Live Nation Charged Over Fatal Radiohead Stage Collapse
On June 16th, 2012, 33-year-old Radiohead drum technician Scott Johnston was killed after a stage collapse in Toronto. The crew was setting up for a concert that evening at Downsview Park when a portion of the stage caved in. One year later, charges are now being filed against the concert promoter Live Nation and others. “It will never bring Scott back, but (the charges are) a little bit of closure,” Johnson’s best friend Paul Bonney told the Toronto Star.
According to The Star, the Ontario Ministry of Labour has announced 13 charges against Live Nation as well as a Toronto staging company and an engineer. “The ministry alleges that Live Nation failed to ensure the structure was designed and constructed to support or resist all likely loads and forces, it was adequately braced, there were no excessive loads and every employer complied with the act,” wrote the newspaper.
In a statement, Live Nation said it did everything possible to ensure safety: “We will vigorously defend ourselves and we are confident that through this process the facts will come to light and we will be exonerated.” A court hearing is scheduled for June 27th.