The Story Behind the Concert

Every good benefit has an origin story. This one starts with Rocket Norton — drummer of Vancouver band Prism since the 1970s — and a cancer diagnosis.

A battle cry on a T-shirt

During treatment, music manager Bruce Allen gave Rocket a T-shirt reading “F**K CANCER.” He took it not as a joke but as a rallying call, and set about getting the band back together on a much bigger scale.

Calling in the legends

Rocket’s decades in the business meant his phone book read like a history of Canadian rock. Peers donated their stage time so every ticket could fight the disease — see the full line-up.

A lasting cause

The concert became an annual rallying point, with proceeds to the BC Cancer Foundation — a tribute to Rocket’s spirit and a community that showed up.