4 UPEI News

BY ERIN FAGAN

Approximately 850 tick- ets of the 1700 available were sold in support of the Belve- dere Rocks concert held in the UPEI Sports Centre on Sep- tember 23.

The concert, held in the UPEI Canada Games Sports Centre, headlined Big Sugar and featured special guests The Matthew Good Band and Pluto.

Although the final num- bers were not yet in, Tyler Dougan, SU Vice President Operations reported that 1050 to 1100 people attended the concert.

The 300 additional peo- ple who attended the wet-only event were reportedly radio contest winners, Belvedere tour guests, and guests of the bands.

“I was happy with the turn-out at the concert,” Dougan said. “Numbers weren't as high as they could have been, but all in all the show was a success.”

During the first portion

of the Wednesday night con- cert, Vancouver’s Pluto played a half-hour set of about eight songs, starting with a couple of familiar pop hits from their pre- vious album. They then per- formed songs from their newly released Shake Hands With the Future. In spite of the relatively small crowd in the Sports Center as the set be- gan, the band was powerfully energetic, loud and fun

“Pluto rocked. That’s whol cametosee, commented one individual in the crowd.

Another student com- plained that they hadn’t played long enough.

lan Jones, lead guitarist and the “snarly side” of Van- couver’s Pluto, made the fol- lowing comments on their first visitto Charlottetown during a discussion before their per- formance.

The Cadre + 6 October 1998

Belvedere Rocks Concert

sells 850 tickets

“It’s so clean here, eh? No spray paint. . .and the houses are all old. We like that,” Jones said. He asserted, however, that Vancouver had better clam chowder and a nicer ferry service.

In discussing the tour, Jones mentioned that the band loves playing live, but that he personally enjoysrecording the most.

“It’s more relaxed, just hanging out,” he commented.

Jones also spoke of what the band enjoys listening to.

“We enjoy pop music, and we like melodies. We all have different tastes, but we

like seeing liveshows...like Jon Spencer [Blues Explosion]....”

Jones did admitthat Pluto had been listening to Dwight Yoakam and Willie Nelson quite heavily over the duration of the tour.

With only acouple more dates left on the Belvedere Rocks tour, Jones expressed that with the release of their new album, Shake Hands With the Future, Pluto would continue touring for most of the year.

“This is just the begin- ning,” he said. “We want to tour in the states and every- where we can.”

The Matthew Good Band was next on the bill. They made an entrance accompa- nied by the Star Wars theme, and proceeded into their set of lyrical pop-rock tunes from their latest record.

“| hadn’t really heard of them before, but they were pretty good,” said one specta- tor the day after the concert.

Owing to a streak of ser- endipity, our lucky Cadre pho- tographer was able to meet Big Sugar’s bassist, Jamaican- born Garry Lowe, inthe men’s washroom during the Pluto set. When asked for a comment (while washing his hands),

Big sugar performing for a crowd of over 1000 in UPEI Sports Centre on

Wednesday, September 23

Photo by Richard Haines

Big Sugar seen here with members of the 1998-1999 UPEISU

photo by Richard Haines

Lowe was enigmatic.

“What? Something s pid? Everybody ends up in same place so it don’t reall) matter, eh? Think about it.”

Big Sugar, the highli of the concert, came on about eleven o’clock, and gan with a strongly blues-i fluenced, reggae-infused tu One prominent feature of thei latest CD, Heated, is a harder hitting beat line which seems to result from their new drum: mer, Gavin Brown. Kelly “Mr Chill” Hoppe, the keyboardist also demonstrated his har- monica skills during the set which consisted largely of nev songs and at least one Beatles cover.

In summation, Dougat and SU as a whole seemed please with the event.

“There was limited trov- ble, no accidents, no damage, the bands all loved playing here,” he said. “And above al! else, the crowd had a greal time.”

“The show achieved the goal of creating some schoo! spirit at UPEI, which, when push comes to shove, is what my job is all about,” he added.

Inevitably, though, notal! students were satisfied with the event.

One first year student, 2 self-described Pluto fan, won- dered why those under nine- teen were unable to attend.

“I would have gone if ! could,” she said. “I know 2 couple people who are into Biz Sugar, too, so it was a disap- pointment to find out we couldn’t go.”

News Ed. Note: The Cadre was unable to determine exact! how much the concert cost or how much the Student Union made profited from the event.