Toronto.....Not again
It's been a couple of days since another stage collapse. This one in Toronto, Canada happened during the afternoon just before the band Radiohead concert was to take place. Four people were hurt, one of them Scott Johnson was the bands drum tech and he lost his life. I didn't know Scott but in my business we all consider ourselves "brothers and sisters" and refer to each other that way.
Scott was a brother, one of us. We all feel a sense of loss. I can't imagine what his family is going through. My family has and still worries about me when I'm on tour. It's incidents like this that make you step back and look at your own life.
I am one of those people that is always looking around my work situation and making sure that things are safe for me and those around me. If I see something that doesn't look right I speak up. The last few years I have been even more aware.
As I have mentioned before in previous post I help build and set up these outdoor stages for a production company here at home when I'm not on tour. So I guess my senses are heightened a bit more.
I will be heading back on the road in a few weeks with the band YES for another round of shows. There are a couple of outdoor shows where we will be on stages built by someone else that I probably don't know. I will be the one guy who will be looking over everything with a keen eye.
Labels: 2012, Collapse, Crew, Lighting, Musician, Radiohead, roadie, Roadies, Stage, Stage Collapse, Stageline, Toronto
Stay Classy Buffalo
It’s that time of year and the summer concert season has
begun. Concert tours large
and small. This includes festival
shows of all types of music styles.
It’s the time of year when radio stations like to have their
summer “bashes” by some catchy
name. Most of these are outdoor
events.
The country stations are no exception. Last night was one of
these shows. This is known as
“Taste Of Country” and this one was in Buffalo NY. The production company that I work for when I am not touring
provides sound, lights and staging for this event and has for several years.
We actually set up the stage and everything the day before
(Thursday). We had excellent
weather though a bit cool. The
forecast for the show (Friday) was rain most of the day. The promoter (radio station) scheduled
this festival “rain or shine”.
The morning of the show the bands loaded in their equipment
this included some additional lighting, stage monitors, backline, etc. Just a typical day which began at
8am. The weather has turned gray,
cold and rainy.
We try to keep things as dry as possible. Covering up some of the gear with tarps
etc. The day progressed normally considering the conditions. The gates opened and the crowd streamed
in.
There were five acts on the bill and the first four
performed. All of them in the rain
even though the intensity of the weather varied through out. The conditions were monitored all day
and fortunately no thunderstorms or dangerous winds up to this point.
This changed during the fourth artist Joe Nichols. The wind started to pick up and rain
became quite heavy during the late part of his set. I personally became concerned. I am the lighting crew chief on this
event. However I am also
responsible for operating the motors that support the “roof” system, which the
lighting is attached to. The owner
of our company was working on site with us and he also voiced concerns with the
changing conditions.
We decided to lower the roof down in hopes to reduce the
pressure on the structure. This is
normal procedure and it’s recommend by the company that makes it. Upon doing so we received weather
reports that the conditions were going to get worse. The covering on the roof was taking quite a beating. With that said the staging was holding
up very well. We take great care
and time to make sure of this. We
even add two additional towers upstage to help carry the load of everything
hanging on it. This is an eight
tower roof.
No matter how safe you are and how good the equipment Mother
Nature can still come up and smack you in the face. The roof is only rated to handle a certain point of wind
speeds and we were approaching them.
So it was decided with all those involved that the remainder of the show
was to be cancelled.
No one likes to see this. We don’t go through the dozens of hours, effort and man
power to not give the paying public what they want. It’s about putting on the best show possible. When it’s all said and done the public
safety, the bands and crews safety are what matters.
The public was told that we could not continue at which
point the booing began. This was
understandable. What began next
was pathetic. Several people
decided to begin throwing full beer cans, chairs and other items at the
stage. We are looking out for
these people’s safety and they turn around and potentially could hurt those
helping them by throwing things.
Yes it was small amount of idiots that did this but it makes
the people of Buffalo come across as ignorant and childish.
I hope those that threw things and shouted obscenities have
“sobered up” today and realize that stopping the show was the right thing to
do. They can say what they
want. I know that all the powers
that be would handle this the same way if and when it’s happens again.
I know I woke up earlier today knowing we did the right
thing.
Labels: 2012, Buffalo, Collapse, Dunn Park, Eric Church, Festival, Indiana, Joe Nichols, Stage Collapse, Taste of Country, Touring, Tours, Weather
Stage Collapse's my view
As someone who has been in the music industry as a touring crew person I have seen a lot of things in my time. The last month has been tough for people in my industry. Today another stage was damaged, this time in Belgium. In this case and also in Indiana and Ottawa it appears that weather played a major role in these stages collapsing.
Several people including concert patrons were killed and injured. No one wants to see this happen especially us who are responsible for building these stages.
Most of these years I have worked as a lighting director and or tech. I also have worked in other areas too. The last few years I went back to working for a regional production company when I am not touring. We provide all aspects of production, sound, lighting, backline, trucking and yes staging. Matter of fact we own Thomas staging just like what was used in Indiana. We also use
Stageline.
I can tell you we take great care and time when setting these up. Granted there is a difference between the two types. One of them you build from the ground up and is comprised of trussing. The other is self contained and when closed it is basically a tractor trailer.
Neither type of stage will withstand a tornado but they are rated to handle certain weather and wind speeds to a point. Some people have been blaming the stages and the people that put them up as the fault in their collapse. Granted I was not personally involved in any of them. I will say that most of these people have no idea what they are talking about.
Whenever I step foot onto someone else's stage I make sure to look and all aspects of it. How is in setting, are there ballast supports, is the sound and lighting hanging correctly on it, etc. I also keep and eye on the weather especially when I am involved with one of oupr companies stages.
Just yesterday we set up a Stageline 260 for a Barenaked Ladies show and everything went off without a hitch. That stage will get set up again for a show and then on Saturday. One of our Thomas roofs is setting up for a show on Saturday. Our concern will be the safety of all the people on or around. Not because of what has recently happened, but for the fact this is always what we have done.
If weather becomes a factor we will take the necessary action to assure every ones safety.
Labels: Collapse, Crew, Stage, Stageline, Thomas
