Canada celebrates, mourns as rockers Tragically Hip say good-bye
Known in Canada as simply ‘The Hip’, the band is on what is expected to be its final tour with lead singer Gord Downie, 52, who announced his terminal illness in May
A delirious sold-out crowd and countless Canadians watching live TV from their homes took in the final concert by their rock band The Tragically Hip, whose lead singer and songwriter Gord Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
The band ended its 15-show “Man Machine Poem” tour Saturday night in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario.
The Hip, which has become an indelible part of the country’s national identity with songs about hockey, small towns and Canadian literature, returned to the city where their storied musical journey began in the early 1980s. Thousands of fans — including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — watched the final show at the Rogers K-Rock Centre. It was also broadcast live on national TV.
Trudeau’s official photographer tweeted a photo of the prime minister and Downie embracing before the concert.
“Well, you know, prime minister Trudeau’s got me, his work with First Nations. He’s got everybody. He’s going to take us where we need to go,” Downie said from the stage.
“He’s going to be looking good for about at least 12 more years, I don’t know if they let you go beyond that. But he’ll do it,” Downie told concertgoers between songs.
Trudeau could be seen in the audience nodding and mouthing “thank you”.
In a brief interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Trudeau reminisced about how he used to enjoy the band’s music during his high school and university years. He said the band remains anchored in Canada in so many ways through their lyrics and music.
Despite being diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most aggressive cancerous brain tumour, in December, an energetic Downie was in fine form as he and his bandmates played an epic 30-song set loaded with hits and punctuated by three encores.
Downie, who started the show wearing a metallic silver suit and hat with a Jaws T-shirt underneath, hugged and kissed his bandmates before they stepped on stage to open with 50 Mission Cap, followed by Courage (for Hugh MacLennan), Wheat Kings and At the Hundredth Meridian, all off the album Fully Completely.
The Hip then segued into songs from their latest album, Man Machine Poem, before running through tracks from Music @ Work, Road Apples, Phantom Power, Up To Here, Day For Night and Trouble at the Henhouse.
The show was closed out by fan favourite Ahead By A Century.
Downie gestured as if he was sketching a portrait of the teary audience as the band — rounded out by guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay — played the final notes of the song.
They then embraced, stood arm-in-arm as the crowd roared, and then walked off stage for good.
Before performing the Road Apples song Fiddler’s Green, Downie seemed to reference the outpouring of support from fans in the wake of his diagnosis.
“Thank you, people, for keeping me pushing and keeping me pushing,” he said, which prompted a “Gordie!” chant from the audience.
