This is the ticket stub from the first time I saw the Rolling Stones, on the Steel Wheels tour in 1989, at Sullivan Stadium, the old dump where the Patriots used to play before they moved across the parking lot to the beautiful Gillette Stadium. This was a huge moment at the time, because the relationship between Mick and Keith had been frosty for a few years, and there was quite a bit of doubt as to whether we'd see them again.

As I was shelling out the ticket money (28 bucks, an out-freaking-rageous sum of money at the time) I clearly remember saying " It's the Stones...I'll never get another chance to see them!"

Oh well. In fact, in the two subsequent times I've seen the Stones, I was convinced that this would be "The Last Time". Corny joke, I know.

Either way, it was money well spent, and the Halifax Commons show will be no exception. Make all the jokes you want about the band being over the hill, but anybody who went to Magnetic Hill last year will say that the old buggers can still blow just about anybody off the stage.

Now, we're wondering who the openers will be. That'll probably have to wait a couple of weeks.

We can tell you who they aren't going to be, though... Aerosmith and Motley Crue are in New Jersey. The Who, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wolfmother and The Raconteurs are names that have popped up, but they're all playing at a big festival in Baltimore the same day.

Never did like Baltimore. Charm City, my ass!

You hate to throw names out there, especially if they don't pan out. I remember watching the TV in February, and there was a guy from a radio station (what do we know, anyway?) saying with absolute 100% certainty that U2, Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac (?) were going to play Magnetic Hill this summer. How's that working out for ya, Sparky?

Either way, the Stones always have a big name opener on their tours...it's just a matter of who's available at the time.

This is me with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden in the Spring of 1988, backstage after their show with Guns 'n' Roses at the Moncton Coliseum.

Now, I ask you...would you trust this man to fly an extremely large aircraft?

http://www.pr-inside.com/dickinson-...uees-r12273.htm

DICKINSON AIRLIFTS BEIRUT EVACUEES Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

2006-07-21 09:02:04 - IRON MAIDEN singer and qualified pilot BRUCE DICKINSON airlifted 200 British citizens who had fled war torn Beirut, Lebanon back to the UK yesterday (20JUL06).The 47-year-old flew a Boeing 757 to Cyprus where he picked up the evacuees and flew them back to London's Gatwick Airport. A colleague says, "He was only too keen to get involved and help."He has a strong interest in the welfare of people caught up in international conflicts and cares about what is going on."

Maiden were my absolute favourite band during high school, and they were also the first big band I was able to meet. They were all incredibly nice fellas, and I think I'm responsible for introducing drummer Nicko McBrain to the magic of Alexander Keiths!

As cool as Dickinson was at the time, it's still pretty difficult to picture him almost twenty years later, flying a 757 into a war zone to pick up a load of evacuees.

Aces High, Baby!

Read in the Chronicle-Herald the other day about how a Stones announcement is imminent, like in the next week or so...check this out, from Regina...

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=607ec56e-9749-48bb-8dc0-447b7b956fd1

Monday or Tuesday, at the latest, is when I'd expect to hear something.

We can put The Who and Chili Peppers rumour to bed, for t he time being, unfortunately. They're both playing a festival in Baltimore on September 23rd. Aerosmith are playing with Motley Crue in Camden, New Jersey on the same day. Looks like The Stones or bust, baby!

Looking over The Who's tour dates, though, they're playing some smaller places this time out, like London Ontario, so maybe we'll luck out!

This has been bugging me for awhile now, and it's time to get it off my chest...

Has anybody ever seen Interim Liberal Leader Michel Samson and the fabulous Ricky Gervais from The Office in the same room together? I haven't!

First update in a few days here, between vacation and hosting the morning show for a couple of days, time (and brain cells) are in short supply! It's always a hell of a lot of fun filling in for BJ, but I'd be a lot happier if they'd move the show to...noon, maybe?

It's a fine week for concerts in Metro...the highlight for me will be Wilco at Alderney Landing tomorrow night. I've been a fan since AM in 1995. Live will be here Sunday night...they were here for a Canada Day show on Citadel Hill a few years back. AAAAAAAANNNDDDDD...the Stones rumour won't go away.

I've actually heard people say "Aaaaawww, man, The Stones were just at Magnetic Hill last year, couldn't we get somebody else?"

I've lived in the Maritimes all my life, and we've always complained that we never get concerts. Now we're in the position where we're getting uppity that the Stones are coming here too often? Dude!

A listener, Todd, from Bedford, e-mailed this great Paul Anka clip to me at tom@q104.ca

I'd love to use sometning like this on the air, but didn't for obvious reasons. The language gets a bit salty, so watch it...

http://www.noisetank.com/integrity/

Actually it sounds like me if my pre-show martini isn't ice cold!

http://www.republicaupdate.com/2006/06/u2_george_bush_.html

Happy 4th of July! The amount of work that went into this must have been staggering.

I'm on vacation this week, but I couldn't resist posting this. YouTube's the greatest, ain't it?

Hope you're having a groovy Canada Day...nice to see the weather co-operating. So far, so good!

Joel Plaskett dropped by Friday for a chat and a couple of tunes, including 'Nowhere With You'. In case you missed the interview, we'll replay it on Route 104 Sunday night at 9. Probably the exact time he'll be hitting the stage at the Q Blast at Alderney Landing. If you're going to the show, get there early (the doors open at 5:30), have a couple of pops, and check out some of the other bands. In-Flight Safety, Caledonia, Carmen Townshend, all are well worth seeing. Plus, the dynamic presence of Bobby Mac as MC is a draw, in itself.

