Great White Play Show With No COVID-19 Precautions 17 Years After 100 Fans Died In Their Concert Fire
In 2003, a nightclub fire broke out at the beginning of Great White’s set at the Station in Rhode Island. Sparked by a pyrotechnics display set off by their tour manager, the blaze ended up killing 100 people, including the band’s guitarist Ty Longley, and badly injuring over 100 more. And now, Great White are out here playing shows with no masks or social distancing requirements.
Blabbermouth reports that Great White played an outdoor show in Dickinson, North Dakota on Thursday as part of First On First: Dickinson Summer Nights. “We do not have restrictions, believe it or not, we don’t have any,” April Getz, an event coordinator for the concert series, told The Dickinson Press. “It’s one of those things where if people feel comfortable coming down and mixing and mingling, that’s their personal choice. We’re leaving it up to everybody that chooses to attend.”
Jack Russell, the former singer of Great White who current performs as Jack Russell’s Great White, blasted people who don’t wear masks in a recent interview with Austria’s Mulatschag. “There’s no need to be out [in public places]. People don’t take it seriously — they don’t take the virus seriously. It’s sad,” he said. “People just don’t think. They come down to the beach down here and they wanna pretend like [the virus] doesn’t exist. Well, that’s fine. If you wanna get sick, that’s great. But put your mask on for me, because I’ve got my mask on.”