Fun little animated story about how the Stones halftime show almost didn't happen.

Mick was very focused...

[bleacherreport.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-06 16:11 by latebloomer.

Re: That Time the Super Bowl Halftime Show Almost Didn't Happen

Amusing, informational and well done short little funny video.


Maybe deserves a better title here than the link gives, because this is actually ALL about our Stones and their Super Bowl show, and with the current title folks around here will probably assume (without even looking at the link or video) that it is simply another opportunity for them to blather on and on about how much they hate the NFL, the Super Bowl, the USA, etc, etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-06 16:04 by everwest1.

Changed it for ya, everwest. Enjoy the game tomorrow night!

Quote
latebloomer
...Enjoy the game AND CONCERT(by periscope) tomorrow night!

ftfy

Amusing and interesting! Thanks for posting that. I believe a couple of us here
were involved in rolling those pieces out - DetroitKen, weren't you there?

I wonder what happened to the guy that got smooshed?

Did he go the hospital, is he OK or did he get so smooshed into the turf that he is still there?

That performance turned me off to The Stones till the anniversary. To me it was their lowest point and I was certain their career was over. The last few years have been a joyous surprise, I tip my hat to their ability to lift themselves up to greatness once again.

Quote
DoomandGloom
That performance turned me off to The Stones till the anniversary. To me it was their lowest point and I was certain their career was over. The last few years have been a joyous surprise, I tip my hat to their ability to lift themselves up to greatness once again.

I get that it wasn't Brussels Affair but I saw nothing too bad about it. Honestly, it was right in line with most of the other Super Bowl halftimes. McCartney, Petty. You go out there, play your hits, put on a show, and thats it. I don't think they really did anything embarrassing that warranted it as the lowest point of their career.

I enjoyed it and had a lot of friend commenting how good they were (people who normally don't get my huge appriciation!).

Crazy to think that they hadn't anticipated a nutty coach like that :-)

I thought it was a terrible performance! Almost embarrassing. Mick looked a bit nervous and Keith looked quite scary on closeups. It didn't help that the broadcast sound mix was awful. And playing a lame new song (Rough Justice) instead of a classic like Honky Tonk Woman or Satisfaction was a big mistake.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-07 00:00 by TornAndFried.

Quote
TornAndFried
It was a terrible performance! Almost embarrassing. Mick looked a bit nervous and Keith looked scary on closeups. It didn't help that the sound mix was awful. And playing a lame new song (Rough Justice) instead of a classic like Honky Tonk Woman or Satisfaction was a big mistake.

Bitch bitch bitch

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More Hot Rocks

Quote
TornAndFried
It was a terrible performance! Almost embarrassing. Mick looked a bit nervous and Keith looked scary on closeups. It didn't help that the sound mix was awful. And playing a lame new song (Rough Justice) instead of a classic like Honky Tonk Woman or Satisfaction was a big mistake.

Bitch bitch bitch

What...you wanted to hear Bitch? Don't think that song choice would have gone over too well with the networks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-06 20:44 by TornAndFried.

The sound was fine in the webcast! I remember hearing it was screwed up in the broadcast
but that's not the Stones' fault. They did great! And they kept their shirts on :E

I love the Rolling Stones

It was a wonderful performance from the tip of the tongue on the field where I stood. What I saw and heard did not match up to the network feed I watched the next day on my dvr. I have no idea what ABC did - but what I heard live was not what my dvr recorded.

I think the dress rehearsal on Friday night was the better performance. But that could be more to do with the atmosphere - an empty Ford Field and the stage crew and field audience with the Rolling Stones. The dress rehearsal was recorded in case something happened to the feed during half-time and they had to switch to it.

The stage crew were people who had never put a stage together before - they had spent the past month at the Silverdome in Pontiac practicing to get it together in under five minutes. The field audience went to three or four practices over two weeks at the Silverdome with the stage crew to get ourselves into position in under a minute or two.

On Sunday about 30 minutes before half time the stage crew with the stage were lined up in the tunnel leading to the field, the tunnel has a sharp incline. Behind them were carts - kind of like large metal tea carts with a metal bottom, top, back and front with black curtains for the sides. The Stones and supporting musicians were loaded into the carts. Behind the carts were the field audience. It was about 5°f on that Sunday, very chilly in the tunnel, we were not permitted to wear coats (gloves were permitted) and had stood outside for nearly an hour before being moved into the tunnel. The tunnel floor was wet in places from the recently fallen snow that had been trampled in on shoes and wheels. We were packed in like sardines.

The stage pieces (all on wheels - basically carts too), instruments, Stones crew and the band in the tea carts were all sent careening down and out of the tunnel, with one person being stampeded by a stage piece while the field audience waited for the cue to run as fast as we could to our assigned spots on the field - doing our best not to trip on the miles of thick cabling crisscrossing the field.

Just before they let us go, they sent our handlers back to tell us for safety reasons we were no longer to run, but to jog. With the tunnel incline it's either walk or run, jog wasn't really an option.

