This story from my city is making national headlines and I feel like sharing:
https://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/bluesfest/Bluesfest+stage+collapses+storm/5116446/story.htmlOTTAWA — A violent windstorm slammed into Bluesfest Sunday evening, knocking part of the main MBNA stage backward onto the Ottawa River Parkway and sending thousands of fans seeking shelter inside the Canadian War Museum.
Festival director Mark Monahan was behind the stage in the Bluesfest production office shortly before the storm collapsed the stage and made the call to evacuate it after rushed talks with his production staff. Paramedics reported that three people were injured, two of whom were on the stage.
A drained-looking Monahan told the Citizen late Sunday that he was relieved that more people hadn’t been hurt.
“It could have been worse,” he said. “It was an unexpected event and the call to evacuate the stage prevented serious injuries.
“Everything after that is not important. The safety of our patrons, staff and musicians was paramount.”
[...]
The storm blew in just as Cheap Trick finished singing their hit I Want You to Want Me. A strong gust of wind carrying debris blew in from the Ottawa River, from behind the crowd toward the stage.
The band left the stage literally seconds before the wind appeared to shoot under the ‘ceiling’ of the structure and blow it down.
“It was as if some invisible hand had pushed the entire structure over. It fell backwards almost intact and very quickly — like a house of cards,” said Citizen reporter Chris Cobb, who had been assigned to review the concert.
Cheap Trick later posted a message on its Facebook page. It read: “Everyone is okay and we are so lucky to be alive and hope that all the fans are okay too.”
Cobb reported that the band may have seen the storm coming.
“I assume from their elevated position the band saw what was coming before the crowd, most of whom were obviously facing the stage. The storm blew from the river, over the rear of the crowd toward the stage, carrying debris in its wake.”
Cheap Trick was able to get off the stage safely.
There was no announcement, Cobb said, about the impending bad weather, because, “I assume, the external power supply failed. And I emphasize, it happened within seconds. People were laughing and joking as the wind got up and the black clouds began sweeping over the site, but the mood changed radically when people realized what was happening.”
Raw video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfqpXNfywT4Regarding the stage:
Environment Canada recorded a top wind speed of 96 kilometres (59.7 miles) an hour during Sunday evening’s storm. But Berger believes the microburst at the Bluesfest site was significantly more intense than that. “Based on what we see, and the experience we have, it was definitely higher than 120 kilometres (74.6 miles). It was just a crazy wind.”
Groupe Berger’s manufacturing subsidiary, Mega-Stage, has been building the made-in-Canada Mark III — which it calls the largest mobile stage on the market — for four years. It has never before collapsed in a wind, Berger said.
“We’ve had storms of 100 kilometres an hour wind with these stages, and didn’t have any problems in the past,” he said. “Even at Bluesfest last year, we got up to 96 kilometres an hour.”
Berger was driving to Ottawa last night to oversee the dismantling of the stage when he heard about the collapse. “I didn’t believe it,” he said.
The high-tech stage, which Berger said has been used at Bluesfest for the past three years, is worth $1.8 million and is approved for use throughout Canada and the U.S.
“It’s not something that’s been done on the corner of a table,” Berger said. “There’s hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on engineering for those type of structures.”
The stage is about 43 metres (141 feet) wide, 16 metres (52.5 feet) deep and stands more than 17 metres (55.8 feet) in height. Made of steel and aluminum, with a stage floor of B.C. fir and plywood, it weighs about 17,700 kilograms (~39,000 lbs) with a load capacity of nearly 79,000 kilograms (~174,200 lbs).
Despite its name, the Ottawa Bluesfest is an incredibly diverse festival that features bands and artists of every genre. I had a full festival pass this year and attended the majority of the shows. I wasn't there Sunday night (despite intending to go; Joe Satriani was playing later that night) because I had a schedule conflict and couldn't make it. I found out about it because people started sending me texts asking if I was alright (knowing I had the festival pass and hearing about it on the news).
I can't imagine what it must have been like, but it's pretty miraculous that only three people were injured in all of this. That being said, I wish I was there!
Topic: 10,000 fans watch as stage collapses during Cheap Trick concert in Ottawa (Read 1872 times)