The Rolling Stones arrived in a cacophonous blast of fireworks and flame last night as the crack of the bat gave way to rock 'n' roll's version of shock and awe at Petco Park. The Padres ballpark was filled with the sound and fury of the ageless English rockers, much to the delight of 43,000 fans who filled the field and the far reaches of the upper decks for the ballpark's first nonsporting event. "This is history, something that will be remembered 50 years from now," Ned Davis of Carlsbad declared from his seat a few rows from the massive stage where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of the world-famous band rocked the night away. "We would not have spent the money if the show had been at Qualcomm Stadium again. Whoever decided that the first concert here would be the Stones – kudos to them," Davis said. Unlike the last time the band played outdoors in San Diego, the sky was clear, the air still and many fans said a huge rock show never felt so intimate. And the sound, always a concern outdoors, drew raves. How loud was it?
"They're blowing about 108 decibels – Trevor Time isn't even close," said the Padres sound man who fires up AC/DC's "Hells Bells" when Trevor Hoffman, the Padres relief pitcher, enters a ballgame. "I've hit 100 decibels with Trevor Time, but not very often."
Plenty of fans got an earful from outside the park. They could hear the best from the corner of 10th Avenue and Park Boulevard, where about 50 people were gathered halfway through the show.
"It would be great to see them, but I have an imagination," said Theresa Morse, 54, sitting beside a sidewalk on 10th Avenue with a friend. "But for free, this is still too good."
Going downtown to see the craggy-faced rockers was hardly an inexpensive proposition, with ticket prices ranging from $60 to $450. Add in the price of luxury suites, concessions and souvenirs (a Stones sweat shirt cost $65), and the revenue stream last night clearly ran wide and deep.
But San Diego State University student Laura Fisher and her friend Robin Ellison spent next to nothing. Fisher won a pair of $400 seats in Row 40 on the field for the price of a $20 raffle ticket she bought to support her brother's band at Patrick Henry High School.
"I'm not really a fan. I know some of their stuff," Fisher said. "But we're so excited to be here. It's the Rolling Stones! An event! But I've got some friends who are really mad at me right now."
With a band entourage of 40 and a road crew numbering 335 to build and tear down stages, on top of venue fees and sound and video systems costing millions, the money gets spent.
Then there's the black market.
Certain Internet scalpers were asking more than $2,000 per ticket (face value $400) for front-row, center-stage seats this week. Some fans unwilling to pay that much joined the Stones' fan club for $100 to get a crack at purchasing premium seats. More>>>
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posted by ADMIN @ Sunday, November 13, 2005
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