He ain't a kid no more.

Yes, Kid Rock, Mr. fun times and wild man, seems more like a grumpy old man nowadays. And I'm not talking about his continued support for Republican candidates who end up losing elections. (I still love the anti-drug candidates standing side by side with Mr. Fire One Up, though.)

No, it's Old Man Rock asking fans not to 'ruin' or 'spoil' the fun by posting their concert experience online via social media, whether it be a set list or a clip shot on a phone. Guess what, such things don't ruin the experience for fans. This isn't the third part of 'The Hobbit' being offered. It's a concert.


Such promotion actually builds excitement for shows. Fans often watch clips, read reviews and look for changes on set lists as the traveling show gets closer to their town. In fact, you can see how online news reports get read even after the show leaves town. Many of Gary Graff's reviews, such as his recent one of The Who, get read long after they've appeared ... by fans looking for info on their band as it gets to their town.

Now, what does ruin a show or spoil a night is the hard-earned money being blown by a high-priced ticket when the show doesn't produce the anticipated fun.

Used to be an artist would like any publicity, any word of mouth news reaching fans. But Mr. Easy Listening is telling fans that they must live like he does, nevermind their own habits. Oh, and he'll be the lone one providing photos and tidbits from the show, on his own web site.

Yeah, right, too bad he's not living in the same world the rest of us inhabit. Now if he had just suggested that fans coming to his sold out tour refrain from watching anything about it to enjoy any surprises he has planned, that might come across a lot less harsh. Instead, this sounds like he wants to control who watches what when.