Rolling Stones Rock T.O.!!! Making History July 30...will you be there?
by reporter 11 Replies latest social entertainment
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RAYZORBLADE
Hey there, well, I'll be here in Toronto when the concert gets under way, but I won't be going up there. It'll be too crowded and I'm not into sitting in the sun for that length of time as well as such a huge crowd.
I have to work that evening, so those who are not going to the Rolling Stones gig, will no doubtedly be headed to other places.
Originally, their largest sponsor (of the concert) Molson's implaced some strict rules regarding items that could be taken in to the concert site or banned. Ridiculous! But they've softened up on their rules.
Still, I'm staying clear of it.
I'm sure it'll be a good show. Rolling Stones are still sounding good after all these years.
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reporter
Coverage: CBC (evening), CBC Newsworld (highlights), MuchMoreMusic (all day from noon coverage...)http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sarsbenefit/
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DIM
I would go to see the flaming lips, i love the stones from the sixties but i think they died w/ brian jones. of course i am a complete music snob, so go easy on me!
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Inquiry
My son is there! Lucky Kid!!!!! Along with nearly 500,000 others! What a party!
I used to live very close to what now is called the Downsview Park... it used to be a military base and was decommissioned... it is the same place the pope's big events were held when he came to Toronto... both times... huge land parcel, and accessible... but the traffic is gonna be a nightmare!
I hope the parking thing works out for the kids... they reserved a parking space at my old school.... lol... they reserve them by liscence plate number... it will be interesting to see if that worked out...
I will be watching by simulcast... but I wish I could be there... I love the Stones! One of my Faves... too bad I hadda work... oh well...
Toodles for now...
Inq
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reporter
We ain't done yet...folks!
Stones concert swells to size of Halifax as 350,000 fans stream to SARS show
at 16:29 on July 30, 2003, EST.
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Keri Austin from Owen Sound, Ontario puts on a mask as she walks through the concert for SARS relief at Downsview Park in Toronto Wednesday. (CP/Aaron Harris)TORONTO (CP) - Hours before Rush, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones were to take to the stage as headliners in an 11-hour concert designed to show the world Toronto's SARS outbreak is over, more than 350,000 people descended on the grounds of an abandoned military base primed to take in the biggest concert ever staged in Canada.
By mid-afternoon, Downsview Park - a massive sprawl of grass and tarmac equivalent to 540 football fields - had been transformed into a city the size of Halifax, and it would only get bigger, as police described the unusual sight of 60,000 people walking to the grounds on a temporarily shut-down highway.
It was Canada's largest rock concert, and many in the crowd wore their patriotism on their chests. The throng was a sea of Maple Leafs, although others opted to face the sweltering heat shirtless, in bikini tops and in some cases bras.
One exuberant blonde woman was heartily cheered as she danced naked on top of a truck, encouraging others to do the same.
Far south of the stage, politicians were working over hot grills at the Quarter Mile Barbecue - adorned with U.S. and Canadian flags and signs for food items like Sticky Fingers. They also worked the media cameras desperate to show Canadian beef was safe for consumption. In a rare show of national unity, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein ate P.E.I. mussels, while Ontario Premier Ernie Eves dined on Alberta beef.
There were sweaty bodies in every direction. Lineups greeted hungry and thirsty fans, with the longest ones nearest the stage. Groups huddled together trying not to lose friends in the mob of people moving up and down the centre of the field, once used to land military planes.
"Some nerves are already frayed,"said 51-year-old Pam McIntosh, of London, Ont. "People should have more tolerance . . .It's pretty good for slapping it together in a month and a half."
By 1:30 p.m. when Ottawa's Kathleen Edwards took the stage, the ground was littered in plastic water bottles and pizza boxes.
There was some commotion as trucks carrying more water to thirsty fans stalled in a crush of people.
"A lot of people are running over our stuff," said Jane Truman, who was sitting on a blanket with her two kids near one of a limited number of thoroughfares and feared she would be trampled.
Nicole Kornblum, from Belleville, Ont., said a passing vehicle nearly ran over her foot.
Early on in the day, police had dealt with at least one unruly fan and paramedics treated several people already in distress.
But police and organizers tried to play down any trouble, saying they'd anticipated some difficulties.
