http://www.canadaeast.com/tp/news/article.php?articleID=70965Hired guns, wild roses spice up GNR concert
Jeff Ducharme
Telegraph-Journal
As published on page C1 on November 23, 2006
SAINT JOHN - It may have been Paradise City for some, but the Saint John Police Force may think that Tuesday's Guns N' Roses concert was paradise lost.
Five concert goers who took the rock 'n' roll lifestyle a little too seriously found themselves busted by police - three for intoxication, one for drinking underage and one for assaulting a Saint John Ambulance attendant who had rushed to the 24-year-old woman's aid after she fell in a drunken stupor.
Sgt. Pat Bonner said police are always concerned when a concert comes to town, regardless of a band's reputation.
"That's our concern, public safety," said Bonner. "Safety for the people at the concert and those performing."
While there were 6,000 people at Harbour Station, promoters had to scramble, selling tickets two-for-one in the final moments before the show.
The six-hour concert had three opening acts, but it was the Suicide Girls who raised eyebrows. The scantily clad women did a burlesque show that involved little clothing and a lot of shaking.
The tickets and posters in Harbour Station were all clearly marked warning of the show's adult content.
Michael Caddell, general manager of Harbour Station, said they had a plan in place for ticket holders who might have found the Suicide Girls a little too much to take.
"No provincial laws were broken. There's 6,000 people that come through the doors, we're not going to keep them all happy."
While he's received no complaints, he said if a ticket holder had been upset over the adult content, he would have gladly refunded the cost of the ticket or the person could have stepped outside until the bumping and grinding was over.
Caddell said they had an army of police and security in place to ensure things didn't get out of hand - seven police officers, 35 security guards, six bouncers for the band and 60 ushers and doormen.
"Although it was loud and late, it was one of the best behaved crowds we've had."
After hosting such bad boy rockers as Mötley Cr?e and Iron Maiden, Caddell said his staff understands the security needs of such a concert.
The rider, what the band requires as far as food and perks, was 10 pages long.
"They had breakfast, lunch and dinner here and special meals were prepared for special people and they were very impressed with our food."
But it was a group of employees at New System Laundry that got the biggest surprise when a non-descript duffle bag was dropped off that had "please dry clean" scrawled on a piece of duct tape.
The clothes inside belonged to frontman Axle Rose. Kathy McHugh of New System Laundry said it caused quite a stir among her female staff members.
"They wanted to smell the clothes before they went in (the machines) and when they came out," said McHugh. "Whatever turns your crank."
McHugh wasn't sure what to make about the fuss.
"I'm more into Charlie Pride's laundry."
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