I can't imagine running down the tunnel while holding onto the stage pieces and the carts with the Stones - they had to be impossible to control and then out onto the dark field, bumping over those miles of cables, some four or five thick and swerving to avoid hitting all of the tv people and broadcasting equipment. That the Stones shook off that terrifying entrance and performed minutes later is astounding to me.

It is still my best Stones experience - being part of the field audience. That includes front row seats, the tongue pit a couple of times, five theatre shows and watching several concerts via Periscope.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-07 00:10 by GlimmerGirl24.

Thanks for the recollections, GlimmerGirl! It must've been wild
The people who were rolling the Stones down that tunnel were adrenalined to the gills I bet

Quote
GlimmerGirl24
It was a wonderful performance from the tip of the tongue on the field where I stood. What I saw and heard did not match up to the network feed I watched the next day on my dvr. I have no idea what ABC did - but what I heard live was not what my dvr recorded.

I think the dress rehearsal on Friday night was the better performance. But that could be more to do with the atmosphere - an empty Ford Field and the stage crew and field audience with the Rolling Stones. The dress rehearsal was recorded in case something happened to the feed during half-time and they had to switch to it.

The stage crew were people who had never put a stage together before - they had spent the past month at the Silverdome in Pontiac practicing to get it together in under five minutes. The field audience went to three or four practices over two weeks at the Silverdome with the stage crew to get ourselves into position in under a minute or two.

On Sunday about 30 minutes before half time the stage crew with the stage were lined up in the tunnel leading to the field, the tunnel has a sharp incline. Behind them were carts - kind of like large metal tea carts with a metal bottom, top, back and front with black curtains for the sides. The Stones and supporting musicians were loaded into the carts. Behind the carts were the field audience. It was about 5°f on that Sunday, very chilly in the tunnel, we were not permitted to wear coats (gloves were permitted) and had stood outside for nearly an hour before being moved into the tunnel. The tunnel floor was wet in places from the recently fallen snow that had been trampled in on shoes and wheels. We were packed in like sardines.

The stage pieces (all on wheels - basically carts too), instruments, Stones crew and the band in the tea carts were all sent careening down and out of the tunnel, with one person being stampeded by a stage piece while the field audience waited for the cue to run as fast as we could to our assigned spots on the field - doing our best not to trip on the miles of thick cabling crisscrossing the field.

Just before they let us go, they sent our handlers back to tell us for safety reasons we were no longer to run, but to jog. With the tunnel incline it's either walk or run, jog wasn't really an option.

I can't imagine running down the tunnel while holding onto the stage pieces and the carts with the Stones - they had to be impossible to control and then out onto the dark field, bumping over those miles of cables, some four or five thick and swerving to avoid hitting all of the tv people and broadcasting equipment. That the Stones shook off that terrifying entrance and performed minutes later is astounding to me.

It is still my best Stones experience - being part of the field audience. That includes front row seats, the tongue pit a couple of times, five theatre shows and watching several concerts via Periscope.

Wow, that is just... Wow! Too cool.
Thank you for the inside scoop.
Best Super Bowl half time show ever!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-07 09:29 by everwest1.

If I can find the reports I wrote of the experience from the first practice on - I'll post them if anyone is interested in reading them.

Quote
GlimmerGirl24
If I can find the reports I wrote of the experience from the first practice on - I'll post them if anyone is interested in reading them.

Yeah Debbie, that would be very cool. The one you shared above is wild, what a surreal experience that must have been!

I saw that video and said: oh yeah man the Stones stress'll grind you down, welcome to the party mate. Thanks for posting, classic.
Very cool glimmergirl, you manage some sweet spots, you do.
And of course I ate up the RS halftime show sitting 3 inches from our big screen.
Yep, I always appreciate the view ;-)

Quote
DoomandGloom
That performance turned me off to The Stones till the anniversary. To me it was their lowest point and I was certain their career was over. The last few years have been a joyous surprise, I tip my hat to their ability to lift themselves up to greatness once again.

I hadn't heard them live for about 5 years when I tuned in. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did, I had assumed their age had caused a more rapid decline. I think it was a mistake to play "Rough Justice" ( a mistake to record it too) but otherwise thumbs up.

Quote
TornAndFried
I thought it was a terrible performance! Almost embarrassing. Mick looked a bit nervous and Keith looked quite scary on closeups. It didn't help that the broadcast sound mix was awful. And playing a lame new song (Rough Justice) instead of a classic like Honky Tonk Woman or Satisfaction was a big mistake.

You didn't catch the whole performance?

If you did, you would surely have gotten some Satisfaction

Does anyone know if the Stones performance featured on the official Superbowl XL DVD
is the censored or uncensored version?

[www.amazon.com]




"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
TornAndFried
I thought it was a terrible performance! Almost embarrassing. Mick looked a bit nervous and Keith looked quite scary on closeups. It didn't help that the broadcast sound mix was awful. And playing a lame new song (Rough Justice) instead of a classic like Honky Tonk Woman or Satisfaction was a big mistake.

You didn't catch the whole performance?