"It's not an issue,"said Senator Jerry Grafstein early in the day. "Statistics are that there will be some people acting up but overwhelmingly it's a mellow and happy crowd."
About 1,300 officers - one-fifth the size of the city's entire force - were conspicuous as they roamed the grounds keeping the peace.
For the most part, the concert-goers - everyone from preteens to people in their 50s - moved in an orderly fashion as they travelled the route from their blankets to the 500 concession stands and any of the 3,500 portable toilets.
But before the gates opened, a man who appeared to be in his 30s was arrested for assaulting a police officer, said Staff Sgt. Chris Hobson. At least four people passed out - one as a result of drunkenness - and were treated on site.
"As the day goes on, more and more people are going to be sick," said Larry Roberts, a spokesman for Toronto Emergency Services, adding that dehydration is a concern because of the heat.
One patient was moved to hospital, said Roberts. Other minor injuries reported were sprained ankles, and minor cuts and scrapes because of the unnevenness of the field.
Although police had said they would search thoroughly for drugs, the scent of marijuana was in the air.
Steven Bacon, one of the first Canadians legally allowed to smoke pot for medicinal purposes, waved a Maple Leaf flag adorned with a hemp leaf as he smoked a joint.
"I got a bit of the activist in me out here," he said. "It makes people gleeful to see the flag."
Some 60,000 fans who camped out outside the gates of Downsview Park overnight were treated to breakfast courtesy of the Stones. They were served danishes, bagels and that all-Canadian favourite - peameal bacon.
Some concert-goers said they were overwhelmed by the thought of taking in such big-name acts as the Stones, AC/DC and Rush all in one day, and also by concern about how the long day would progress.
"I'm a little dizzy," said Rebecca Elias, 22, one of the first to enter the park.
Elias expressed some safety concerns, although officers were to patrol the grounds throughout the day and countless security guards were charged with keeping things in check.
"I'm actually a bit nervous," said Elias. "I've spoken to some police officers and some security and they are really too lax for my peace of mind."
Before the start of the concert - which coincides with the 210th anniversary of the founding of Toronto - city garbage crews were already starting the clean-up process as beer and liquor bottles were strewn outside the gate entering the park.
Sleeping bags, bicycles and lawn chairs - among the items barred from the park - lined up outside the fence.
The concert was paid for by public and private sector, with at least $3.5 million invested by the federal government, $2 million from Ontario and the rest by corporate sponsors, with Molson leading the pack.
Acts were paid, although organizers would not say how much.
Toronto tourism officials estimated the event would still pump more than $52 million into the Toronto area which has taken an estimated $2-billion hit as a result of severe acute respiratory syndrome. An outbreak of the disease has killed 42 Canadians and kept tourists away in droves.
The concert aimed at boosting the SARS-battered economy began at noon and wasn't scheduled to wind down until 11 p.m., but thousands began lining up outside the gates hours before.
Karen Tocher, 26, said that while listening to great music was a prime reason for attending the concert, she also wanted to do her share to help out Toronto's economy.
"I plan to spend a lot of money while I'm in town," said Tocher, who flew in from Banff, Alta., on Tuesday.
Kueper and Julie Kelly, 17, had driven from nearby Alliston, Ont., arriving at 10 p.m. Tuesday to ensure they were among the first to get into the park.
They joined thousands who had camped out through the night outside the chainlink fence surrounding the park.
Brian MacAskill, a Toronto chef, arrived with his wife at 5:30 a.m.
"We have the day off work," he said. "It's all we're doing today so we might as well come early."
Scalpers peddling tickets for $25 - $3 to $5 above cost - greeted some concert-goers outside the nearby subway station.
Inside the park, a large sign emblazoned with the word Toronto in giant red letters hung over the concert stage, the middle "o" replaced with a picture of the Stones' trademark tongue logo. An enormous Canadian flag was draped across the back wall of the stage.
The Rolling Stones were to play a 90-minute set to close out the show. Earlier acts were Montreal rocker Sam Roberts, Ottawa's Kathleen Edwards, The Tea Party, The Flaming Lips, Sass Jordan and The Isley Brothers. ANGELA PACIENZA
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reporter
Expat! You da man...
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