Summary: The band Great White was playing a show at a Rhode Island club. They set off fireworks in the building. The wall behind the stage caught fire. The fire spread very quickly. 86 are currently confirmed dead. They are still pulling bodies out. Over 150 more are in the hospital. There was no permit for fireworks at that venue. At this time, it is unclear whether the club owner lied to the band about that, or if the band set the fireworks off without permission.
I’m too upset to work up a good rant. Sorry. But what I want to know is this: Who was the dumbfuck who thought it was a good idea to set off fireworks in a low-ceilinged building?
Even if the club owner lied and told them that they had a permit, shouldn’t the person who set up the fireworks have known it was a bad idea? Shouldn’t any of the roadies or band members have known it was a bad idea? Did the band members insist on having the fireworks put in place against advice?
Gah. I’m just really mad that scores of people are dead over something so stupid and preventable.
The whole thing was ridiculous. Watch the video that someone took of Great White taking the stage. The ceilings look to be about 7’ high. The “club” looks like someone’s basement. And they expected to be able to safely use pyro in this building?
Stupid Question of the Day goes to the CNN anchorperson who asked Jack Russell, lead singer of Great White, whether he thought this meant the end of the band.
Did the guitarist die? I had heard he was still missing, and the Governor said on CNN Headline News that 86 are dead and more bodies are believed to be in the rubble.
I just saw an interview with the owner of the Stone Pony at Asbury Park, NJ, where Great White played on Feb. 14. The stage manager from that night and a concert pyrotechnics expert were also interviewed.
Great White had set off pyrotechnics without permission at the Stone Pony, too. According to the owner, the Stone Pony has 10.5 foot ceilings. Neither the club nor the stage manager were informed that the band was planning to use pyrotechnics. They only found out when the fireworks went off! They confirmed that there were no more planned displays, and they let the show go on. The pyrotechnic expert said that the type of device that they probably used was no bigger than 3 packs of cigarettes, so it could have easily been put on stage without anybody noticing, especially if it was in the area with the drum kits and all. The stage manager said that he had absolutely no experience with pyrotechnics, and was very busy during the hectic set change, which is why he didn’t see/notice the devices. The pyrotechnic expert also touched on state regulations regarding the transport of fireworks, but obviously didn’t know the details in either case.
The manager of the club in RI has also said that the band used pyrotechnics without permission. The Stone Pony owner’s statements certainly lend credence to this claim.
The pyrotechnic expert said that that sort of device shoots sparks 15-20 feet into the air. The Stone Pony stage manager said that he saw sparks bouncing off the ceiling. Whoever set the fireworks up had to know that they would shoot sparks DIRECTLY into the ceiling.
Fucking Great Fucking White thinks it’s still 1988 and they’re still playing fucking arenas. They were always a bunch of tools, and they still are. Fucking craptacular idiot shitwipes! At least most stupid-ass rockers just kill themselves. These wanking no-talent maroons killed a bunch of innocent people with their fucking LIGHT SHOW! I got no sympathy for the abortions whatsoever. Throw the fucking book at them. And their stupid “Once Bitten” song fucking sucked, too.
I’ve been making fun of these guys all week because they were scheduled to play here in NoVa tonight at Jaxx, which may be the world’s foremost glam-rock zombie playground.
But seriously, I am sorry to hear of this tragedy and I feel for the victims’ families and friends. Let us hope something is learned from this.
With regard to who should be held accountable for this tragedy, is it common procedure for a contract to be drawn prior to a concert, detailing things like band compensation, and most importantly liability, particualrly if pyrotechnics are to be used?
Surely this couldn’t have been just a verbal agreement.
And there’s a lesson to be learned here - whenever you find yourself in a club or concert venue, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the location of all fire exits. I think the death toll could’ve been significantly lower if people utilized all exits, not just the front foor.
While we are cursing the bands lack of common sense, I’d like to add a bit about the common sense of the concert goers as well. THERE WERE FOUR FUCKING FIRE EXITS! Virtually no one used them until firefighters showed up. Instead, they all went running back towards where they came in (where most of the bodies have been found, last I read) and died like pigs in a shute. Some people stood around watching the fire going “ooohhh, cool”, blocking the escape route for people with actual functioning brain cells.
Now, I’m not trying to speak ill of the dead or anything, but come on people! Be aware of your surroundings. Especially considering we, as a nation, are supposed to be at a level of heightened awareness would it kill us to take a look around and see where the exits are when we enter a crowed club? When we see flames engulfing a stage, can we move along quickly and NOT block the way for people who’d like to go home to their children that night? I mean, fuck–this is just so sad…
I’ve heard several people say (in connection with this and with the club stampede in Chicago) that it’s human nature for people to try to exit the way they came in. Plus, the fire chief said it was probably the first time many people had been in the club, so they wouldn’t be familiar with exits.
I don’t disagree that you should look at your surroundings, but people simply tend to try to exit where they entered and I imagine that instinct is greater when there’s a panic.
So, while you’re looking over your shoulder and seeing another exit 20 feet behind you, there would have been 40 people behind you shoving desperately forward.
while the room is filling quickly with black clouds of smoke that no doubt carried some nasty stuff in it.
said smoke would have made it difficult/near impossible to see anything pretty damn quickly, plus can overcome people pretty quickly, all while another over 200 people were trying to do exactly the same thing as you.
Problem is most folks have no idea how quickly a fire like that can engulf a room and make it near impossible to escape. I doubt many had a realistic chance even if everyone had, in an orderly elementary school drill fashion proceeded calmly to the nearest exit.
