The Penticton Peach Festival Society had some big news about this year’s festival, adding Canadian Rock legends Trooper to the list of acts booked to perform in Okanagan Lake Park.
“We’re ecstatic. They’re probably the biggest group we’ve had at the festival,” said Rick Riddall, president of the society.
“They’ve been around forever,” he continued. “Thursday night for Peachfest is going to be hopping. Absolutely hopping.”
The band’s bio goes like this: a 35-year career, millions of records, a couple dozen hits, sold-out shows across Canada, a Juno Award for Band of the Year, even an acknowledgment from Universal Music as “one of Canada’s top five selling bands of all time.”
And, thanks to the assistance of Peter’s Brothers Construction, they will be performing a free concert on Aug. 4, the second evening of the 2011 Peachfest.
“We’re really happy with Dave Kampe at Peter’s Brothers,” said Riddall. “They’re paying for the whole shot with Trooper, lodgings and everything. Anything to do with Trooper, Dave Kampe is looking after them.
“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have them.”
Riddall also gives a chunk of the credit for landing Trooper to the society’s past president, Don Kendall.
“He’s the one that really got Trooper coming. He knew the people to contact and that’s what really got it going,” said Riddall.
Trooper has recorded more than a dozen hits including: We’re Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time); Raise a Little Hell; General Hand Grenade; Baby Woncha Please Come Home; and The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car.
“Trooper will delight old fans and make many new fans,” said Kendall. “Their show is a collection of favourites performed with vitality and humour. The park will be the place to be.”
While the performances at the festival are always well-attended, Riddall expects this one will set some records.
“We expect for that one night, we’re going to have 12,000 to 14,000 people in the park,” he said. “It’s going to be right to the back. It’s going to be mad.”
It was a complicated contract to get signed, according to Riddall, since the band had requirements for some specialized equipment.
“It took us quite a time to get the contract signed, because they need all this extra stuff,” he said. “They needed a lot of specialty stuff that is being supplied by Skaha Sound and Concept Audio.”
Regular updates on the Penticton Peach Festival are available at www.peachfest.com.