If you did, you would surely have gotten some Satisfaction

Did they do Satisfaction? I can't recall. All I really remember was the awful sound mix and the disappointment over hearing them do Rough Justice.

That's because you're glass is "half empty".

That was awesome GlimmerGirl...thanks for writing so eloquently

Rolling Stone magazine ranks the Super Bowl half-time performances from worst to best. The Stones came in at #7. U2 justifiably nabbed the top slot.

[www.rollingstone.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-07 18:36 by TornAndFried.

Glimmer Girl, I'd love to read your rehearsal diaries - bring 'em on!
And does anyone have, or can anyone locate, Mick's video from just after the show?
Or the press conference, when the Mick said fvkc on live national, TV just because he could?

I love the Rolling Stones :E

Quote
GlimmerGirl24
If I can find the reports I wrote of the experience from the first practice on - I'll post them if anyone is interested in reading them.

Please do!

(Always took candy from strangers)

I'm L9

January 29th, 2006

When my alarm went off this morning, I almost decided to go back to sleep and skip the Super Bowl.  Did I really want to spend my Saturday driving three hours to the Metro Detroit area, standing in lines and then running around a football field.  I hated running around football fields in gym class, I doubted my opinion had changed any since Some Girls was released.  But then I remembered the reason my alarm went off.  Stones.  Okay.  I can do this.  Four and a half hours of sleep is all that is needed if the Stones are involved.  I camped out on a Toronto sidewalk all night long in 90 degree weather with transvestite hookers and street cleaning vehicles for neighbors in 2005, running around a football field can't be any worse.

As Kitty has mentioned, the practices so far have been at the Silverdome in Pontiac.  Which is nice because it's thirty miles closer to me than Ford Field.  The Starflow Entertainment people (SFE) (the company in charge of finding and handling us) had posted the East Gate doors would open around 3pm for check in.  The Shidoobees were meeting to the right of the East Gate at 1:30pm.  Having participated as an extra for concert audiences in the past for tv/film and knowing how long it takes to process people, I knew I didn't really want to hang outside in a queue for three hours.  I arrived at the Silverdome around 2pm, parked and headed up to the East Gate doors.  No Shi'bees in sight - any where.  I wandered out into the parking lot to see if they were among some of nearby tailgaters.  Nope.  Back to the East Gate doors, where they weren't letting anyone in.  I returned closer to the parking lot and found a spot next to a woman who belonged to the Eastern Michigan University Alumni group.  She didn't know what anyone in her group looked like either.  It was quite common for a lot of groups not to have any idea who else was in their group - unless they were groups that got together through their employment, cheerleading squads, etc...

After about ten minutes of hanging out with the EMU lady, I notice someone walking towards me that looked familiar, kind of like Pittsburgh Joe.  He got a little closer and I realized he was Pittsburgh Joe.  I was no longer a reluctant lone Shi'bee!!!   (I think Joe and I are the only Undercover posters in the group). Joe and I hung out there for awhile, but didn't see any Shi'bee t-shirts, stickers, blimps or patches.  For such a high profile group - they were certainly low profile this afternoon. 

Joe scouted out the entrance and noticed that groups were being let into the Silverdome - but only groups that had all their members.  Joe and I decided to sneak in with a group and see if the Shi'bees were inside.  They weren't.  We noticed though that people inside had water and powder rooms.  Even chairs.  And climate control.  No way were we going back outside, so we joined the end of the queue on the concourse - which was probably 200 feet or so long, ten feet wide in places.  Down on the field, we noticed orange traffic cones that were set up in the shape of the tongue, where the stage would be.  (I wish I'd had a camera, it would be nice to have a photo of the orange traffic cone tongue). 

And then we waited and waited.  Occasionally I took little Shi'bee hunting excursions along the concourse.  But no Shi'bees.  After about a half hour of standing inside, the red jacketed SFE people started pulling some groups out of the quene and taking them to processing.  Yep, we were stuck in Fulfillment.  It became more apparent to Joe and I that we probably should get serious about finding the Shi'bees.  Especially since we hadn't filled out the FBI form that DetroitKen had.  So we found a couple of folding chairs and set up watching the entrance into the Silverdome.  The queue outside was much longer than the queue inside, but it was narrower.  We waited and watched more groups in the inside queue being taken out of line and moved through processing. 

Half hour or so later, it was decided I'd try to talk one of the red coated people guarding the door into letting me outside (then back inside) to check for missing group members.  I wandered out and went Shi'bee hunting.  I walked the queue probably three or four times, without a Shi'bee sighting.  Several people told me they had seen a Shidoobee sign - but that was in the parking lot.  Finally, I recognized CindyP and asked if they were Shi'bees. They were.  (It turns out the Shi'bees met to the right of the gate into the parking lot - not the right of the gate into the dome itself).  The Shi'bees looked a little annoyed and tired.  Which is understandable - they've been hanging out in the parking lot or the queue for a couple of hours or more at that point.  I filled out the FBI form, handed my other waivers, etc... to Detroit Ken and said I was going back to Pittsburgh Joe.  Inside had all the creature comforts of home, outside did not.  No one had been let into the Silverdome in over an hour and at the rate things were moving - it might be quite awhile before they did get in.

