Skies Open Over Halifax

Driving rain and frigid temperatures didn’t stop more than 50,000 concertgoers from seeing The Rolling Stones and others September 23rd at Halifax Commons in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The much-ballyhooed concert, which included performances by Alice Cooper, Kanye West and hometown heroes Sloan, went on for six hours. By the end of the show, the park in the middle of the city looked like a muddy bog, according to Canadian Press.

Jagger and company, except for Charlie Watts, were pelted just as hard as the crowd, which donned ponchos, rain gear and garbage bags for protection against the elements.

Cooper, his python and band members also got doused earlier in the evening but the show still went on, the CP said.

Semi-retired promoter Donald Tarlton of Donald K. Donald Entertainment Group told The Daily News of Halifax the event is a milestone in the city’s history despite some opposition from area residents.

“We’ve had an interesting start here, because we ran into some political problems and some negativity off the top,” Tarlton said the day before the concert. “We’re not used to dealing with that. Usually when people get an opportunity to see The Rolling Stones, it’s like the Super Bowl coming to town.

“The [Stones] are coming here and investing a lot of their money in staging the greatest rock ‘n’ roll concert of all time. All the city is doing is good business,” he added.

The main concerns voiced prior to the concert were about damage to the Commons from the Stones’ huge steel stage, tractor-trailers and a massive number of fans. Increased traffic, noise and security issues were also addressed.

The Stones’ Halifax stop is the first rock concert held at the Commons. The last big gathering there was a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1984.