Rockin’ and Rollin’ at the Stones, Part 2

The pilgrimage into the concert grounds was basically just a group of swiftly moving people going in the same direction, except for the gal who was sitting/slouching on the side of the road with her old man, who was trying to bring her around…they definitely had the look of people who make a career out of partying…

Got our bags checked at the huge row of makeshift corrals (for all the illegal food we were trying to smuggle in – WHATEVER!) and then the next line took our tickets and we were GOOD TO GO!

We had known we didn’t want to sit/stand right up front, too many people, too little services, so tucked ourselves away on the slight incline, just on the other side of the fence from the beer garden. They had makeshift alleys made for paramedics to get through easy enough and they wove their way through the concert field, which was a pretty good idea, and I saw it in motion as the gal right across from me dropped the ground, passed out, then threw up and never really came to much after that. They came and got her. Poor fucker never saw the Tragically Hip, let alone Stones. I think it was a combination of heat exhaustion, dehydration and drunkeness…she was a little effed up.

Anyhow, the music was playing shortly after we got in – Our Lady Peace, then Maroon 5, and the Tragically Hip. The crowd really got going with the last one. And then it was time for the main event. Meanwhile, P. and I did a little jaunt through the bigger crowd, the beer garden, food vendors, etc. She got some cigarettes, I got some food, and we were good to go, without waiting in line for either. Got back to our corner and hung out for the evening, switching from standing to sitting on and off to save our SOLES.

Then The ROLLING STONES came one and I was mesmerized for sure. The stage is just awesome. There is a 7 storey construction surrounding the stage in a kind of slight bow shape, with the stage being hundreds of feet wide. Mick had his exercise cut out for him, that’s for sure. Directly behind the band was a huge 5-storey screen with close-ups of the band as they played. There were also big screens (smaller) on either side of the stage, and two huge ones placed midway and ¾ way up the hill for the rest of the crowd to see. The big screen only came on for the Stones, while all the others were on for the other bands. They began with a flash and the song “Start Me Up” of course, good tune to get the crowd going. The 7 storey construction I just mentioned has screens on it and the entire area lit up like the biggest screen you could imagine. I will have pics later as my friend K. gets her developed. Mick was wearing his signature red clothing, and boy did it ever stand out on the stage and on the screens!

I have to say, for a man his age, Mick can shake ass! He is trim and fit and he MOVES when he sings. He went from end to end of the stage, for a fabulous workout and everyone had to feel his energy while he sang his heart out for us. The rest of the gang looked good too, but Mick seems to be the show stopper with his voice, ease of movement, and stage presence. I was hooked and entranced. Thanks Mick and the boys.

From HUGE flames shooting rocketlike from the top of the stage, to the fireworks shot into the air, to the light show of the stage, to the fabulous sound of the equipment, it was a brilliant concert and worth every effort to get there, even if I did forget my ticket…

Other noteworthy highlights of the weekend/show:

- the mass exodus from the concert field to the busses, parking lots, etc was the largest moving crowd of people I had ever been in thus far
- they told us that because there was an estimated 85,000 people there, we made up the largest congregation of people on the east coast, including any single city (not the greater municipal area, such as the HRM, the cities themselves)
- the smell of weed hung over the crowd like incense
- the pizza I got at the food stand was piping HOT and so good, even if it cost $7 a small slice
- my friends K., T., P., and her nephew N., left 30 minutes into the 2 hour Stones show, just because they didn’t want to be caught in the crowd later…WTF???
- I didn’t fall, not even once. I know, I can hardly believe it myself
- I ACTUALLY slept, in my car.
- I was standing next to the CTV reporter and I may even be in some of the shots, even if they do end up on the cutting room floor…
- I never waited more than 5 minutes to use the porta potty and it was CLEAN with TOILET PAPER and outside the potties, they had washing up stations with running water, SOAP and paper towel. I felt quite spoiled and grateful all at the same time
- While P. and I got our food easily with no wait, T. and K. waited for 2 hours to get theirs…
- The Rolling Stones sounded just as good as I had hoped they would, and seeing them was the ultimate for me
- T. let me use her phone to call my daughter from the concert and say hi…
- Some kid was taken to hospital for appendix and they announced it for the benefit of his parents who were in the audience somewhere…
- The medical tent was giving out free cold water all day and night
- some frustrated souls lit a fire in a garbage can to keep warm and the crew SWOOPED in and put it out in minutes with their trusty fire extinguishers

- It took me an hour to get out to the parking lot where I got off the bus and another 2.5 hours to get back to the campground…we waited forever because the roads were so PACKED with people and traffic

So there you are, my long-winded account of The Rolling Stones (and others) concert, more for my benefit and journalling than your entertainment. I can live on this weekend for years of reflection…