Heatwave (festival)

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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".

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)^[1] and the promoters lost a million dollars.^[2]

Contents 1 Groups 1.1 Teenage Head 1.2 The Pretenders set list 1.3 Talking Heads set list 1.4 Elvis Costello set list 1.5 The Kings 1.6 Photographs 1.7 References

[edit] Groups

The groups were:

• 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^[3] 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),^[1] The Rumor, Rockpile, Holly and the Italians, Pretenders, B-52's, Talking Heads (sunset), Elvis Costello, and the Kings (midnight).^[4]

[edit] Teenage Head

The reviewer saw "two scraggly guys playing guitar and bass, and a crop-haired singer in long-tailed livery coat and eyeliner. ... good ol' head-banging ramalama punk rock. A large and vocal following cheers them on, and they play with confidence, as if they belong up front of all those people."^[1] A year or so later, Teenage Head's live album had a picture from their Heatwave set on the cover.^[5] Their set included "Never Pick a Fight with Popeye" and "Wild One" (from the Frantic City album).^[5]

[edit] The Pretenders set list

The Pretenders played a full set^[6][7] at Heatwave photo and ticket.

1. Precious
2. The Adultress
3. Kid
4. Space Invader
5. Private Life
6. Brass in Pocket
7. Stop Your Sobbing
8. The Wait
9. Louie Louie
10. Porcelain
11. Tattooed Love Boys
12. Up the Neck
13. Audience
14. Mystery Achievement

[edit] Talking Heads set list

The band that toured for the Remain in Light album, including Adrian Belew, performed for the first time at Heatwave as the sun was setting. Their segment began with the four original members and then as the songs progressed, they added musicians and vocalists, including Nona Hendryx (vocals), Busta Jones, Steve Scales, Dolette McDonald, and Bernie Worrell (keyboards).^[8]

1. Psycho Killer
2. Warning Sign
3. Stay Hungry
4. Cities
5. I Zimbra
6. Once in a Lifetime
7. Houses in Motion
8. Born Under Punches
9. Crosseyed and Painless
10. Life During Wartime
11. Take Me to the River^[9]

[edit] Elvis Costello set list

The Heatwave festival was the only 1980 live concert in North America by Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

1. Shot With His Own Gun (sometimes listed as "How does it Feel"), accompanied only by Steve on piano *
2. Accidents Will Happen
3. The Beat
4. Temptation
5. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
6. Mystery Dance
7. Green Shirt
8. You'll Never Be a Man
9. (I Don't want To Go To) Chelsea]
10. Secondary Modern
11. Pump It Up
12. Lover's Walk
13. Less Than Zero
14. Big Tears
15. High Fidelity *
16. Lipstick Vogue *
17. Radio Radio
18. I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)
19. Alison
20. Clubland
21. Oliver's Army
22. Watching the Detectives
23. You Belong to Me *

Recorded and available as a two LP disk album.^{[10][11][12][13]}

[edit] The Kings

Their set started about midnight, and they played an energetic hour long show including their hits"This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide".^[5]

[edit] Photographs

Photos of Heatwave at [4]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.angelfire.com/rock/teenagehead/ShortArticles.htm from Trouser Press #56, Nov. 1980.
2. ^ Losses: http://philbrodieband.com/music_trivia-yesterdays_august.htm
3. ^ The Clash: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.music.canada/browse_thread/thread/58839384b5ce7c93
4. ^ Partial order: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.elvis-costello/browse_thread/thread/f465d5b3e6222f22
5. ^ ^{a b c} iPod Forums at iProng: Voice of the iPod Generation :: View topic - Did anyone attened either of these 80's music festivals
6. ^ The Pretenders: soundboard cassette recording
7. ^ The Pretenders: http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=10685
8. ^ Talking Heads: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.elvis-costello/browse_thread/thread/8c9880a55665dfec
9. ^ Talking Heads set list: http://www.tradeu2.com/setlistsotherart/talking_heads_heatwave_festival_.htm
10. ^ Elvis Costello: ECHWC82380
11. ^ Elvis Costello: [1] 74 minutes soundboard recording, also [2]
12. ^ Elvis Costello: [3]74:59 audience recording
13. ^ Elvis Costello: back cover