Radiohead postpones seven dates in wake of Toronto stage collapse
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The band Radiohead is continuing to feel the repercussions of a stage collapse that killed a crew member and injured three others before its show in Toronto on Saturday. On Thursday, the band announced the cancellation of seven upcoming European tour dates. In a statement, the band said it intends to return to its tour schedule July 10 in the south of France.
The statement briefly addressed the tragedy that occurred at Toronto’s Downsview Park, in which a stage collapsed at a Live Nation-promoted show that was to feature Radiohead. Ontario’s Labour Ministry has launched an investigation into four of the companies involved in setting up the concert, Live Nation, Optex Staging & Services, Nasco Staffing Solutions and Ticker Tape Touring, according to the CBC.
The collapse occurred after the stage had been rigged with Radiohead’s equipment, and just an hour before gates were to open.
In a statement, the band wrote, ‘As you will probably have heard the roof over the stage collapsed at our show in Toronto killing crew member Scott Johnson and injuring three other crew members. The collapse also destroyed the light show -- this show was unique and will take many weeks to replace. The collapse also caused serious damage to our backline, some elements of which are decades old and therefore hard to replace.’
Radiohead, which performed at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., intends to announce rescheduled dates next week. The canceled dates stretch from a June 30 concert in Rome to a July 9 appearance in Switzerland.
The Downsview Park tragedy is the latest in a string of high-profile stage collapses that have plagued the live music industry in recent years. In August, a stage collapsed at the Indianapolis State Fair before a Sugarland concert and killed seven.
The latter was on the minds of officials in Indio, a desert city occasionally prone to high winds, when planning this year’s Coachella. Dan Talbot, battalion chief for the Riverside County Fire Department, said the Coachella stages could withstand winds of at least 90 mph.
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-- Todd Martens
