Location
Farmer's field off Mapleward, 400 feet north of Mapleward Station
Story
Sandjam 2 happened on August 5th 1984, and it can be argued that it was probably the best concert in Thunder Bay history. Sponsored by R and P Productions and Total Elipse [sic], the concert began at 1 PM, and featured a lineup of 8 bands. Approximately 600 people showed up for the event. The year before, the concert had been held in a gravel pit outside of city limits, however this time around the concert was in a farmer's field off of Mapleward Road. At around 10:30, spectators started shooting fireworks and lighting off firecrackers. According to the Chronicle Journal, food vendors claim that neighbors thought they were shooting guns, which brings into question how loud this concert must have been. At about 11pm, twelve police cars arrived at the field with loudspeakers and attempted to shut down the party, as bands continued to play. Spectators who had paid $7 in advance or $10 at the gate did not like the suggestion that the show would be done. Spectators refused to leave until 1:30 am when it was supposed to end.
The organizers apparently did not have a permit to have a concert and asked the showgoers to cooperate with the cops, but the showgoers weren't having it. People began throwing beer bottles at cars and at police officers. The Chronicle Journal states that they threw bottles at police in riot gear, bringing into question whether the police arrived in riot gear, or not. Police attacked the rioters with billy clubs and there were reports of people stealing them from cops and hitting them back. A police car was flipped over by approximately forty people. A young man quoted in the Chronicle Journal stated that "Everyone went in a big mass and said, 'tip it, tip it, tip it'". Firemen arrived at the scene and also had bottles thrown at them. People threw hay and fences on the burning police car to keep the fire going, and it apparently burned well into the night.
Fifteen people were charged, among them Ronald Johnston who was fined $1000 and was given three months in jail for having way too much alcohol in his bloodstream. A woman was also stabbed after she confronted someone who had thrown a bottle at her car. Others were charged for mischief, obstruction of justice, assaulting police officers, resisting arrest, and impaired driving. Four policemen and one fireman were injured.
Needless to say, Sandjam 2 was one of the best concerts in Thunder Bay history.
(Woodstock 2 ?)Unlike the original Sandjam, this concert was unfortunately set up within the city limits just off of Mapleward road in a farmers field in the summer of 1984. It went awry after noise complaints and a riot broke out,a cop car got overturned and set on fire, and there was literally a rain of beer bottles being thrown at the police/firefighters/O.P.P as they tried to shut it down as Roadhouse was playing . This event made the national news...anyone up for Sandjam 3?.lol. Yep I remember sneaking out of there in Rob's van and driving by the burning cop car. It was freaky on stage. I believe we were 3 songs into our set when the police told us to stop. Needless to say that suggestion did not go over well.(DOC - Roadhouse guitar player)
Bands:
Sources
- 1984-08-07 Chronicle-Journal P1: Mob torches police car in rock concert melee
- 1984-08-08 Chronicle-Journal P1: Charges laid in rock melee