This article shot me out of bed like a cannon. Bobby McLamb, the promoter for this potential death machine, says that the rig that tumbled last weekend in Shelby, North Carolina followed safety protocols, and that L&N Productions out of Hickory used all “industry standard” practices. The mainstream publications need to get ahold of me or another expert in the industry to put an end to this crap. They are printing garbage that makes the promoter and L&N Productions look like they did no wrong!!!
Get a load of this, from the Charlotte Observer:
The event in Shelby was part of the American Legion World Series concert series and featured three Christian rock bands, including the headliner, the top-selling national group MercyMe.
Eddie Holbrook, co-chair of the local American Legion World Series executive committee and a Cleveland County commissioner, said L&N Productions had worked last year’s Montgomery Gentry concert at the American Legion World series.
“They’ve been very satisfactory,” he said. “We’ve had no problem.”
Holbrook said performers and stage managers expressed no reservations about the stage.
Also, he said the weather had been a concern. Holbrook said officials had been tracking storms on weather radar.
A line of storms in the area of Greenville, S.C., appeared to be edging north of Shelby, he said.
When a severe weather alert for Cleveland County flashed on the radar, Holbrook said, “we immediately started getting people off stage.” The surrounding area with electrical equipment was also evacuated, he said.
The National Weather service had no reports of damaging wind gusts — 50 mph or stronger — in Cleveland County on Aug 10. But an automated weather station on the north side of Shelby measured a wind gust of about 35 mph between 3 and 4 p.m.
At the fairground, which is on the east side of Shelby, a “quick burst of vicious wind” got under the stage roof and “disassembled it,” Holbrook said.
Law enforcement and emergency personnel were already at the fairground. But thankfully, nobody got hurt, Holbrook said.
Looking back, “I don’t know of anything we would have done differently,” he said.
MUST this be posted again?! Here’s one of the first pages of the Genie tower safety manual:
More from the article at the Charlotte Observer — apparently L&N’s rig adheres to building codes, according to James Little of L&N Productions:
James Little, owner and president of L&N Productions, Inc., said the company has been in business more than 25 years, carries liability insurance and has done events all over the U.S. Local code officials aren’t required to inspect temporary stages, Little said, but some, like Hickory, do inspect the structures.
Wherever L&N sets up a stage “we adhere to building codes,” Little said. “Ultimately, people can be hurt, and you have to be cautious in what you do.”
In Shelby, Little said the fire marshal inspected the stage, which met industry standards and had been assembled by L&N employees and 30 members of the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department.
The stage’s roof was held up by 12 18-foot-tall Genie Super Towers, not four as stated by some on the Internet, Little said. The towers were secured by straps tied to 4-foot metal stakes driven into the ground.
Wind bent the stakes, but didn’t pull them out of the ground, and all the straps held, he said.
According to Little, the roof shifted 10 feet and lodged against a lighting pole, about 5 feet above the stage. No musical instruments or electrical equipment were damaged, and 10 light bulbs out of 108 were broken, Little said. Although he doesn’t have a total damage estimate, he said six of the towers, valued at $3,000 each, are out of commission.
A spokesperson for the Genie lift company said the super towers aren’t designed to support structures like roofs.
But Little said what was used at the fairground wasn’t a load-bearing roof, but a stage cover, and that the towers weren’t supporting the entire rig. He said the Genies supported canvas and lights individually and that the practice was common in the industry.
WHY does the media keep posting this shit without getting ahold of one of us experts in the media?!
THIS is what happens when your rig is NOT UP TO INDUSTRY STANDARD SAFETY PRACTICES, LET ALONE EVEN FOLLOWING THE MANUAL ON THE GEAR YOU USE! These photos are from L&N’s OWN WEBSITE! Did the media not even do their research?!
GAH! This is infuriating! PLEASE, mainstream media, YOU ARE NOT EXPERTS LIKE WE ARE! Start asking around!
Looking at all pictures , I only see 4 towers not 12, as stated! I’d really liked to have seen none! As using geni st towers is nervier an industry standard!!!!
Thanks for following up, this looks like ass coverage by L&N to me. If L&N admitted doing anything wrong, then I bet the promoter or their insurer would be after them for the lost money of cancelling the show. I just hope they learn for the next time before they kill someone.
Jim, have you copied these articles to the local media? Most media outlets love a scandal and this would ensure nothing like this happens again from these guys.
This is the very reason I got out of the business. I wish I was still doing lighting it was a lot of fun, but I just saw too much stuff like this. You guys still don’t it, take care, be safe.
6 of his towers out of commission, does this mean he still plans to use the other 6?
When will they learn. How about the Truss is that getting recertified before it holds up another sail?
With the Freedom of Information Act, is it possible to find the documents that list the insurance companies involved, so they can be contacted with legitimate information regarding safety violations? Are there going to be OSHA repercussions, or repercussions with the fire marshal who approved this show? Is loss of life a prerequisite for the media to take a real approach to handling these dangerous situations?
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