Last June, Radiohead's Toronto appearance was struck by tragedy after the stage collapsed, killing drum technician Scott Johnson and injuring three other crew members. Today (June 7), charges were laid under the the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The Globe and Mail reports that promoters Live Nation Canada and Live Nation Ontario have each been slapped with four charges from the Ontario Ministry of Labour over the incident. Meanwhile, Toronto's Optex Staging and Services is also facing four charges and an individual engineer, Domenic Cugliari, is facing one charge of endangering a worker as a result of negligence.
This case is due to head to court on June 27.
Live Nation denies any wrongdoing. "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," spokesperson Jacqueline Peterson wrote in a statement.
"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."
The show in question was scheduled to take place last June 16 at Downsview Park, but the gig was cancelled after the stage collapsed at around 4 p.m. local time. No concertgoers had been admitted to the venue at the time. It was a sunny day, and there were no reports of adverse weather conditions. The band subsequently postponed a number of shows.
The Globe and Mail reports that promoters Live Nation Canada and Live Nation Ontario have each been slapped with four charges from the Ontario Ministry of Labour over the incident. Meanwhile, Toronto's Optex Staging and Services is also facing four charges and an individual engineer, Domenic Cugliari, is facing one charge of endangering a worker as a result of negligence.
This case is due to head to court on June 27.
Live Nation denies any wrongdoing. "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," spokesperson Jacqueline Peterson wrote in a statement.
"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."
The show in question was scheduled to take place last June 16 at Downsview Park, but the gig was cancelled after the stage collapsed at around 4 p.m. local time. No concertgoers had been admitted to the venue at the time. It was a sunny day, and there were no reports of adverse weather conditions. The band subsequently postponed a number of shows.
