John Fogerty, I hope Matt Cord & Steve Vassalotti will have better luck that I did!
The MGK Big Gig 2024 Lineup Is Here And It's Better Than Ever
In case you missed it the other day, the Big Johnson, most of you know him as Eric Johnson, our midday guy on MGK, announced this year’s MGK Big Gig 2024, and I could not be any more excited.
This year’s lineup for the MGK Big Gig 2024 is one of the best lineups ever if I do say so myself!
The headliner is John Fogerty, who will be celebrating his songs from Creedence Clearwater Revival as part of his “The Celebration Tour.”
I am psyched to see him perform all of his CCR hits such as “Keep On Chooglin’,” “Down On The Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” and many more hits that have appeared on his recent setlists.
But my favorite part of this year’s MGK Big Gig 2024 may be the band that takes the stage before the headliner.
My Favorite Part of the MGK Big Gig 2024…
George Thorogood and The Destroyers are also tagging along as special guests for the show, and I am stoked!
George Thorogood was one of my first loves in music — I have always dug him, Jeff Simon, and Billy Blough.
Jeff and Billy have been the rhythm section of The Destroyers since day one.
I actually have something in common with each of the members of the band I mentioned — we all went to high school in Wilmington, Delaware.
George Thorogood was in the class of ‘72 at Brandywine High School, Jeff Simon was in the class of ‘72 at Concord High School, and Billy Blough was in the class of ‘72 at Christiana High School.
Oh, and I was in the class of ‘77 at Salesianum!
So it goes without saying, I always had an instant connection with the band.
Plus, the band cut their chops at some legendary Newark bars such as Deer Park and Stone Balloon — I had actually been to both myself before they both shut down.
The first Destroyers LP that came out in 1977 is one of my all-time favorite albums ever.
The LP features tons of cover songs, but the raw spin that The Destroyers put on these classic blues tracks is fantastic.
I actually brought the LP to my college during my freshman year at S.U.N.Y. Plattsburgh and it was a hit in the dorm, for sure, because no one had really ever heard of George Thorogood and The Destroyers let alone had their debut LP!
Thinking of all these memories has me excited to hear some George Thorogood this summer at the MGK Big Gig 2024, and the rhythm section with The Destroyers!
This is the exact copy of the debut LP from George Thorogood and The Destroyers that Matt Cord took to college his freshman year all those years ago
Info On How To Get Tickets
The show will be on Friday, June 7th, and the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion just across the bridge in Camden, NJ.
You can purchase tickets for the MGK Big Gig 2024 on Friday, March 15th when they go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. via LiveNation.
Enjoy my top five George Thorogood and The Destroyers’ songs below in anticipation of June 7th
So you there!
Matt Cord’s Top 5 George Thorogood and The Destroyers Songs…
