Heatwave Festival / 08.23.1980 / Mosport Park, Ontario, Who else from the Boston area went? Options

[JohnnyBurma]

Heatwave was a rock festival August 23, 1980, outside of Toronto, Canada at Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario. The slogans used to promote the show were variously the "Punk Woodstock", the "New Wave Woodstock", or "The 1980s Big Beat Rock and Roll Party".[size=3]

The festival was noteworthy because of the importance of the headliner bands that played and the timing in the evolution of New Wave music, not from the size of the crowd. Tickets were $20 ($25 at the gate), but only 50,000 people attended (of a hoped-for 100,000) and the promoters lost a million dollars.

The acts were:
Vladymir Rogov (opening artist) with his band ARKITEX (not on poster)
Teenage Head (not on poster)
Holly and the Italians (not on the poster)
Rockpile featuring Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe
The Rumour without Graham Parker (just after he'd gone solo) (not on poster)
The B-52's
Talking Heads (at sundown)
The Pretenders
Elvis Costello and the Attractions
The Kings
[The Clash were originally booked, and were on the poster, but cancelled or, by another story, were held up at the border due to customs.]

A partial order of appearance was: Teenage Head (opened at 11:00 am), The Rumor, Rockpile, Holly and the Italians, Pretenders, B-52's, Talking Heads (sunset), Elvis Costello, and the Kings (midnight).

More info, set lists, references at Wikipedia:
Heatwave

[Room Starts Spinning]

Teenage Head!!!

I wonder if the acts were recorded a la Woodstock?

Pretenders and Elvis Costello in their new wave/punk prime?
Rockpile?
A live version of "Tell That Girl To Shut Up"?

Sigh!

[JohnnyBurma]

Teenage Head!!!

I wonder if the acts were recorded a la Woodstock?

Pretenders and Elvis Costello in their new wave/punk prime?
Rockpile?
A live version of "Tell That Girl To Shut Up"?

Sigh!

Do your google search with "heatwave mosport 1980 + act name"

I understand there are some soundboard recordings available for the Teenage Head, Talking Heads, Pretenders and Elvis Costello sets. They are all on various torrent sharing sites and may/may not be available presently but you can always try to contact original poster and ask them to re-seed.

[lisalisa]

I never heard of this. I've always hated big festival shows so I don't know if I would have gone to this. Plus $25 and a trip to Ontario would have been really costly for me at the time.

I want a copy of the soundtrack. I must google for it.

[anatomicallyincorrect]

I know I have the Costello set...might have the Talking Heads too.

[anatomicallyincorrect]

The Teenage Head set was broadcast on the radio - found this on Dime A Dozen, but it isn't being seeded at the moment:

Teenage Head--Heatwave Festival, Mosport Park, ON, Canada, Aug. 22, 1980 (FM Broadcast)

Set List:

01. Top Down
02. Wild One
03. Picture My Face
04. Some Kinda Fun
05. Alimony
06. Everybody's Growin' Old
07. Let's Shake
08. Lucy Potato
09. Brand New Cadillac
10. You're Tearing Me Apart
11. Somethin' Else
12. Kissin' The Carpet
13. Disgusteen
14. C'mon Everybody

[stoneylarsen]

TH set is available on a bootleg called EMITTING DIODE. There is a more recent boot CD of it as well which is featured here: http://www.theleathercanary.com/2008/04/ta...twave-1980.html

One of my old UPS drivers - from when I worked at Coolidge Corner Mail Boxes Etc 1994-1999 - who we called "Crazy Phil" said he went there. "It was one great big pah-tee!"

[lisalisa]

TH set is available on a bootleg called EMITTING DIODE. There is a more recent boot CD of it as well which is featured here: http://www.theleathercanary.com/2008/04/ta...twave-1980.html

One of my old UPS drivers - from when I worked at Coolidge Corner Mail Boxes Etc 1994-1999 - who we called "Crazy Phil" said he went there. "It was one great big pah-tee!"

that link no longer works. Still looking for a link.

[dmcc]

I was there
Original B-52s with Ricky Wilson were a standout
Pretenders (original lineup) and Rockpile kicked ass
the rest was pretty good too

[Quietroom]

Hello,

I was there as well. It was a great time. The B-52's were indeed awesome and Talking Heads unveiled their expanded group for the first time. I had a really good time. Sad about the Clash though.

Some of the sets are on torrent sites with the Talking Heads one being easily available.

Quietroom