The associated press has posted an article stating that a another person has died of injuries sustained in the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair, making the stage collapse death toll now six.
Under pressure from the media Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has announced an independent investigation into the stage collapse in at the Stat Fair after questions were raised about the State Fair's ability to investigate itself and be forthcoming. To see all the news available on Google about the stage collapse in Indiana click here.
The death toll from the European concert tragedy in Belgium has risen to 5 and the Festival itself has been canceled as European music fans were stunned by the storm that also injured 150 on Thursday. Among the acts who had been scheduled to perform included the Foo Fighters, Eminem, and 30 Seconds to Mars. To see all the news on this tragedy from Google click here.
"Three different storms, three different cities – and, crucially, three different stages, built by different companies using different specs and different safety standards." An article by Steve Pond at TheWrap and posted through Reuters reports that there are no universal standards for concert stages. "These collapses highlight the fact that there are no enforced guidelines for temporary structures in the concert business," said Gary Bongiovanni, the publisher of the concert-industry trade journal Pollstar and quoted in the article. "There are some guidelines," "but they're voluntary. And it'll be hard to put enforced rules in place, because on a concert tour you're dealing with the local laws in every city."
We have contacted the City of Austin and when they respond some of our questions will be what are the rules and laws, what inspections are made and by who, and what permits are required to erect temporary stages at Austin events such as the upcoming ACL Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and SXSW, all of which occur all or in part on City of Austin parkland and property.
Zilker Park is a City Of Austin owned and operated park that comprises over 350 acres of publicly owned land in the heart of south Austin. Named after its benefactor Andrew Jackson Zilker, who donated the land to the city in 1917, it was developed into the park by the Civilian Conservation Corps. during the Great Depression in the 1930s and many of it's structures and designs date from or are based on that era. In addition to the ACL Festival the park serves as a home for many recreational sports and activities and the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, both of which run next to the park.
According to the city of Austin Parks Foundation web site the Soccer Fields in Zilker Park, where the Austin City Limits Music Festival takes place, was scheduled to be closed from January through June of 2009 for a complete revamping including installation of automatic irrigation, field leveling and resodding with grass. "The project will take 2-3 months to complete and then another 2-3 months to allow the grass to become established."
In the end the area referred too as the "Great Lawn" reopened in late August of 2009 after being closed for nearly a year during the $2.5 million renovation project.
In an agreement with the City Of Austin, C3 Presents, Austin City Limits Music Festival producers, donated funding for the improvements, including an irrigation system, drinking fountains and 46 acres of turf replacement to support use of the park.
That new sod was heavily damaged less than 2 months later during the 2009 ACL Festival event after sudden storms brewed up and soaked the festival, requiring replacement and repair of areas referred to as "mud pits" according to the Austin American Statesman. According to the newspaper the "weight of the 65,000 festival-goers each day pushed the mud up through the newly planted sod, which was drenched by Saturday rains" and "most of the grounds appeared to be covered with mud Monday".
But it wasn't all just mud, as the Festival had dumped 800 bales of hay during the weekend to try to absorb some of the moisture and it also contained Dillo Dirt, a fertilizer the city had laid down before the new grass was planted. Dillo Dirt is a compost the city makes from treated sewage sludge and yard trimmings collected curbside and the combination left festival goers a foul smelling mud caked mess. Luckily "It is commonly used in backyard gardening and poses no health threat" said Stuart Strong, assistant director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
Based on the photo map below (courtesy Google Maps), the toll taken by the subsequent 2010 ACL Festival and other concert and sports events as well as the severe and prolonged drought have left the park in rough shape.
The death of four more fans in yet another weather related festival catastrophe, this time in Belgium, just after a similar disaster in Indianapolis resulted in five deaths, and the stage collapse that narrowly missed killing the band Cheap Trick in Canada, have many fans and officials in North America and Europe beginning to question the safety plans, policies, and procedures at these sometimes massive events. Austin had one close call this year after a near disaster at Auditorium Shores during SXSW that already raised safety concerns locally and music fans in Austin will see another major festival in just a few weeks, with C3 Presents massive ACL Festival. Ticket holders may be wondering what steps and plans C3, the ACL Festival, and the City of Austin have for such an emergency.
English singer Amy Winehouse, 27, was found dead in her home in London this morning. The troubled star, pictured here in this photo by Gary Miller at Coachella in 2007, had long battled drugs and alcohol and her most recent performance weeks ago ended after being booed off a Belgrade stage.
Winehouse joins an infamous list of rock stars who died at 27 including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones and Kurt Cobain, all who struggled with drugs, alcohol, and fame and left a legacy that far outlived many of their contemporaries.
