Live Nation charged over fatal stage collapse

CMU Daily reports that 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 which resulted in the tragic death of Radiohead drum tech Scott Johnson. Mr Johnson was killed after a scaffolding structure collapsed onto the open-air stage before any audience members had been admitted. Live Nation, and the company 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 Dominic Cugliari faces one charge. Live Nation have denied the charges.

In separate news, Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe has again beenheld not guilty of causing the death of a fan in 2010. The appeals court in the Czech Republic upheld an earlier ruling.

I

Radiohead stage collapse kills stage hand

One stage hand was killed and three injured when a stage roof collapsed just an hour before doors opened for a 40,000 capacity Radiohead concert in Toronto, Canada. Radiohead tweeted that the performance had been cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances". Emergency crews went to the scene and the area was evacuated after the stage collapsed at 16:00 local time with the concert due to start at 19:30. The dead man was confirmed as Scott Johnson, the band's 33 year old British drum technician and the band's drummer Phil Selway said: "We have all been shattered by the loss of Scott Johnson, our friend and colleague. He was a lovely man, always positive, supportive and funny; a highly skilled and valued member of our great road crew. We will miss him very much. Our thoughts and love are with Scott's family and all those close to him".