Owen on Nostr: I’ll join in on today’s trending #radiohead topic. Long time Radiohead fan, ...
I’ll join in on today’s trending #radiohead topic. Long time Radiohead fan, amazing band! I have a bit more of morbid connection with them though, unfortunately.
16 June 2012 - I would finally get the chance to see them perform for the first time, an outdoor gig in Toronto, ON.
But the show never happened.
For context, I’m an ex-stagehand (pushing cases, setting up audio/lighting gear, doing changeovers, loading trucks etc.), but also worked a quite a bit of site-ops (infrastructure of the venue, fences, trailers etc.) - that’s what I was doing this day (thankfully).
Anyhow, it was the big day. Sun was shining, stage was up, audio/lighting rigs were up. Radiohead had their gear on stage, their impressive giant moving lightning/projection rig was being tested, their roadies were doing some soundchecks. As I understand it, the band were close to coming on stage themselves to do a check. Bear in mind, this is a few hours before doors, so no crowd yet.
Myself and a few other dudes had just helped build the barricade at the front of the stage. We were just getting things finished up. We were probably exactly front-centre of the stage at this point.
That is when I heard THE SOUND. A giant, really fucking loud crack or snap. I looked up, I can only describe what I saw as the roof of the stage “bouncing”. It’s at this point my instincts said… RUN. Which I did - really really fast, and I didn’t look back. As I ran, I remember the sound of someone on stage screaming something to the effect of FUCK. Followed by the loudest sound of destruction I’ve ever heard as the stage roof came crashing down. I specifically remember the sound of imploding glass, which I assume to have been the massive lighting and screen rigs that were attached to the ceiling.
The sound eventually stopped, and it felt like there was just absolute silence for an eternity. I turned around and remember thinking to myself - everyone on that stage is dead. What followed was a blur. People trying to climb into the wreckage, I remember some of the crew crawling out from the trusses. I even remember a disoriented roadie trying to save guitars, passing them off the front of the stage.
Tragically one life was lost in those moments, Radiohead’s drum tech Scott Johnson
What followed was years of trials and inquests. Ultimately nobody ever paid the price for negligence that allowed this to happen.
Anyway, there we have it nostr. A notable event from my life shared with you all.
RIP Scott 🫡😢
(before photo: If you look closely you can see a figure on the ground in front of the stage & barricade. That’s me.)
16 June 2012 - I would finally get the chance to see them perform for the first time, an outdoor gig in Toronto, ON.
But the show never happened.
For context, I’m an ex-stagehand (pushing cases, setting up audio/lighting gear, doing changeovers, loading trucks etc.), but also worked a quite a bit of site-ops (infrastructure of the venue, fences, trailers etc.) - that’s what I was doing this day (thankfully).
Anyhow, it was the big day. Sun was shining, stage was up, audio/lighting rigs were up. Radiohead had their gear on stage, their impressive giant moving lightning/projection rig was being tested, their roadies were doing some soundchecks. As I understand it, the band were close to coming on stage themselves to do a check. Bear in mind, this is a few hours before doors, so no crowd yet.
Myself and a few other dudes had just helped build the barricade at the front of the stage. We were just getting things finished up. We were probably exactly front-centre of the stage at this point.
That is when I heard THE SOUND. A giant, really fucking loud crack or snap. I looked up, I can only describe what I saw as the roof of the stage “bouncing”. It’s at this point my instincts said… RUN. Which I did - really really fast, and I didn’t look back. As I ran, I remember the sound of someone on stage screaming something to the effect of FUCK. Followed by the loudest sound of destruction I’ve ever heard as the stage roof came crashing down. I specifically remember the sound of imploding glass, which I assume to have been the massive lighting and screen rigs that were attached to the ceiling.
The sound eventually stopped, and it felt like there was just absolute silence for an eternity. I turned around and remember thinking to myself - everyone on that stage is dead. What followed was a blur. People trying to climb into the wreckage, I remember some of the crew crawling out from the trusses. I even remember a disoriented roadie trying to save guitars, passing them off the front of the stage.
Tragically one life was lost in those moments, Radiohead’s drum tech Scott Johnson
What followed was years of trials and inquests. Ultimately nobody ever paid the price for negligence that allowed this to happen.
Anyway, there we have it nostr. A notable event from my life shared with you all.
RIP Scott 🫡😢
(before photo: If you look closely you can see a figure on the ground in front of the stage & barricade. That’s me.)