I returned to Joe and we took up watch again - this time knowing who we were looking for.  Not long after that, the red coated people started calling letters of the alphabet and groups with names corresponding to those letters, were pulled out of the inside queue and taken to processing.  After watching this for awhile and noticing the same wasn't happening outside, Joe suggested we find out if we could bring the rest of the Shi'bees inside to join us.  He flagged down a red coated person who said either Joe or I should go out and retrieve the Shi'bees and tell the door guard he approved it.  I was sent back out to retrieve the Shi'bees.  They didn't want to come in.  I guess they thought they wouldn't get in or something.  So I left them again to join Joe back inside.  Sometime after 4:30pm, the red coated people started going outside, calling letters of the alphabet and bringing those groups in.  About thirty minutes or so later, the Shi'bees finally joined us, we got out of Fulfillment and into processing. 

Processing required having DetroitKen hand in our paper work, each of us showing our drivers licenses, having our names highlighted on a list and then getting a green wristband.  Once that was done, we were offered water, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or Sierra Mist and sent down a lower deck aisle to find seats near the field.  We found a row and settled in.  On the field, we watched groups being called down by name, taken to a table and then each one had a 5" x 7" colored index card safety pinned to them.  The card had a letter and a number.  We couldn't figure out what the letters and numbers meant.  Then the groups were lined up on a 20 yard line - either on the right side of the field or the left side of the field.  Along the side lines, covered in tarps were the stage bucket thingys (the stage pieces on wheels). It looked like a long wait, so I got my knitting out.  We talked for awhile with a woman in front of us and when she heard we were Shidoobee, she told us last summer in Detroit after the concert, someone slapped a Shidoobee sticker on her - which she still has.

About a half hour later, we were called down, given an index card with a letter and number, a safety pin, a little golf pencil and told to write our name and group name on the back of the card.  I'm L9 - Shidoobee group has 14 members and we're all between L1 and L14.    Our index cards were yellow and we noticed a map of the field and stage, with rectangles in different colors.  Yellow didn't look like it was positioned that well - it looked like we would be watching the show from the 25 yard line.  I was a little disappointed we didn't get the purple index cards. 

Once we had the cards pinned to us, a red coated person told us that the January 31st practice was canceled, it was a just in case practice if today's practice had been a snow day.  She then led us to the far 20 yard line about five yards in from the sideline, which at first we weren't happy about.  She arranged us in three lines, in numerical order, five people deep and then left us.  We soon noticed that there were 50 or so L people to our right.  Not long later, some K people joined us to our left.  As we stood there, we started to realize  that our spots were probably starting spots, where we would wait until the stage was in place.  At least we hoped so.  If we were just in a starting spot, more than likely we were going to end up at the bottom of the tongue during the show.

A half hour or so later, we were told to walk briskly to the orange cones and placed in position.  Once there, we were told to remember our spots and sent back to our starting spots again.  The other side of the field was then sent up to the concourse for a box lunch dinner.  It was after 6pm at this point. 

While the other side of the field got in the queue for dinner, our side got to run from our 20 yard line, down to the other 20 yard line and queue up again in our starting positions.  We rested for a few minutes while we watched the stage crew start to set the stage up.  Then we were sent running back down the side of the field again to our original spots.  That was pretty much enough running for all of us.  Fortunately the red coated people thought so too.  We watched the stage crew for awhile.  I never did see Kitty - she's either on the inside of the tongue stage on my side, towards the top of the tongue or on the other side.  And she's right, the stage is painted a rose-ish salmon color.  Maybe it will look red under the lights though. 

After a half hour or so, the red coated people sent us up to dinner.  The box lunch consisted of a ham and cheese sub, potato chips, an apple, a chocolate chip cookie and the choice of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or water.  Joe and I somehow got separated from the Shi'bees while looking for seats, we became outcasts again. 

Around 7pm I went to the powder room and found a reporter interviewing ladies in there about their experiences today.  I hung around, since the reporter didn't appear to be interviewing any actual Stones fans.  Probably less than 20% of the field audience could actually be labeled a Stones fan.  Most seem to be doing it for the adventure.  My cell rang and I went to a corner to talk to S.  When I returned, the reporter was gone.  I headed back out to the concourse and saw that they had started moving people back down to the field, so I climbed back down the steps and took my spot as L9 on the 20 yard line.

The stage was now set up.  We were told that Letters A through either F or G were also going to do the pregame show.  The bottom of the tongue was moved out - two buckets.  The people inside the tongue were directed to run in, the two buckets were put into place and everyone else on the field then ran to their spots.  We did this a few times.  Joe and I are at the back of the middle line for our group.  In front of me are the tallest Shidoobee men I've ever seen.  They're Dutch height.  I really should have noticed their height when we were handed our index cards with numbers earlier. 