In what has to be one of the more sad and bizarre music stories, Micheal Todd, bass player for Coheed & Cambria was arrested tonight for armed robbery after he allegedly held up a Walgreens by claiming he had a bomb and escaping in a cab with a supply of Oxycontin. Police traced the cab to the venue in Massachusetts and arrested the musician before the band had taken the stage at the Comcast center where they were opening for Soundgarden.
No word has been released from the band or its publicist has been released as yet regarding the incident or how this will impact the bands upcoming tour plans, including their stop in Brazil opening for Metallica. Stay tuned for more as the story develops. Their last stop in Austin was in April.
Updated 07/11/11 07:30: The band has released the following statement on their Facebook page:
Michael Todd was arrested today on what we consider very serious charges and therefore he will not be finishing up the current tour. Wes Styles, long time member of the Coheed family will take on bass duties starting tomorrow for the remaining dates. No shows will be canceled.
The way the press keeps playing it up it would seem a veritable storm of glass is being shed from Austin's new W Hotel, but in reality the number of panels that have plummeted has been small, and engineers are already swarming over the now temporarily closed hotel removing glass panels and causing traffic tie ups downtown.
Also located in the W Hotel is Austin's latest live music venue, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, and though they have shut down todays events they plan on playing through the crisis.
According to ACL Live "No changes have been made to ACL Live's ongoing schedule. We have postponed tonight's Wine Down Wednesday event in order to give the engineers the freedom needed to carry out their duties."
So ACL Live concert ticket holders fear not, your show will go on.
(photo of Earth Wind & Fire at ACL LIve at the Moody Theater)
Japan's Shonen Knife have been the staple that has bound the Japanese Rock music scene together since their inception in Osaka in 1981. 2011 celebrates thirty years since the band began releasing albums of their mixture of pop, punk, food and fantasy and in celebration of this milestone Shonen Knife is paying tribute to one of their biggest musical inspirations … NYC’s legendary Ramones.
“Ramones were my all-time idols since I first heard their music from a radio and rushed to a record shop. This year is the 30th anniversary of Shonen Knife. For celebration, we decided to record a cover album of our favorite band the Ramones. The title is “Osaka Ramones” with our respect. I’m very happy to release an Osaka Ramones project and to recognize their contribution to the evolution of Shonen Knife“-Naoko, Shonen Knife
Osaka Ramones is not only the name of a tribute album, but also the name of the side project which has made its way in and out of Shonen Knife’s performing history for decades. This East meets West punk rock combination is now captured in an album recorded and mixed between Osaka, JP and New York over the last year and was co-produced by Robby Takac of the American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. Set for release July 19 on Takac’s label Good Charamel Records, the album will be supported by a North American tour, dates to be announced shortly.
TRACK LISTING
1. Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Rock and Roll High School
3. We Want The Airwaves
4. She’s The One
5. Rockaway Beach
6. Sheenah Is A Punk Rocker
7. Scattergun
8. Psychotherapy
9. The KKK Took My Baby Away
10. We’re A Happy Family
11. Chinese Rock
12. Beat on the Brat
13. Pinhead
Taylor, MI’s I Am Abomination has posted a brand new track "Abduction" on their official Facebook page. Part of their the upcoming new digital EP, Passion Of The Heist, to be released on July 19th, 2011, the EP includes guest appearances, including an appearance by ATTACK ATTACK’s Caleb Shomo on the track "Ascension".
""Abduction" is the first song I wrote for Passion Of The Heist," says guitarist Nick Sampson. "The result was beyond my expectation. It’s one of the more laid back songs on the EP technicality wise, but what it lacks in technicality, it makes up for in diversity and great structure."
The digital EP is being released by Good Fight Music, the same label that released I Am Abomination’s first critically acclaimed full-length album, To Our Forefathers.
Check out the new track at facebook.com/IAmAbominationMusic
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced legendary heavy metal band Megadeth are recording a customized soundtrack for the company’s forthcoming action-adventure franchise NeverDead. "Never Dead," the official song sharing KONAMI’s video game title, will appear on Megadeth’s 13th album, which the band is currently recording.
"'Never Dead' was written specifically for the game, and the song’s lyrics and concept fit perfectly with its transcendental nature," said Madelyn Scarpulla, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Creative Services for Roadrunner Records. "Megadeth and Roadrunner are both looking forward to the mutually beneficial marketing partnership we have established with KONAMI with the launch of NeverDead and Megadeth’s new album coming this fall."
NeverDead, currently in production, is a third-person action game set in a futuristic world where humans are battling supernatural enemies across a dark post-apocalyptic metropolis. In the game, players will assume the role of a demonic hero agent named Bryce who, assisted by his female lead Arcadia, must undertake a series of missions to combat a demonic plague. NeverDead is expected to release later this year for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
