By Kaitlyn Clark
The Haldimand Press
HAGERSVILLE—“The 2019 Hagersville Rocks Music Festival was a great success, featuring 10 fantastic Canadian artists and great support from our community, both in attendance and with financial support,” said event Chair and Treasuruer Rob Phillips.
Friday saw around 700 people; while the committee was hoping it would have drawn more considering the talent, such as The Jim Cuddy Band, “Saturday’s numbers were well up from that” with about 2,000 attendees. This was up slightly compared to 2018, which saw 2,500 attendees total.
A review of the financial results will be available in a few weeks. Money raised from the festival goes to West Haldimand General Hospital.
“The weather cooperated with the torrential thunderstorm holding off until 5 a.m. on Sunday morning,” added Phillips on the success of the event, which ran from July 26 to 27, 2019. “Every one of our 10 artists was impressed with our community, impressed with the venue and the beauty of the natural ampitheatre that exists at Grant Kett Park, and enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to perform at future Hagersville Rocks Music Festival events.” [masterslider id=”44″]
One negative moment is gathering some infamy online after a person in the crowd shouted at Saturday’s headliner Meghan Patrick to flash the crowd during her set, saying, “Show me your t–s!”
“I saw red. I stopped playing and asked for the lights to be put on the crowd, and demanded that whoever said it own up to it. He was quickly pointed out to me, so I told him to get the f–k out,” said Patrick in a social media post Sunday. “Despite the incredible roar of the crowd’s support, the situation still broke my heart a little. This is not a hobby. This is my livelihood, my heart, and soul…. To have something that means so much to me be degraded to that? F–k that.”
Phillips said that Hagersville Rocks security promptly escorted the individual from the park.
He added, “I spoke with Meghan personally after the show and commended her on taking control of the crowd and addressing that obnoxious (to say the least) member of the crowd…. She (and every other artist for that matter) has worked way too hard at developing her songwriting talents and her performances to be disrespected and degraded in that manner. She is a true headline act in every sense of the word and we were honoured to have her.”
“Despite that brief negative moment of her performance, both Meghan Patrick and our Committee agree that we welcome the opportunity to have her perform again at a future Hagersville Rocks Music Festival event,” continued Phillips, noting that the seventh annual Hagersville Rocks Music Festival will take place on the fourth weekend of July 2020 “barring any unexpected developments”.
Patrick also spoke highly of the festival in her post, stating, “It’s an incredible festival run by great people, in a great town…. Words can’t describe my appreciation for the incredible audience that did stay for the long haul and partied with me after a very long, very hot day. Thank you, you guys rock.”