The Shi'bee group has a good spot, we're right at the TM mark near the bottom, right side of the tongue.  You know where the black line comes down the tongue on the right side - separating the lip from the tongue?  Where the black line ends there's a TM symbol, that's us.  The only people who will be in front of us are the stage crew.  The stage is also probably less than six feet high at that point.  Not too high that it blocks our view of the Stones back where they will open the show - which is at the top of the lips and teeth.  That part of the stage is nine feet high.  When Mick comes out the ramp - we'll have a great view of him.  Charlie though will be quite far away from us - pretty much in the back 40 - if the tongue length was running from endzone to endzone instead of side line to side line. 

After they decided we ran enough, they collected our index cards and sent us back up into the stands and gave us instructions.  We can't wear white, hunter orange, black or any dark color.  No logos/advertisements on our clothing, except for Stones stuff.  We have to wear the same outfit to the dress rehearsal as the game.  The dress rehearsal is being taped and if they lose the feed or think think the dress rehearsal on Friday night had better footage - it will be substituted instead of the live feed.  (I will of course, wear different outfits just in case I end up on camera in my dress rehearsal outfit instead of my game day outfit).  Only the group leader can take a cell phone on game day.  No cameras.  They don't want members of a  group to all dress alike.  Only tennis shoes will be permitted on the field.  No hats or purses.  They suggest we dress in layers and leave coats behind because we'll only be outside for a "short time."  Uh huh.  I learned their definition of "short time" today.  It's not the same as mine.   They suggested we wear clothing with big pockets to hold any snacks, water bottles, lipsticks, etc... that we may want to bring with us.

We were also told that they were only given 500 parking spots at Wayne State University for the dress rehearsal and maybe for the game day too.  Each group gets four parking passes and we were encouraged to car pool.  Half of the field audience (including us) will arrive at Wayne State on Friday at 2:30ish, the other half at 3:45pm.  We will be bussed down from Wayne State to Ford Field for the dress rehearsal.  They still haven't decided where they are sequestering us on game day.   On the way out we were given a field book thingy, which I haven't read yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

So far they're telling us it looks like the Stones will be at our dress rehearsal on Friday the 3rd.  Supposedly the Stones are going to practice on both the 2nd and the 3rd.  If they are doing a just in case filming of the dress rehearsal, my guess is we will see the Stones on Friday night for our own little private club gig.

Around 9:30pm the rehearsal was over with.  Pittsburgh Joe headed back to Pennsylvania but most of the rest of us went up to Hoops to have a beer.  Of the group, Indian Girl has traveled the furthest - from Wilmington, North Carolina.  Most are from around the Detroit area, with one from Midland - which is about two hours north of downtown Detroit, me three hours north and Joe has over a four hour drive.  And there's one woman from across the river in Windsor, Ontario.

There appears to be about 1,500-2,000 people in the field audience.  We do not take up the whole field.  At the top and bottom of the tongue, we do stretch near to the side line.  But we appear to only be about five yards deep and once we're in position it appears to be about ten yards deep of people at the most all around the tongue. Of course - we aren't pressing in to get closer to the stage though - so we'll take up less room when the Stones are actually on the stage.  The inside of the tongue is quite packed with people.  More tightly packed than the people on the outside.  We got to watch them practice with the tarp that covers them.  We all decided we're glad we're not in the tongue, as Kitty mentioned - unless you're at the bottom of the tongue - you aren't going to see much because of the stage height.

When we first run out to the tongue, we have to stay at least ten feet back because of the pyro stuff that is going to start the show.  The stage crew will be lined up to keep us back.  Once the pyro ends - we can move into the stage.  There does not appear there will be any security stuff between us and the stage. 

If Ford Field is set up the same way as the Silverdome - the entrance into the field is at the opposite end from us.  So our side of the field will run into the field first, heading for the far 25 yard line.  Behind us will be Kitty and her train of stage buckets.  We will be running down a steep ramp onto the field - which means if we don't move quickly - the train will over run us.  When we exit, we don't know yet if we'll be behind the stage train or in front of it - but I'm assuming we'll be in front of it since the stage has to be taken apart.

There were lots of different groups there.  Lots of co-workers who got together, sororities, alumni associations, a Red Hat Society of ladies over 50, a couple of cheerleader squads, a radio station, etc... Quite an array of names for the groups too - at least three Desperate Housewives, Dazzling Dancers, CC Riders, Sara's Birthday Party, Neighborhood in Transition, Brown Sugar, #1 Stones Fanz, etc...  A significant percentage (compared to the usual Stones concert audiences) of the field audience is African American.  Probably half of the audience is over 40.  There are quite a few under 25's though.  The audience is probably pretty even gender wise.  One thing I noted was that of groups that had all women - they had at least twenty if not more in their group.  Groups with both genders, quite often had less than twenty.

The halftime show will be eleven minutes long and the Stones will play three songs.  We weren't given any clues as to what those three songs will be.  

It was a long day.  Mostly spent standing in position or in a queue.  The box lunches were good though.  And it was kind of fun.  I'm glad though I don't have to drive down for a practice on Tuesday.

