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Volume 10, Issue 46, Week of November 18, 2013
Saskatoonʼs REAL Community Newspaper
Etched in
Stones
Lorne Calvert had an opportunity to hang out with the Rolling Stones during their visit to Regina (Photo by Sandy Hutchinson)
L
Calvert recalls concert that changed Saskatchewan
orne Calvert clearly recalls going to wasn’t out of the question, but it depended breakfast in March 2004 at the Hali- upon a facility which could hold up to fax Juno Awards for a meeting that 40,000 people. In addition there had to be changed the pop-music industry’s perspec- a corporate sponsor. tive of Saskatchewan. “I threw out Taylor Field Calvert was the premier of in Regina and Craven as two Saskatchewan, and he was on possible sites and said SaskTel a mission to promote the 2005 would be the sponsor. He said Junos which had been awarded the Stones themselves would to Saskatoon. have the ultimate say. Then “J.P. Ellson, a Regina he threw another curve at me. lawyer with a keen awareness He said if any announcements of the music industry, asked were going to be made, they me the night before if I’d like were going to be made by the to meet Donald Tarlton, one tour promoters. No rumours, of Canada’s most influential no government releases, a lot promoters. From there Donald of secrecy on my part as I tried People and I agreed to meet the next to work out the arrangements,” morning,” said Calvert, who is said Calvert. now the principal of St. Andrew’s College “The secrecy thing was hard. I didn’t in Saskatoon. tell any of my colleagues in cabinet except “When we met I reminded Donald that for Glenn Hagel, who was in charge of we’d never had the Rolling Stones perform the upcoming Saskatchewan Centennial in Saskatchewan and asked what we had to celebrations. It was hard to be silent when do to get them.” the touring team from New York came The Stones were going to play Canato visit the facilities and study the hotel dian dates in October 2004, and Tarlton accommodation. Mayor Pat Fiacco had to told Calvert that a stop in Saskatchewan become involved.
NED POWERS
“The funny thing about it was we were three inches away from not making the concert work. The large stage came within three inches of the grandstand seating. The touring team didn’t ask for anything special except to pave a small area around the outside of Taylor Field. With 80 semitrailers of equipment, they didn’t want to get bogged down on a gravel surface.” Everything worked like a charm. When the tickets went on sale for a Friday night concert in October at Taylor Field, they sold out in 30 minutes. Everyone agreed to play a second date — the Sunday night — and it also sold out quickly. Calvert had been a longtime fan of the Stones and had met them at the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert, which attracted about 490,000 people outdoors in July 2003. Calvert, then-Manitoba premier Gary Doer and then-Alberta premier Ralph Klein were in Toronto defending Canadian beef against the American accusations in the BSE scare. Calvert watched from the wings “and Gary and I were so close you could see them sweat.” The Saskatchewan dates were a winwin for everyone.
“I sense the two shows were a comingof-age thing for Saskatchewan music lovers. We were elevated into a Grade-A status after being a B circuit site for so many years. We caught the attention of the promoters. “Michael Cohl, part of the promoting team, said the Stones did better in Saskatchewan than in any other stops on the world tour. That’s because all the expenses were covered by the first show and everything on the second night was gravy. Usually ticket sales cover the cost of putting on the show. The bands make a clear profit on souvenir sales. We had teamed them up with the Saskatchewan Roughrider marketers. “For SaskTel, the sponsorship gave them tremendous exposure.” Calvert bought tickets the first night, as did his cabinet colleagues. They were given 25 free tickets, which they dispersed to a Regina inner-city youth group. “We invited the Snowbirds to do a fly-past just before the concert. The Stones were still in their tents, but they all came running out when they heard the noise. No (Continued on page 4)