Since September 11th, our once quiet and naively peaceful lives have been thrust into the harsh realities of a world full of unexpected chaos and strife. The imminent threat of war, Code Orange alerts, and nightly terror warnings on the news have become a routine part of our daily lives. While all frightening, these fear factors seem to take on an element of distant governmental responsibility. In many ways, we as citizens are affected, but as a whole, not directly related to the creation of a viable solution. We leave that for the powers that be. Though, as if we needed yet another tragedy to remind us of how fragile life is, the recent club fire in Rhode Island which claimed close to 100 lives, and the Chicago stampede which took another 27, have brought many of us back to feeling that even innocent entertainment can turn hideous without warning.
After the initial shock, and momentary time to grieve, finding fault and the appropriate party to blame is the next step in the process. Promoters, owners, managers, artists, security and the individual patrons themselves, all share the responsibility of maintaining a certain degree of safety. Each event carries various levels of involvement, and each subgroup assumes different roles, but the goal must always remain the same...participant safety. In this difficult and confusing time in our country’s history are these senseless tragedies avoidable? Surely something could have been done to prevent them, and what will be put forth in order to secure safety in the future? Though many involved in the industry apparently don’t put the concertgoer first on the priority list, it is comforting to know that some of the venues we frequent, and the bands we support, most certainly do.
For many, a night out in a smoky, filled to capacity nightclub is a weekly occurrence. Front row with the band, long bathroom lines, the struggle to get the bartenders attention, and being submersed in a sea of bobbing heads, are all part of the club experience. We’re cautious of intruding on others, courteous of those around us, and genuinely content to experience epic performances with total strangers shoulder to shoulder. But while the show is going on, who is maintaining the order? Are the overzealous bouncers doing their job, or acting as figure heads? Are the aisles clear of dancing to free up exit paths, or merely to hamper someone’s good time? We have all felt victimized by unnecessarily, overbearing security, but maybe this element of control has more merit than we care to acknowledge. In the wake of the club tragedies, the famous Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado issued a statement explaining their sympathy for the families and friends affected by the events, and utilized the opportunity to assure their strong venue community of the extreme importance that patron safety has always been. According to the release, on a bi-monthly basis, the Fox holds "All Staff Safety Meetings," in which everyone, regardless of how long they have worked at The Fox, sits down and reviews safety procedures, as well as engages in group discussions on the matters.
Perhaps if the club owners of The Station in Warwick had ample security measures and the heightened concern such as the levels demonstrated by The Fox, the escape from the quickly raging inferno that evening could have been successful. If the owners adequately displayed exit signs and remained within the limits of capacity, rather than selling patrons business cards once ticket stock ran out as reported in the media, the numbers would not have been so high. In direct contrast to the poorly maintained Station nightclub, "The Fox is...equipped with a fully working and maintained Exit Light, Stair Lighting &Sprinkler System" They also have "fire extinguishers located throughout the theatre, on stage, in the lobby, behind each bar, upstairs in [the] offices, as well as special electrical fire prevention units at both soundboards. [In addition, The Fox has] two fire escapes on either side of the stage that exit into the back alley, and [the] lobby is ‘one big door’ should anything go wrong."
As easy as it is to point all the fingers at the venue management, how can we look past the idiotic pyrotechnics used by Great White. The 80s hair-metal band claims to have utilized pyrotechnics in many of it’s shows in the past, stating they did nothing that particular night in Rhode Island which was out of the ordinary. Whether or not The Station owners ok’d the amateur fireworks or not, may not be proven for some time, but it doesn’t change the fact that they used them in the first place. When asked about such issues, John Caprio, Assistant Manager of the Fox explained "we never allow pyrotechnics and haven't had any bands approach us about using them."
That seems logical enough. Unless you feel you have absolutely no talent whatsoever, why would an act feel the need to light off small explosives in a 300 person club? I can’t imagine getting set to take the stage, grabbing your guitar, and asking the roadies if the canisters are fused up and ready to go. This was a club the size of your typical small town bar, not Super Bowl XXXI.
The incident in Chicago adds yet another level of fault to the tragic mix. In this instance, bouncers tried to stop an apparent fight between club goers, and rather than breaking the parties apart, they decided to douse the unaware crowd with pepper spray. As their eyes began to sear and burn, and their throats closed, patrons raced to a main entrance to escape, only to be trampled to death by the frenzied crowd. Not only were the bouncers acting far to erratically, but apparently a second possible exit door was locked and chained, and another was blocked by bags of laundry and other assorted items from the adjoining restaurant. This unsafe venue was not only inadequately equipped to handle such an incident, it was not even supposed to be operating as a second floor club in the first place. Earlier last year, the second level of the club was closed for exactly the violations which led to the club goers deaths; including fire code violations, poor construction, unsafe stairwells and dimly lit exit signs. Caprio addressed the issues of some clubs operating with such ridiculous violations by explaining that The Fox "always keeps in code and never sells over capacity". He continued on sincerely... "patron safety has always been our first concern".
While accidents are ultimately unavoidable, and cannot be completely eliminated, certain measures can certainly be taken in order to decrease the chance of incident. Proper safety techniques, well constructed buildings, adequate exits and properly maintained prevention equipment are all necessary elements of any establishment. As we go out at night for another show, it is comforting to know that many in our community, at all levels, are thinking of us first. Though there are destined to be shady buildings, and equally shady crooks, we are comforted in the fact that there are those who are genuinely concerned. As written in the Fox statement, "the Fox Theatre takes its responsibilities to its employees, friends and family more serious than many know. We do not for a second take anyone or anything in regards to the Fox Theatre for granted. You are all loved and we need to see you back here again. Whether it’s tomorrow, or 5 years from now, our reason for existing is to see you all again and again, smiling, dancing and enjoying everything we work so hard, day in and day out, to accomplish."
We would like to give our sincere thanks to John Caprio, and the dedicated staff at the Fox Theatre for assisting us with this story.
We at
Glide wish to express our deepest sympathies to all friends, families and loved ones affected by these unfortunate events. Our thoughts are with you. Be safe.