Debbie
"L9"
Tiger







While we ate dinner, the volunteer stage crew was lining up with their "buckets" aka stage pieces which are on wheels. The stage volunteers (Kitty was one of the volunteers) met several nights a week for a month. The tongue tarp would cover the inner tongue audience. The Pontiac Silverdome is where I first saw the Rolling Stones - two nights in a row in December, 1981.





My yellow index card - L9 - I still have it.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-09 02:37 by GlimmerGirl24.

Quote
GlimmerGirl24
I'm L9

January 29th, 2006

When my alarm went off this morning, I almost decided to go back to sleep and skip the Super Bowl.  Did I really want to spend my Saturday driving three hours to the Metro Detroit area, standing in lines and then running around a football field.  I hated running around football fields in gym class, I doubted my opinion had changed any since Some Girls was released.  But then I remembered the reason my alarm went off.  Stones.  Okay.  I can do this.  Four and a half hours of sleep is all that is needed if the Stones are involved.  I camped out on a Toronto sidewalk all night long in 90 degree weather with transvestite hookers and street cleaning vehicles for neighbors in 2005, running around a football field can't be any worse.

As Kitty has mentioned, the practices so far have been at the Silverdome in Pontiac.  Which is nice because it's thirty miles closer to me than Ford Field.  The Starflow Entertainment people (SFE) (the company in charge of finding and handling us) had posted the East Gate doors would open around 3pm for check in.  The Shidoobees were meeting to the right of the East Gate at 1:30pm.  Having participated as an extra for concert audiences in the past for tv/film and knowing how long it takes to process people, I knew I didn't really want to hang outside in a queue for three hours.  I arrived at the Silverdome around 2pm, parked and headed up to the East Gate doors.  No Shi'bees in sight - any where.  I wandered out into the parking lot to see if they were among some of nearby tailgaters.  Nope.  Back to the East Gate doors, where they weren't letting anyone in.  I returned closer to the parking lot and found a spot next to a woman who belonged to the Eastern Michigan University Alumni group.  She didn't know what anyone in her group looked like either.  It was quite common for a lot of groups not to have any idea who else was in their group - unless they were groups that got together through their employment, cheerleading squads, etc...

After about ten minutes of hanging out with the EMU lady, I notice someone walking towards me that looked familiar, kind of like Pittsburgh Joe.  He got a little closer and I realized he was Pittsburgh Joe.  I was no longer a reluctant lone Shi'bee!!!   (I think Joe and I are the only Undercover posters in the group). Joe and I hung out there for awhile, but didn't see any Shi'bee t-shirts, stickers, blimps or patches.  For such a high profile group - they were certainly low profile this afternoon. 

Joe scouted out the entrance and noticed that groups were being let into the Silverdome - but only groups that had all their members.  Joe and I decided to sneak in with a group and see if the Shi'bees were inside.  They weren't.  We noticed though that people inside had water and powder rooms.  Even chairs.  And climate control.  No way were we going back outside, so we joined the end of the queue on the concourse - which was probably 200 feet or so long, ten feet wide in places.  Down on the field, we noticed orange traffic cones that were set up in the shape of the tongue, where the stage would be.  (I wish I'd had a camera, it would be nice to have a photo of the orange traffic cone tongue). 

And then we waited and waited.  Occasionally I took little Shi'bee hunting excursions along the concourse.  But no Shi'bees.  After about a half hour of standing inside, the red jacketed SFE people started pulling some groups out of the quene and taking them to processing.  Yep, we were stuck in Fulfillment.  It became more apparent to Joe and I that we probably should get serious about finding the Shi'bees.  Especially since we hadn't filled out the FBI form that DetroitKen had.  So we found a couple of folding chairs and set up watching the entrance into the Silverdome.  The queue outside was much longer than the queue inside, but it was narrower.  We waited and watched more groups in the inside queue being taken out of line and moved through processing. 

Half hour or so later, it was decided I'd try to talk one of the red coated people guarding the door into letting me outside (then back inside) to check for missing group members.  I wandered out and went Shi'bee hunting.  I walked the queue probably three or four times, without a Shi'bee sighting.  Several people told me they had seen a Shidoobee sign - but that was in the parking lot.  Finally, I recognized CindyP and asked if they were Shi'bees. They were.  (It turns out the Shi'bees met to the right of the gate into the parking lot - not the right of the gate into the dome itself).  The Shi'bees looked a little annoyed and tired.  Which is understandable - they've been hanging out in the parking lot or the queue for a couple of hours or more at that point.  I filled out the FBI form, handed my other waivers, etc... to Detroit Ken and said I was going back to Pittsburgh Joe.  Inside had all the creature comforts of home, outside did not.  No one had been let into the Silverdome in over an hour and at the rate things were moving - it might be quite awhile before they did get in.

