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Just wondering why Halifax no longer has concerts on the Hill? It seems like no one likes having concerts on the commons except for the people who are making money, and there is such a better view from the Hill! I just don’t get it!
—Hill Lover
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2009.
12 Comments
I was discussing this topic with someone a few days ago. As a young adult there were always plenty of free concerts on the Hill and Black Rock beach – it’s a shame they stopped but as OP noted, it’s all about the money now.
Can you fit 40,000 people on the Hill? That’s why we can now get acts like the Stones and Kiss rather than Our Lady Peace or Zappacosta.
It’s because concert promoters Peter and Dawn are trying to get 30 year old plus has beens for the huge Commons waste of time concert of the year.
Totally agree, Bro. I hate these old fuckers who vacuum the cash right out of your fucking pocket. Some of them were good in their day but that day is three decades past. Time to pass the fucking torch, for Christ’s Sake. I’d like to see a venue of local bands on the Hill, a small admission to cover costs, no restrictions on chairs, food or non-alcoholic beverages.
True and that’s all good, but there’s nothing wrong with the old fogies putting on huge-ass shows. Makes the city look good and also spreads around a lot of moolah for local business. Not sure why they can’t fit in a smaller show during the summer though. I would go see that too.
Halifax is a shithole. Nobody wants to play here
You’re right, Bfugi, not Kiss, not Neil Young, not Pearl Jam, not Queens of the Stone Age, not the Rolling Stones, not Willie Nelson, not Keith Urban, not anybody!
We really do need an indoor area that’s suited for concerts. The MTC has shit acoustics.
I also remember free concerts on the Hill years ago, they’d go on for an entire weekend. Sure it was all local acts, but they were good ones.
But, at least with the Commons there’s no sliding, or *ahem*, stumbling down the slope or falling in a moat- just a lot of mud.
I do wonder about this fixation with bringing in old “classic” acts. There must be some younger bands we can bring in that’ll have comparable numbers.
The Metro Centre will be replaced one day, sadly, not soon enough.
I’m sorry, just sayin’ but name one newer act (other than anything that’s top 40 fabrication) that could cram 40,000 people on the Commons. I can’t think of any. Maybe if this was 15 years ago, then a festival featuring Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, etc would have had a shot, but despite what anyone says on this topic, there’s nothing out there now that can attract a large crowd like the “classic” acts. Lets be realistic here, its a symptom of the musical age we live in. Unfortunately, shit like American Idol has saturated any real creativity out of the musical landscape for the time being. Not to say there’s no good new music out there, but nothing that gets the necessary industry push so that a regular joe blow will pick up on it.
Broc – garrison grounds can hold up to 30,000 people. And I wouldn’t need a fucking jumbotron to see the stage.
Broc-
That’s sort of what I was asking. Sorry if I didn’t word it quite right. I don’t listen to popular music, like you say, it’s pretty much fabricated and mostly awful- I was just wondering that surely, there must be someone current that could bring in a crowd. Maybe not 40,000, but maybe 25,000? Or, make it more of multi-act show if none of the younger acts can pull ’em in on their own. Instead of one major headliner, have three of equal calibre sharing the stage. When the Stones played, there were other acts on the bill- Kanye West, Alice Cooper, etc, this could be a similar idea only there wouldn’t the “big” name.
Actually, when I say more current acts, it doesn’t have to be limited to the teenage crowd, there’s acts from fifteen years ago that may still pack a punch. At least it wouldn’t be going back as far in music history as some of the other rumoured bands that people have suggested to play the Commons.