Radiohead Postpones European Shows

The stage collapse that killed a Radiohead crew member last Saturday in Toronto also destroyed the band’s sophisticated light show, forcing the British group to postpone seven concerts in Europe over the next two weeks while repairs are made, the band said on Thursday in a statement. That means Radiohead will skip a swing through the Italian cities of Rome, Florence, Bologna and Codroipo, a two-night stand in Berlin and a stop at Canton de Vaud in Switzerland. It will resume the tour in Nimes, France, on July 10.

“The collapse also destroyed the light show – this show was unique and will take many weeks to replace,” the band said. “The collapse also caused serious damage to our backline, some elements of which are decades old and therefore hard to replace.”

New dates for the postponed shows will be announced on June 27. The Ontario labour ministry is investigating the accident during which a massive superstructure holding lights over the main stage crumpled and fell, killing a roadie, Scott Johnson, and injuring three other stagehands.
Investigators have been combing through the wreckage and have requested blueprints of the temporary stage, which had been erected in Downsview Park in Toronto. The main focus of the investigation is Live Nation, the giant concert promotion company behind the event, but three other companies hired to put on the show are also being scrutinized: Optex Staging and Services, Nasco Staffing Solutions and Ticker Tape Touring LLP, The Toronto Star reported.

Ticker Tape Touring is controlled by the band: the guitarist Jonnny Greenwood; his brother, the bassist Colin Greenwood; the drummer Philip Selway; the guitarist Ed O’Brien; and the singer Thom Yorke are listed as board members. It remains unclear what the touring company’s role was in erecting the stage or ensuring its safety, Canadian investigators told The Star.

Mr. Johnson, 33, of Doncaster, England, was an accomplished drummer who made a living as a stagehand on rock tours, tuning and caring for drums. He had been hired earlier this year to manage the drums for the “The King of Limbs” tour, The Star reported. The day after Mr. Johnson’s death, Radiohead posted a letter on its Web site: “He was a lovely man, always positive, supportive and funny; a highly skilled and valued member of our great road crew. We will miss him very much. Our thoughts and love are with Scott’s family and all those close to him.”