I returned to Joe and we took up watch again - this time knowing who we were looking for.  Not long after that, the red coated people started calling letters of the alphabet and groups with names corresponding to those letters, were pulled out of the inside queue and taken to processing.  After watching this for awhile and noticing the same wasn't happening outside, Joe suggested we find out if we could bring the rest of the Shi'bees inside to join us.  He flagged down a red coated person who said either Joe or I should go out and retrieve the Shi'bees and tell the door guard he approved it.  I was sent back out to retrieve the Shi'bees.  They didn't want to come in.  I guess they thought they wouldn't get in or something.  So I left them again to join Joe back inside.  Sometime after 4:30pm, the red coated people started going outside, calling letters of the alphabet and bringing those groups in.  About thirty minutes or so later, the Shi'bees finally joined us, we got out of Fulfillment and into processing. 

Processing required having DetroitKen hand in our paper work, each of us showing our drivers licenses, having our names highlighted on a list and then getting a green wristband.  Once that was done, we were offered water, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or Sierra Mist and sent down a lower deck aisle to find seats near the field.  We found a row and settled in.  On the field, we watched groups being called down by name, taken to a table and then each one had a 5" x 7" colored index card safety pinned to them.  The card had a letter and a number.  We couldn't figure out what the letters and numbers meant.  Then the groups were lined up on a 20 yard line - either on the right side of the field or the left side of the field.  Along the side lines, covered in tarps were the stage bucket thingys (the stage pieces on wheels). It looked like a long wait, so I got my knitting out.  We talked for awhile with a woman in front of us and when she heard we were Shidoobee, she told us last summer in Detroit after the concert, someone slapped a Shidoobee sticker on her - which she still has.

About a half hour later, we were called down, given an index card with a letter and number, a safety pin, a little golf pencil and told to write our name and group name on the back of the card.  I'm L9 - Shidoobee group has 14 members and we're all between L1 and L14.    Our index cards were yellow and we noticed a map of the field and stage, with rectangles in different colors.  Yellow didn't look like it was positioned that well - it looked like we would be watching the show from the 25 yard line.  I was a little disappointed we didn't get the purple index cards. 

Once we had the cards pinned to us, a red coated person told us that the January 31st practice was canceled, it was a just in case practice if today's practice had been a snow day.  She then led us to the far 20 yard line about five yards in from the sideline, which at first we weren't happy about.  She arranged us in three lines, in numerical order, five people deep and then left us.  We soon noticed that there were 50 or so L people to our right.  Not long later, some K people joined us to our left.  As we stood there, we started to realize  that our spots were probably starting spots, where we would wait until the stage was in place.  At least we hoped so.  If we were just in a starting spot, more than likely we were going to end up at the bottom of the tongue during the show.

A half hour or so later, we were told to walk briskly to the orange cones and placed in position.  Once there, we were told to remember our spots and sent back to our starting spots again.  The other side of the field was then sent up to the concourse for a box lunch dinner.  It was after 6pm at this point. 

While the other side of the field got in the queue for dinner, our side got to run from our 20 yard line, down to the other 20 yard line and queue up again in our starting positions.  We rested for a few minutes while we watched the stage crew start to set the stage up.  Then we were sent running back down the side of the field again to our original spots.  That was pretty much enough running for all of us.  Fortunately the red coated people thought so too.  We watched the stage crew for awhile.  I never did see Kitty - she's either on the inside of the tongue stage on my side, towards the top of the tongue or on the other side.  And she's right, the stage is painted a rose-ish salmon color.  Maybe it will look red under the lights though. 

After a half hour or so, the red coated people sent us up to dinner.  The box lunch consisted of a ham and cheese sub, potato chips, an apple, a chocolate chip cookie and the choice of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or water.  Joe and I somehow got separated from the Shi'bees while looking for seats, we became outcasts again. 

Around 7pm I went to the powder room and found a reporter interviewing ladies in there about their experiences today.  I hung around, since the reporter didn't appear to be interviewing any actual Stones fans.  Probably less than 20% of the field audience could actually be labeled a Stones fan.  Most seem to be doing it for the adventure.  My cell rang and I went to a corner to talk to S.  When I returned, the reporter was gone.  I headed back out to the concourse and saw that they had started moving people back down to the field, so I climbed back down the steps and took my spot as L9 on the 20 yard line.

The stage was now set up.  We were told that Letters A through either F or G were also going to do the pregame show.  The bottom of the tongue was moved out - two buckets.  The people inside the tongue were directed to run in, the two buckets were put into place and everyone else on the field then ran to their spots.  We did this a few times.  Joe and I are at the back of the middle line for our group.  In front of me are the tallest Shidoobee men I've ever seen.  They're Dutch height.  I really should have noticed their height when we were handed our index cards with numbers earlier. 

The Shi'bee group has a good spot, we're right at the TM mark near the bottom, right side of the tongue.  You know where the black line comes down the tongue on the right side - separating the lip from the tongue?  Where the black line ends there's a TM symbol, that's us.  The only people who will be in front of us are the stage crew.  The stage is also probably less than six feet high at that point.  Not too high that it blocks our view of the Stones back where they will open the show - which is at the top of the lips and teeth.  That part of the stage is nine feet high.  When Mick comes out the ramp - we'll have a great view of him.  Charlie though will be quite far away from us - pretty much in the back 40 - if the tongue length was running from endzone to endzone instead of side line to side line. 

