Angel Connolly waits in a tent under the rain for a ticket bracelet for the Much Music Awards 2010. The grade 11 student came from Scarborough along with three more friends.Fernando Morales/The Globe and Mail
Toronto police have ordered the 1,100 teenagers amassed at Queen and John Streets in hopes of obtaining access to the MuchMusic Video Awards to take down their tents, and with fears of overnight storms, organizers are sending them home early.
Wristbands allowing access to the event were scheduled to be given away on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. Fans started lining up Tuesday night, and soon the line stretched down the street. "We were getting complaints right left and centre," said Sergeant Brad Brigham.
Instead, the wristbands will be given out tonight at 6 pm to those who already have a queue number. MuchMusic spokesperson Gabrielle Free said all the wristbands were accounted for.
The MMVAs, a pop bonanza featuring performances from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Drake, Hedley, and Justin Bieber, airs live the evening of June 20. Fans who don't get a wristband can watch the show from the street or on television.
Three nights before the scheduled giveaway a teenaged army had already assembled at the station's headquarters at Queen and John Streets, stocked with air mattresses, tarps, snack food, and one "honk 4 Justin Bieber" sign.
Last year's lineup numbered in the thousands, security guard Shawn Element said. "It's still tame," Mr. Element had said on Wednesday when the lineup was still at 65 people.
Three Grade 11 girls who staked out first place in line said they rearranged their final assignment schedules so they could be there, after telling administrators at Delta Secondary School in Hamilton that they needed to leave town for "a secret."
"We're hard-core fans," especially of Miley Cyrus, said Kristina Proctor, 18. The trio were also the first in line last year, when the Jonas Brothers and Lady Gaga were the main draw.
Their parents supplied them with a tent, inflatable sofa, generator, heater, laptop, and a stockpile of water and snacks. "It's really important to stay hydrated and eat well when you're out here for this long," said Charlie-Anne Aucoin, 16. The girls said their parents planned to travel from Hamilton to give them food and make sure they stayed safe.
Others were less well-equipped. Jesse Shaw of Newmarket had nothing but a backpack and had already spent one rainy night on the sidewalk before the lineup officially began. "I don't want to be one of those unfortunates at the very end of the line," he explained. He said he was most excited to see Canadian rappers Drake and Classified.