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Mick gives CareFlight $10k
By Phil Bartsch and Emma Chalmers
March 05, 2003
CALL it an emotional rescue.
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger last night hitched a ride in the RACQ CareFlight rescue helicopter from the Gold Coast to the band's concert at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall - paying more than $10,000 for the trip in the form of "a generous donation".
A limousine took Jagger from Southport's Palazzo Versace Hotel to the Sea World carpark for his 20-minute flight north.
CareFlight spokeswoman Carol Haffke said the donation covered the cost of the flight "four times over" and would be used to buy a potentially lifesaving ventilator
for the service."It's very timely because our current ventilator is out being repaired," Ms Haffke said.
She dismissed reports Jagger had donated $50,000.
She said Jagger's minders had approached CareFlight specifically requesting a twin-engined helicopter capable of travelling in all weather conditions to get him to the Stones' two Brisbane shows.
"We agreed to do it subject to emergency callouts," she said.
Jagger also agreed to sign some T-shirts to be auctioned to raise funds for the helicopter service.
After months of anticipation, the Rolling Stones finally hit the Brisbane stage last night.
More than 10,000 fans of the British rock gods packed the entertainment centre for the first of two shows (tonight also) on their Australian Forty Licks tour.
Although the band changed set lists for each performance, the show was not short on classic hits: Start Me Up, Satisfaction and Honky Tonk Women were all rolled out by the rockers.
Jagger arrived at Boondall at 6pm, the helicopter touching down on a makeshift grass helipad - a white "H" sprayed on by tradesmen only hours earlier.
The band, who arrived early for a sound test, requested a pool table backstage to keep themselves entertained.
Australian group You Am I had the enviable honour of opening the show on a major set which took 18 hours to construct. It included a main stage from where the band played most of their hits and a catwalk leading to a smaller stage so they could get up close and personal with fans.
The Stones were backed by three vocalists, three horns and a keyboard player.
In the wings were four crew whose sole job was management of the group's 80 tour guitars.
After their follow-up performance tonight, the Stones will head to Japan for the start of their Asian tour - 747 freight planes transporting the stage equipment and another 747 jumbo carrying the Stones and their 140-strong entourage.
Deputy Premier Terry Mackenroth, who obtained free tickets to last night's concert for himself and nine guests, arrived in a cab with his wife Mary. Several other Cabinet Ministers also were in the audience.
The Courier-Mail
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