08/26/2026
GRAHAM CLARKE
10 years ago today, we lost our friend Graham Clarke who was our production manager from Metal Worx when we first started doing our festival.
There are people and moments in your life that you never forget.
During our inaugural show, I heard a call on the radio on Saturday afternoon that we had a medical emergency backstage. By the time I made it there, Graham was being taken away by ambulance.
The show went on -- but we were all very worried.
Updates on his health weren't readily available -- we didn't know what was going on and anxiously awaited word that he was OK.
The next morning, we all arrived on-site at 8AM to start packing up and Graham pulls into the parking lot via taxi and walks towards me with the biggest Tim Hortons coffee cup I've ever seen. I was so happy to see him and relieved that he was walking.
Here is how that conversation went:
Me: "Hey man, thank god your OK! What happened?"
Him: "Turns out I'm full of cancer... let's tear down this stage"
My heart sank.
Of course, Graham being Graham... he proceeded to work and get the stage tore down and helped pack up the show.
We stayed in touch all off-season as he went through painful treatments and fought with everything he had. He still worked with us to advance our show and made it clear that he'd be there no matter what.
As promised, Graham was back on-site the next year. He was much skinnier and he had lost all of his hair. You could see the toll the treatments put on his body, but his spirit was the same and his work ethic was unmatched.
Graham was out in the field running cables, setting up the show and quarterbacking the stage crew. We encouraged him to take breaks, but he wouldn't hear it. The sun was beating down on all of us the entire setup of the show and you felt guilty taking a break yourself while watching Graham out there getting it done.
The moment that will never leave me though?
While Billy Talent was on stage, we had an unfortunate issue with one of the barricades that had come loose. Billy Talent stopped the show briefly as we addressed it. It took ALL HANDS on deck to stand in front of that barricade and make sure it didn't come down.
If that barricade came down, the show was over...
Graham planted his feet firmly into the ground and pushed with every ounce of strength he had left to hold that barricade so it wouldn't fall -- I'll never forget that image.
Thankfully, we were able to fix the barricade while thousands of people were pushing forward and I recall putting my arm around Graham as we walked away from the barricade and we both just laughed at the absurdity of it all.
Shortly after that years show, Graham passed away.
The show must go on, but damn... we really wish he was here.
We miss you buddy.
- Jamie
