The worst fear of most musicians came true for Sugarland and opening act Sara Bareilles on Aug. 13 when their stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair. The collapse – brought on by a sudden storm – has killed five people and injured over 40 others, according to the Indianapolis Star.
“The entire stage rigging collapsed, this is bad, this is very bad,” reporter David Lindquist told the newspaper.
“It was like in slow motion. You couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” fan Amy Weathers told the newspaper. A YouTube video showed the quick and violent destruction while helpless fans looked on.
Sugarland wasn’t onstage when it collapsed.
“We are all right. We are praying for our fans, and the people of Indianapolis. We hope you will join us. They need our strength,” Sugarland tweeted afterward.
The Indiana incident is one of the more deadly concert catastrophes to happen in recent years. Sadly, it’s not the only one.
Cheap Trick
Eighties power rockers Cheap Trick faced a similar weather threat while performing in Ontario in July.
“Severe weather hit the stage as Cheap Trick was performing at the Ottawa Bluesfest tonight. The stage blew down and collapsed. Everyone is shaken up but band and crew are all fine,” the band wrote in a statement on their website afterward.
“Cheap Trick hopes that everyone who attended the show is also ok. Fortunately the band and crew are all lucky to be alive and we’ll see you down the road. And all the best to our truck driver Sandy.”
No one was killed, though several were injured.
“We are so thankful [to be alive],” manager Dave Frey told Rolling Stone. “They said that we should be looking out for a storm but it wasn’t really that apparent,” he added. ” — The air was still and it was humid and then out of nowhere, this wind hit that was just huge. The local news sources are saying 96 miles per hour, another one said like a hundred and something.”
Great White
Another 80’s band – Great White – was involved in a different sort of concert tragedy during a club performance in Rhode Island in February 2003. The chaos started when the band’s manager, Daniel Biechele, lit off some pyrotechnics that ignited the club’s insulation foam.
The quick-moving fire eventually claimed the lives of 100 people, including the band’s guitarist, Ty Longley. Biechele was eventually sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the tragedy and the band was ordered to pay $1 million to victims and their families.
The Who
Legendary rock band The Who held a general admission show for 18,500 fans on December 3rd, 1979. Eleven fans were trampled to death in the rush to get to the front of the stage when the gates opened.
“A wave swept me to the left and when I regained my stance I felt that I was standing on someone. The helplessness and frustration of this moment sent a wave of panic through me. I screamed with all my strength that I was standing on someone. I couldn’t move. I could only scream. Another wave came and pushed me further left towards the door,” concertgoer Ron Duristch said afterward.
“I felt my leg being pulled to the right. The crowd shifted again and I reached down and grabbed an arm at my leg. I struggled for awhile and finally pulled up a young girl who also had a young boy clinging to her limbs. They were barely conscious and their faces were filled with tears.”
How horrifying. The Who wasn’t told about the deaths until after the show – they expressed anger when the finally found out.
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam was performing for 50,000 fans at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark in June 2000 when fans rushed the stage. Lead singer Eddie Vedder repeatedly asked fans to move back, but the crowd did not comply.
Ultimately, eight fans were crushed to death and Pearl Jam considered breaking up from the intense sadness that followed the incident.
“This is so painful. I think we are all waiting for someone to wake us and say it was just a horrible nightmare,” Pearl Jam said in a statement. “There are absolutely no words to express our anguish in regard to the parents and loved ones of those precious lives that were lost.”
Have you ever been involved in a scary situation at a concert?
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