Very cool to see Patrick Roy get into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Above is a picture taken at the old Montreal Forum after a game in 1994. St. Patrick and Brian Bellows were coming back across the ice after doing post-game interviews on the CBC, and I happened to be hanging around the Habs bench at the time. You used to be able to walk right down and sit on the bench after the games, which was a pretty neat experience.

That's my explanation for being on the Habs bench, but as far as my half-hearted attempt at growing a beard, I got nothin'.

Hope you have a good Canada Day weekend. On Friday's show, I'll be talking to 54-40, who will be playing an outdoor show at Casino Nova Scotia on Sunday. They'll be in the van, probably around Kingston, Ontario at the time, so they'll be nice and shack-wacky, no doubt.

Joel Plaskett stops by Live at 4:05....he's headlining the Q Blast Sunday at Alderney Landing. He's a good Clayton Park lad, riding high with 'Nowhere With You' in a Zellers ad campaign.

Don't forget the Q104 Ballbusters/ELEMSdale Werecoons game, rescheduled for Sunday at 1pm at the Elmsdale Legion. The beer and Ben-Gay will be a-flowin'!

I could live to be 300 years old, and never be as cool as Bo Diddley...Tom Petty once said 'Elvis may be The King, but Diddley is Daddy!'

'Who Do You Love', 'Willie and the Hand Jive', 'Hey Mona'...they're all his. 77 years old, still doing hundreds of shows a year, and last time we checked, he was still cooking ribs on a hotplate backstage before shows.

Bo is coming to the Dutch Mason Blues Festival with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Garrett Mason and Charlie A'Court in August. Here's a link for more info...

http://www.dutchmason.com/contacts.html

I'll be chatting with Bo Diddley Thursday afternoon between 3 and 7. I wasn't there, but apparently, he played at the old Crazy Horse on Wyse Road (which is where the hoochie bar stands today) back in the 80's, playing his famous square guitar through amps that were decorated with Christmas lights.

The 'Dutchfest' isn't the only thing coming to Alderney Landing this summer...of course there's Wilco on July 12th, and the Q Blast Sunday...headlined by the Joel Plaskett Emergency. Joel will be dropping by the Outta Control Room for Friday's Live at 4:05. It shouldn't be too hard to convince him to play an acoustic song or two...

Got this from a listener yesterday...

Hi Tom,

I was just wondering if you've heard any rumours about Magnetic Hill Labour Day weekend concert event. Is there anything happening there?


Thanks,

Scott

Hey Scott...

A few rumours, abut nothing concrete. The big names that were being thrown around at first were McCartney or U2, but neither of them are touring, so that's out. I heard Tom Petty mentioned, but looking at his tour dates, I don't see how that could work.

I've spoken with a couple of HRM councillors recently, and believe it or not, it looks like they're still trying to get the Stones to play on the Commons.

The band finishes up their European tour at the end of September, and that's what they're shooting for here in Halifax. Personally, I don't see it happening, but what do I know? The Pope was here in '84, so a large crowd could be managed. The entire area around the Commons would have to be shut down one way or another, but we've done that for Grand Prix weekend. And, there's always Shearwater, right?

Aerosmith and Motley Crue are touring together starting in early September, so that's a possibility too, I guess...

Unfortunately, after seeing the Stones last fall, and the way it all came off without a hitch, I think there's be nowhere to go but down!

I think the rain has finally gotten to me. I don't know how much time I wasted on Sunday afternoon frigging around with this site...

http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/

Got a little somethin' for Bobby...sorry...his Eminence, while I was there.

Nice weather, huh? I was really looking forward to playing a little slob-ball this weekend...especially the annual Q104 Ballbusters/ELEMSdale Werecoons friendly match at the ELEMSdale Legion.

The first year we had the game on a beautiful, early fall afternoon, and last year's took place on easily the most hellishly hot day of the year. Either way, it's a great time, and we raise money for a fine cause...the Easter Seals 24-hour Relay for the Abilities Foundation. Barry, the folks at the Legion, and everybody else involved in Elmsdale does a top-notch job in putting everything together, and they always make us feel welcome.

In the first game, two years ago, I homered on the second pitch of the game...that's the picture at the top of the page. I realize it's pretty impressive, until you catch on to the fact that the pitcher, and a couple of the other Werecoons are wearing dresses. Nice look if you can pull it off, though.

Unfortunately, for this weekend, construction on the new ELEMSdale Legion Mega-Dome wasn't completed in time for this year's game, so we'll have to re-schedule. Hopefully soon.

I usually play on Sunday mornings, too for my other team, Team XXXtreme. Last week, we swept our doubleheader for our first two wins of the year. I think there was a bottom-screen crawl announcing the victories on 'Mass For Shut-ins', if you caught it.

Hi...I'm still pretty new to this, so please bear with me...Figure I'd get started with a recent picture of me with Texas music legend Joe Ely. This was taken in New Braunfels, Texas, between San Antone and Austin on a Sunday afternoon a few weeks back. It was at an old dance hall called Gruene Hall.

Joe actually sent a song out to me, so according to the rules, I'm now an official Texan!