Last summer’s Radiohead stage collapse in Toronto that killed the drum tech, Scott Johnson, has culminated in some legal actions. Four charges each have been laid in Ontario court against Live Nation Canada Inc., Live Nation Ontario Concerts GP Inc., Optex Staging and Services Inc. alleging they failed to ensure the stage structure was being built in a safe manner – and one charge on an engineer, Domenic Cugliari, for “endangering a worker as a result of negligence.” This case goes to trial on June 27, so there will be more to report.
From the Billboard site – a prepared statement from Live Nation:
“We wholeheartedly disagree with the charges brought against us by the Ministry of Labour. We absolutely maintain that Live Nation and our employees did everything possible to ensure the safety of anyone who was on or near the stage involved in the tragic incident that led to the unfortunate death of Mr. Scott Johnson. We will vigorously defend ourselves and we are confident that through this process the facts will come to light and we will be exonerated. As we commence this year’s concert season with a new staging contractor, Live Nation will continue its strict peer review process with external engineers for rigging and staging. We will remain vigilant in these safety and security procedures because the wellbeing of our employees, fans and artists is of utmost importance.”
Here’s a list of the charges on the four parties mentioned:
What do you think? Leave a comment below – another tragedy past in our industry, and I know that from now on, the heads are gonna roll in our business. Keep your stuff together, people. Do a great job every time.
Thanks to Star Phoenix, MSN News, CTV News, and Globe and Mail.
