Get Down Tonight!
Watch your head! Oh, too late. Blackness. Ambulance. CT scan. Repeat.
That might be a slight exaggeration – I was only rushed to the hospital in an ambulance for a head injury once. And, it was so worth it.
I was 18 and in Ottawa at an outdoor day-long concert where my favourite band, Spirit of the West (SOTW), was playing. They influenced me a lot and I was really excited. It was a rainy day in August 1995. I was probably wearing the obligatory 1990s non-descript jeans, t-shirt and perhaps even my blueberry docs. SOTW was playing a mid-afternoon set and would be signing autographs after!! My friends and I decided that if we got separated, we would meet at the autograph table after the set.
As predicted, I lost my friends in my quest for the coveted gates separating the crowd from the stage. During the set, I soaked in the music and sang along… until it hit me. Literally. Doc Marten boot, meet my face. Awesome. I looked up to see the disappearing figure of a body surfer. The next thing I knew, I was being passed over the coveted gates into the arms of a security dude. He carried me in front of the stage into the St. John’s ambulance tent. Nooooo! I am going to miss the rest of the set! Priorities intact? Check.
In the tent, the medic dudes examined my face and head. I pleaded with them to let me go watch the rest of the show and they said that they couldn’t keep me because I was 18. I signed a waiver and was gone. Armed with a bag of cold water for my face, I wondered off. I had a vague idea of where I was and where I was supposed to be going.
Soaking wet and covered in mud, I staggered to the autograph tent, striking up random conversations about incoherent things along the way.
Finally, I made it to the tent and found my friends. One looked at me quizzically and said that I was acting like I was drunk, which was telling since at the point in my life I hadn’t ever had a sip. What?! Drunk?
We inched our way up to the table where the band was seated. Finally, it was my turn! I got to the table, stared at the drummer, Vince Ditrich for too long, then kissed the table with my forehead. Yes, faceplant. If I hadn’t been so out of it, I would have died of embarrassment.
Moments later, I was wrapped in hypothermic tin foil and sitting in Hugh McMillan‘s chair. Way to make an impression. Soon after, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and my friends missed the rest of the bands. Oops.
Fast forward 2 months. My brother and I were in Montreal to see a SOTW concert (to make up for the one I so artfully crashed). As we were walking down the street who did we run into? John Mann. Lead singer. He looked at me and said “Hey! How’s your head?” What? You remember me? But, I was covered in mud and that was 2 months ago in a different city! I said “much better, thanks” and he invited us backstage after the show.
For the next few years, I went and saw them whenever they played wherever I happened to be living at the time. We hung out and chatted and it was a blast.
When Weights and Measures came out, Vince told me to listen to track #9; it was called Get Down Tonight. I listened and told him that the story sounded familiar. He said that it should. Awesome!
I have been thinking about this lately because John Mann is playing some gigs in the area next month in support of his solo album. It has been years and I doubt he’ll remember me, but I think I will go and hopefully get a chance to jog his memory.
As it turns out, that was the first concussion in a string of head injuries that lasted almost a decade. Yeah, that’s how I roll. Maybe one day, I’ll tell you all about the other ones.
March 29th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Oh, Sarah…that is the most awesome thing I have read in a very, very long time. Guess I had better get the album.
March 29th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Yes! Get it!
March 29th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Um – OK how friggin’ cool is that!?!?!? If you gotta get kicked in the face and then pass out – that is the way to do it!
March 29th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I remember that. I don’t recall my reaction being quite so positive!
March 29th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Hahaha… I don’t remember my friends thinking it was very entertaining, either… especially since it meant they missed The Tragically Hip.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
What a great story – the cool band part of it, not the Doc to the head part of it.
I actually had a similar experience about five years ago at an outdoor Bruce Springsteen concert. It was a nighttime concert and I was walking back from the bathroom when I collided with a very large, very inebriated man. I got a huge goose egg, a concussion, and a trip to the medical tent where, of course, they thought I was drunk, but, like you, hadn’t had a drop. It sounds like concussions and drunkenness look the same to the casual observer!
Sad to say Bruce never learned of my injury.
March 29th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Aww… it’s no fun if something cool doesn’t come out of it!
March 29th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Hahaha… I don’t remember my friends thinking it was very entertaining, either… especially since it meant they missed The Tragically Hip.
March 30th, 2010 at 7:19 am
You were holding out on me last night! This is an awesome story, and now I’m going to have to listen to that song! Certainly wasn’t as big a fan as you were, but I did listen to them. You really must go to one of his gigs. Either way, I’m certain the music will be good.
And for the record, blue docs…wow. Aways wanted a pair, never did get them though.
March 30th, 2010 at 7:53 am
Tee hee! Yeah, I guess I was holding out on you a bit.
I had blue shoes, black boots and brown boots. I loved them all!
March 30th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Wow, that is an awesome story! So cool that they wrote a song about it!
Sorry to hear about your other head injuries… Maybe we’ll hear some other good stories that go along with them?!
March 30th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Ha! I could make it into a series… some of the stories are funny (though not as great as this one), but most are just bad luck.
March 30th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
What about that baseball to the head at Music Camp??
Are SOTW not together anymore? Because if they are, they should have been playing at the Olympics!! I love that story, it is awesome that you guys got to be buddies. Wasn’t there a story in London England about your mom being worried because you stayed out with the band all night or am I delusional?
March 30th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Hey Sarah! Thanks commenting on my blog! Yeah, that baseball to the head happened the same summer. SOTW still plays shows, so far as I know they are together. But, I don’t know if they are making new music.
Um… hehe. News travels, eh? The story that you are thinking about was London, Ontario, and it wasn’t SOTW, it was BEP.
March 30th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
LOVE this story.
P.S. I have NO idea who this band is.
March 30th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
And you call yourself Canadian!
April 2nd, 2010 at 10:03 am
My favourite mental image is the blueberry Docs. Amazing.
We have had the pleasure to get to know the lads in those days, too. Hung out with them at The Key in Bala – party on the tour bus!; got my bodhran signed after the Open Heart Symphony at Centre in the Square.
We’re going to be at John’s concert in Stratford. I can hardly wait.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I loved my blueberry docs!
I would have loved to have seen Open Heart Symphony!
April 3rd, 2010 at 5:05 am
Can I just say WOW! That is the most awesome!
You are a groupie? Sort of? I’m so looking up the song…wonder if their songs are on Pandora…hmm.
I’ve never gone to see a band/singer twice. Look at the opportunities I’ve missed. Come to think of it, I haven’t been to a concert since the Musik Mafia came to town. I really need to get out more often.
Blue docs? Vera cool. I’ve got blue Timberlands, but so not the same.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
You have blue Tim’s? Awesome!