Radiohead Pay Tribute To Drum Tech Killed In Stage Collapse

Band's drummer, Philip Selway, says group is 'shattered' by death of friend Scott Johnson.
By Gil Kaufman

The collapsed section of stage at Toronto's Downsview Park
Photo:

A day after a stage collapse
 killed one person an injured three more, Radiohead issued a statement about the accident that caused the cancellation of their show at Toronto's Downsview Park.

The victim has been identified as the band's drum tech, Scott Johnson, 33, a native of Doncaster, England. According to the Toronto Star, Johnson sustained a "crushing injury' when the stage collapse while he and other members of the band's crew were setting up the stage for the show. The other three crew members were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Radiohead drummer Philip Selway issued a statement on Sunday paying tribute to Johnson. " We have all been shattered by the loss of Scott Johnson, our friend and colleague," he wrote. "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."

The Star reported that three inspectors and two engineers from the Ministry of Labour scoured the accident scene on Sunday in search of the cause of the collapse. A spokesperson said the investigation is "fairly complex" and some industry professionals wondering what could have caused the incident, which occurred on an otherwise nice, sunny day with light winds.

The incident is the latest in a string of stage collapses over the past year, which include a death at the Bluesfest in Ottawa last July, six deaths at a Sugarland concert
 in Indianapolis in August and five deaths in Belgium
 after a storm swept in and toppled a stage at the Pukkelpop Festival.

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