superdeluxe

That front section holds about 200 people, and it was sectioned off by metal railings

mkdevo

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...-says-20110815

dvdjunkie32

I was in a storm like this a week ago. Sunny skies all day and I started driving to Walmart into some dark clouds that popped up out of nowhere. A few minutes later, I was caught in a heavy downpour. I made it to the parking lot, but when I got out, I had to rush back to my car. The wind was unbelievable and driving the rain horizontal right in my ears.

Then I sat in my car and watch buggies flying and smashing into cars and even the entire buggy rack was pushed around like it weighed nothing. I found out later it was straight line 70 mph winds.

There's just a moment of disbelief and fear when you are caught in such a thing.

Throwing Copper

That second video is just scary as hell. I too am surprised more people weren't killed.

It would've had to have been a Beatles reunion concert to get me to keep standing out there in that weather.

AnonomusBob15

aka.... we don't want to cancel the show and lose money, so we'll hide you out and let the crowd wait it out. The crowd was given no warning, left to stand there like sheep.


I see lawsuits coming.

nothingfails

This is correct. I live about 2 hrs from Indianapolis and we got the same storm. It literally sideswiped us out of nowhere.

Josh-da-man

I heard it was a VIP section they call the "sugar pit."

Wonder if they'll rename it the "death pit."

maxfisher

I live about 1/2 mile north of the Fairgrounds and was sitting on my back porch for most of the storm. It came up very quickly, but the strength of it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. It was pretty surprising to hear what had happened when I checked the news yesterday.

dsa_shea

You, my friend, are going to hell for that bit.

Eddie W

What else were they to do? Weather happens every summer at these outdoor shows & hardly ever blows a stage over & kills the audience. Imagine if they'd canceled the show, the stage hadn't toppled, and it was nice 20 minutes later. Besides the audience had eyes and cell phones, they could clearly get out of dodge if they felt the need. It's not like they were in a vacuum.

I know everyone wants to blame someone, but sometimes mother nature is just a big huge ****.

Lateralus

If you have a strong line of thunderstorms coming towards the concert you need to postpone the concert and get people to safety. Period.

Let the lawsuits fly.

Snowmaker

Don't you mean mash pit?

AnonomusBob15

quoted for truth.

cungar

The summer of stage collapses continues... 3 (edited) more dead

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The Associated Press have reported that two concertgoers have died and around 40 have been injured in a stage collapse during a set by Chicago indie rockers Smith Westerns at the Pukkelpop Festival in Hasselt, Belgium.

According to tweets from frontman Cullen Omori this afternoon, their stage collapsed during a strong rainstorm. "Stage collapsed max almost got crushed by the tress. I hope pukkelpop has insurance bc all our shit is broke," Omori tweeted. Shortly afterward, he wrote "Praying no got hurt. Wtf." Omori later confirmed that no one in Smith Westerns was hurt in the crash.

RS Live: Smith Westerns Go Acoustic
This is the fourth major stage collapse incident this summer. Cheap Trick, the Flaming Lips and Sugarland have all been hit in the recent past.

You can see footage from the collapse at the Pukkelpop festival in the clips below, courtesy of Rock Sound.

GuessWho

4 dead at Pukkelpop...

TomOpus

Going to the Missouri State Fair tomorrow to see the Carnival of Madness tour

50% chance of thunderstorms

Wish me luck

astrochimp

Don't forget your helmet.

TomOpus

Ha, a co-worker mentioned the same thing. Luckily I got the premium grandstand tix and not the floor seats. Of course my luck would be to have the grandstand collapse

The Infidel

I just watched a news bit on Sugarland's return to the stage in Albuquerque. The set for their Incredible Machine tour was described as "elaborate". Is it possible that there was just too much equipment and such for the stage rigging to handle, and that contributed to the collapse?

Jason

Apparently Kiss played the Indiana State Fair last year. If an outdoor stage can hold all their equipment, it'll hold anything a country band can come up with.

Drexl

Oh I'm sure there was too much equipment. The thing could have been put together without the cat, mouse, flashlight, balloon, gears, generator, and conveyor belts.

GuessWho

Indiana victim #6 just died

AnonomusBob15

I think it's really tacky that Sugarland has resumed touring. IMO.

Groucho

Why? They just happened to be the next band up when the accident occurred. They didn't cause it.

AnonomusBob15

I assume the people died were Sugarland fans, so it just seems disrespectful to go on as if nothing happened. I know they didn't cause it, but their management didn't cancel the show either.