After they decided we ran enough, they collected our index cards and sent us back up into the stands and gave us instructions.  We can't wear white, hunter orange, black or any dark color.  No logos/advertisements on our clothing, except for Stones stuff.  We have to wear the same outfit to the dress rehearsal as the game.  The dress rehearsal is being taped and if they lose the feed or think think the dress rehearsal on Friday night had better footage - it will be substituted instead of the live feed.  (I will of course, wear different outfits just in case I end up on camera in my dress rehearsal outfit instead of my game day outfit).  Only the group leader can take a cell phone on game day.  No cameras.  They don't want members of a  group to all dress alike.  Only tennis shoes will be permitted on the field.  No hats or purses.  They suggest we dress in layers and leave coats behind because we'll only be outside for a "short time."  Uh huh.  I learned their definition of "short time" today.  It's not the same as mine.   They suggested we wear clothing with big pockets to hold any snacks, water bottles, lipsticks, etc... that we may want to bring with us.

We were also told that they were only given 500 parking spots at Wayne State University for the dress rehearsal and maybe for the game day too.  Each group gets four parking passes and we were encouraged to car pool.  Half of the field audience (including us) will arrive at Wayne State on Friday at 2:30ish, the other half at 3:45pm.  We will be bussed down from Wayne State to Ford Field for the dress rehearsal.  They still haven't decided where they are sequestering us on game day.   On the way out we were given a field book thingy, which I haven't read yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

So far they're telling us it looks like the Stones will be at our dress rehearsal on Friday the 3rd.  Supposedly the Stones are going to practice on both the 2nd and the 3rd.  If they are doing a just in case filming of the dress rehearsal, my guess is we will see the Stones on Friday night for our own little private club gig.

Around 9:30pm the rehearsal was over with.  Pittsburgh Joe headed back to Pennsylvania but most of the rest of us went up to Hoops to have a beer.  Of the group, Indian Girl has traveled the furthest - from Wilmington, North Carolina.  Most are from around the Detroit area, with one from Midland - which is about two hours north of downtown Detroit, me three hours north and Joe has over a four hour drive.  And there's one woman from across the river in Windsor, Ontario.

There appears to be about 1,500-2,000 people in the field audience.  We do not take up the whole field.  At the top and bottom of the tongue, we do stretch near to the side line.  But we appear to only be about five yards deep and once we're in position it appears to be about ten yards deep of people at the most all around the tongue. Of course - we aren't pressing in to get closer to the stage though - so we'll take up less room when the Stones are actually on the stage.  The inside of the tongue is quite packed with people.  More tightly packed than the people on the outside.  We got to watch them practice with the tarp that covers them.  We all decided we're glad we're not in the tongue, as Kitty mentioned - unless you're at the bottom of the tongue - you aren't going to see much because of the stage height.

When we first run out to the tongue, we have to stay at least ten feet back because of the pyro stuff that is going to start the show.  The stage crew will be lined up to keep us back.  Once the pyro ends - we can move into the stage.  There does not appear there will be any security stuff between us and the stage. 

If Ford Field is set up the same way as the Silverdome - the entrance into the field is at the opposite end from us.  So our side of the field will run into the field first, heading for the far 25 yard line.  Behind us will be Kitty and her train of stage buckets.  We will be running down a steep ramp onto the field - which means if we don't move quickly - the train will over run us.  When we exit, we don't know yet if we'll be behind the stage train or in front of it - but I'm assuming we'll be in front of it since the stage has to be taken apart.

There were lots of different groups there.  Lots of co-workers who got together, sororities, alumni associations, a Red Hat Society of ladies over 50, a couple of cheerleader squads, a radio station, etc... Quite an array of names for the groups too - at least three Desperate Housewives, Dazzling Dancers, CC Riders, Sara's Birthday Party, Neighborhood in Transition, Brown Sugar, #1 Stones Fanz, etc...  A significant percentage (compared to the usual Stones concert audiences) of the field audience is African American.  Probably half of the audience is over 40.  There are quite a few under 25's though.  The audience is probably pretty even gender wise.  One thing I noted was that of groups that had all women - they had at least twenty if not more in their group.  Groups with both genders, quite often had less than twenty.

The halftime show will be eleven minutes long and the Stones will play three songs.  We weren't given any clues as to what those three songs will be.  

It was a long day.  Mostly spent standing in position or in a queue.  The box lunches were good though.  And it was kind of fun.  I'm glad though I don't have to drive down for a practice on Tuesday.

Debbie
"L9"
Tiger







While we ate dinner, the volunteer stage crew was lining up with their "buckets" aka stage pieces which are on wheels. The stage volunteers (Kitty was one of the volunteers) met several nights a week for a month. The tongue tarp would cover the inner tongue audience. The Pontiac Silverdome is where I first saw the Rolling Stones - two nights in a row in December, 1981.





My yellow index card - L9 - I still have it.

Great story!! Fun to read!! Thanks for finding and posting this.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-09 13:28 by everwest1.