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Live Nation charged over fatal stage collapse at Radiohead gig

By | Published on Monday 10 June 2013

Radiohead

The Ministry Of Labour in Ontario is pursuing charges against three companies and one individual in relation to the stage collapse that occurred ahead of a Radiohead show in Toronto last June.

As previously reported, Radiohead drum tech Scott Johnson was killed after a scaffolding structure collapsed onto the open-air stage before any audience members had been admitted.

The show was promoted by Live Nation, and the live music giant and its Ontario subsidiary both face four charges under the Canadian province’s Occupational Health And Safety Act. Optex Staging & Services Inc has also been charged over four alleged breaches of health and safety laws, while engineer Domenic Cugliari faces one charge.

For its part, Live Nation has already denied the charges, telling Billboard: “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”.

The company added: “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”.



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