Aug. 22, 1980 Preview and Aug. 24, 1980 review of Canada's Heatwave Festival

 

Before and after the Heatwave Festival

Aug. 22, 1980 Gusto Events and Openings

The essence of New Wave rock is quite the opposite of the peace-love-Woodstock syndrome that buoyed up the psychedelic era of the late '60s. The new rock is intense, ironic and very much the creature of small, seedy nightspots. As a result, it took the organizers of Saturday's Heatwave Festival in Ontario's Mosport Park better than two months to convince booking agents that a large-scale outdoor New Wave rock show could happen. Then they had to convince the bands.

"The bands were interested," says Larry Weinstock, one of the principals in First Festival Productions in Toronto, "but they all held back to see what the other bands would do. They'd say if so-and-so commits themselves, then we'll commit. Some of the contracts guarantee that certain other bands will perform. Finally, Elvis Costello was the first one to jump in. Then came the B-52s and then Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds with Rockpile."

For many, it will be the first time they've performed together on the same bill. Costello is making this his only North American date this year, flying over specially from England. Talking Heads are taking a break from recording their next album. Others appearing include Graham Parker and the Rumour, the Pretenders, Third World, the Kings and Dexy's Midnight Runners. A Toronto New Waver named Vladimir Rogoff will start things rolling at 10 a.m. Costello is expected to finish the day around midnight.

"You wouldn't believe some of the demands," Weinstein remarks. "The music may change, but managers remain the same. I'd still rather see them come in happy than stand around backstage grumbling."

Mosport, a sprawling grand prix auto racing track about an hour east of Toronto, seems the ideal site for such an affair. Scene of two previous rockfests – Strawberry Fields in 1970 and Canada Jam in 1978 – it boasts a natural amphitheater, acres of woods for camping and a municipal government that's come to tolerate this kind of affair, as long as the proper arrangements are made. Since First Festival includes people who organized Strawberry Fields and Canada Jam, the provisions for insurance, security, food, first aid and sanitation are well in hand. Backed by a syndicate of Canadian investors, the festival will be filmed and recorded for future movie and album releases.

A crowd of up to 75,000 – big for New Wave, but small by Woodstock standards – is expected to pay $20 a ticket for the daylong musical extravaganza, along with camping before and after the show. What kind of crowd will it be? "No different than any other festival," Weinstein proposes. "There'll be maybe 15 to 20% real hard core New Wavers, about 5% people over 30 and the rest will be high school and college kids who are just out for a good time."

* * * * *

Deadline for this writeup came well before the festival was over, which is why there's no account of Elvis Costello's set. I found a pay phone and dictated what I had to the night city editor.

Aug. 24, 1980 review

Concert Gets Hotter As Sun Goes Down

MOSPORT, Ont. – Comparisons with Woodstock were lost on the Heatwave Festival Saturday.

First of all, the numbers did not match. North America's first outdoor New Wave rock show drew only a modest 70,000, by official count, to this grand prix auto racing track.

As a celebration of punk, it was surprisingly docile. The combination of 90 degrees, sunshine and an intensive security campaign against alcoholic beverages defused the potential for anger.

The crowd, half Canadian and half American, was enlivened by a display of punk regalia – torn T-shirts, skinny ties, souvenir buttons, bizarre sunglasses, multicolored hair and "bondage" jewelry.

Most medical problems consisted of cuts and overexposure to the sun. As promised, it was so-o-o-o hot.

Though not all the advertised groups showed up, Heatwave made good on its major promises, namely Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, the B-52s, Rockpile and the new nine-member Talking Heads.

Among the missing were the Ramones, Third World, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Graham Parker. A number of lesser bands filled the rest of the 13-hour program.

Celebrity visitors included Debbie Harry of Blondie and comedian Dan Aykroyd. The grassy concert field was filled with thousands of grasshoppers.

Rockpile, with New Wave pioneers Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe, snapped the afternoon into focus with a fast-paced set that recalled '50s rock.

The show did not really hit its stride until the sun started sinking. Successive sets by the Pretenders, the bouffant-haired B-52s and the rhythmically complex Talking Heads had the throng bobbing on its feet.

At nightfall, they were still standing, awaiting Costello, the godfather of this event. He had been highly visible at the festival since Friday. During Rockpile's set, he stood backstage, proudly sipping whiskey.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTO: A poster for the Heatwave Festival.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Heatwave's page on Wikipedia reports that the festival lost $1 million and that Dan Aykroyd invited radio listeners to come in for free on his guest list. No rights agreements had been signed, so no live album materialized, but 102 tracks eventually surfaced as bootlegs in 2017.

Elvis Costello's set was preserved on a double live album. The B-52s introduced songs from their upcoming "Wild Planet" LP. And Talking Heads brought along the band from their "Remain in Light" sessions, which included guitarist Adrian Belew, who already had worked with Zappa and Bowie, and singer Nona Hendryx from Labelle.

After the show ended, I encountered a couple high school girls who had lost touch with the rest of their party and gave them a ride home to the Toronto suburbs.