Grab the boys and your bright white sports car, don't forget the pretty lady, so you'll have at least two for the show, head to the Bold Center this Saturday to be there for a good time ... and of course to raise a little hell.
Or if you just want to see one of Canada's longest-running, best-rocking bands — Trooper is performing for one night only ... this Saturday at Lac La Biche's Bold Center. Fronted by original vocalist Ra McGuire and guitarist Brian Smith, the nucleus of the band has been rocking concert stages, festivals and barrooms for 40 years. Troopers's first album was released in 1975, and 10 albums later, Trooper has earned multiple gold and platinum retail sales, a Juno Award for Group of the Year, four Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), two National Achievement SOCAN Awards for McGuire and Smith ... and thousands of fans who not only span continents, but ages.
"If you come to an all ages Trooper show, you’ll see that, 10 rows deep in front of us, are people between the ages of 18 and 25. They know the words to the hits. They rock," McGuire told the POST over the weekend, on a tour break before shows on July 13 in Lloydminster and the July 14 show in Lac La Biche.
The mix of new-generation Trooper fans and original fans make today's shows more diverse than the concert stages of the 1970s. The smaller shows are also just more fun when it comes to entertaining, admits McGuire.
"(The) 2018 shows are way better than 70’s shows. Those coliseum shows were a lot of work - we had lighting cues that we had to be in place for … new albums to promote," he told the POST. "None of that now, it’s just the music and the audience."
Social Fans
Helping to reach a new generation of fans, McGuire and the band have embraced social media and new technology. Whether you're an upstart YouTube talent or a rock and roll tradition, technology is part of the package these days. And McGuire has embraced it.
"We’ve been online since the nineties, mostly because it was interesting and challenging and, yes, I’m a nerd. I think we’ve stayed pretty plugged in since and it’s still really fun to have all those connections with our fans," said McGuire who also co-manages Trooper and the band's tour, and oversees the band's regularly updated social media sites.
But it's not all tweets, likes and Instagram images that keep the fan base strong. While the technology of today is great, says McGuire, it was the raw effort and hands-on experiences the band ran through at the beginning of their careers that laid the strongest foundations.
"The Sixties was definitely a thing. It was more than just music for those of us who lived through it," said the band's front man who turned 68 on June 13. "I think those of us who got lucky enough to make a living from our music developed a really high level of commitment because of how broadly it affected our lives and the lives of our peers."
That commitment shows on stages across their busy tour schedule — now, with four decades of experience, perhaps more than ever.
"Touring these days is as close as you can get to good times and sunshine every day! The band and crew area great bunch of guys and we’re a well-oiled machine. So it’s a ton of fun to be Trooper these days," he said.
The Trooper 2018 tour schedule has them playing coast-to-coast at festivals and clubs in West Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Norman Wells, NT, St. Johns, NL and many more in between. They play in front of tens of thousands in stadiums (they were the half-time show for the 2010 Grey Cup at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, marking their 35 year anniversary), to hundreds in intimate bar settings. For the band, the fun starts when the stage lights go on ... no matter where they are. For the fans, the driving spirit of a Canadian rock institution still gets them to raise a little Hell.
"We don’t make much of a distinction between a show in a small town and a show in a big city - we hit the stage at full blast every night and it’s always fun," said McGuire.
Tickets for Saturday's full blast of Trooper at the Bold Center are still available and range between $65 and $75. They're available at the Bold Center guest reception desk or ticketmaster.ca.
Trooper Tidbits
We asked Trooper's vocalist and co-founder Ra McGuire about the 1977 album Knock 'em Dead Kid.
POST: About the cover ... Who's that girl?
McGuire: The boxer is the photographer’s 12 year old daughter. The longer version is that James O’Mara, the photographer, became my good friend working on the Two For the Show art. He proposed Shannon for the cover and my wife Debbie made the top she’s wearing.
POST: The song Knock 'em Dead Kid — what's it about.
McGuire: The Knock ‘em Dead, Kid lyric was kind of a pep talk to myself. Getting the band going was difficult, so that ones a bit of positive self-talking!
POST: Different songs, but same name … what do you think of Motley Crue’s song Knock Em Dead Kid?
McGuire: I haven’t heard it :)
POST: If there was social media, Youtube, Spotify, etc. back in 1976 would you still be touring and performing as a band today? How would it have changed Trooper?
McGuire: I think it’s harder for new bands to make a dent these days. I can’t say that social media has necessarily improved things in those ways. I know there are lots of bands getting exposure, but I don’t think there are as many making a career out of it. We try our best to support new groups we meet on the road.
POST: You’ve been doing this for almost half a century, that is “A long time”. Is there a point where you’ve decided the “good time” will end?
McGuire: For sure. I will stop doing this when people stop coming out to the shows! It’s a very simple plan!
