Toronto — The main stage at Ottawa Bluesfest collapsed Sunday night during a Cheap Trick concert as a severe thunderstorm sent the musicians and thousands of fans running for cover. At least five people were injured, one seriously. Cheap Trick's band members got off the stage safely, but witnesses said they were thrown off their feet. "Everyone is okay and we are so lucky to be alive and hope that all the fans are okay too," the band, best known for hits including "Surrender", "I Want You to Want Me" and "The Flame", said in a message posted on Facebook. Video of the Bluesfest site posted on YouTube within minutes of the storm's passing showed a stage that had crumpled and collapsed over electronic equipment. Twisted shards of metal jutted out from the stage, which stood several stories tall before it was destroyed. Concert-goer Leanne Wilson said the stage slowly heaved backwards and caved in. "In less than 10 seconds it was gone," she said. "(Cheap Trick) were playing right until it fell. And then instantly everybody was just running and screaming. I was stunned, I'd never seen anything like that before at a concert."
_________________ ULTIMATUM - TOO METAL FOR WIKIPEDIA!
A friend of mine was at this show in the front row. He was pretty disappointed since he was there to see Satriani who hadn't played yet. Still, lucky it wasn't worse
"Dude, how was the Cheap Trick show last night?" "I was blown away!"
They brought the house down.
_________________ I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too.
I was in Indy over the weekend (visiting family). Needless to say, the news coverage was intense the rest of that night and well into the morning. I actually saw Def Leppard w/Europe at the state fair there at that exact same locale back in 1988.
Subject: Cheap Trick stage collapses 
Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:30 pm
