Day #3 at the Stampede: In then out again.

This is LIVE from the roof top.
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Today was seventh day of the Stampede, after work I rushed home to get changed as Jesse, Matt and I had planned to go to the Stampede grounds to watch LIVE play at the coke stage. We got there at 8pm and Live were due to play at 9pm. The coke stage was packed, with many policemen controlling the crowd as well as security guards on the look out for any trouble makers. So Jesse(being a rock climber by profession) had the idea of climbing up a building roof top to watch the band and trusting him he had already scoped out the building he wanted to climb.

So we walk into this building that is publicly accessible and climb four flights of stairs. We then head through a door that exits the building and onto an overpass that links to another building. The overpass was sheltered by a semi cylindrical aluminum roof joining over on top of each building, leaving a gap large enough to squeeze our bodies through. At that moment there was still a few staff members hanging out on the overpass smoking and chatting away so we waited until they were finished as soon as they went back into the building it was on. Matt climbs up and rolls his body through the gap, followed by Jesse with no problems then I climb up following Jesses lead and complete a mission impossible roll through the gap singing the mission impossible theme song.

We made it through successfully, it was 8.30pm by this time and we decided to lay low for a while and keep ourselves out of view from the crowd on the ground. Half an hour later the crowd screams wild applauding LIVE as they take the stage. We climbed up on a one metre raised concrete platform and crept closer to the edge peeking over whilst still crouching down. Live was on stage and looking around I saw heaps of policemen and security guards watching over the crowd. Then Live started playing their opening song, hoping that all the attention was on them we slowly position ourselves to sit down. We decided to bite the bullet and sat up to watch the band. By this time we could clearly see the crowd and the crowd could clearly see us if they just looked up however it was without a doubt the best seat in the house, three stories up overlooking the band, sitting down with heaps of room. I took a quick snap with my camera, then in the corner of my right eye, I see someone in uniform climbing the roof and walking towards us. He continues to walk as we pretend we didn’t see him and he stops short of the one metre raised platform that we’re sitting on. Our backsides at this point was facing him, then “Get OFF my roof!” he commands. Acknowledging his presence we get up and turn around slowly then, climbed off the raised section to speak with him. We explain ourselves, but he was adamant that we were going to be arrested for trespassing.

So we follow this security guard all the way back down through ladders and a series of door. On the way down we complain about being arrested for climbing on top of a roof then to stir the pot a bit he says we are each getting a $300 fine. So we complain even more. We were lead back down into the corridor of the building through this little hatch door then he opens the door that exits the ground and he say “Just go!” So Jesse puts in a smart remark “Where do we go?”

“Any where but here” he retorted. So we walk out of the gate without a pass out stamp waving goodbye to our $13 entry fee spending only an hour in the grounds.

That wasn’t really a good time spent at the Stampede but shit happens I guess.