Story Published:
Sep 1, 2011 at 9:24 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Sep 1, 2011 at 9:24 PM CDT
Outdoor concert venues are popular today. Right here in Middle Tennessee at least four concerts have been held under the clear blue skies or clear starry skies around the world. At least two outdoor concerts have met with disaster. Indianapolis saw the collapse of light rigging and the entire stage. Several were killed and many injured. The same catastrophe happened in Belgium within days of the incident in Indiana.Outdoor concerts mean lots of money. BIG bucks! The 100 top tours brought in $1.12B in the first sixth months of 2011. That's around 16% more than the same period for the previous year. Follow the money trail--always.
Are these places safe? Can promoters ensure that sudden violent weather won't happen? Such weather can strike swiftly and can topple lighting scaffolds and stage roofs. Winds can reach 70 miles per hour. Stages are not meant to handle these high winds.
Are there guidelines that dictate how stages should be constructed and then erected? There are, but adherence to them is voluntary. The Professional Light and Staging Association Plaza, the trade association that provides such services to the entertainment industry, has published them. They include steps for the design, construction, and assembly of stages. Wind speeds are to be monitored so as to make sure they don't exceed the limits of such stages. But, as compliance is voluntary, the industry has to rely on local municipalities to do inspections. Nobody knows why these standards have been enacted into State laws. But the industry doesn't favor a host of different regulaations. Naturally, this stance will open the way for the Federal government to enact regulations. Before that happens, perhaps the Plaza people need to remove the word "voluntary" from their guidelines. They might want to consider self policing before Government steps in.
UPDATE: Who will be responsible for inspecting the stage and lighting at the Bicentennial Mall Folk Music Festival over Labor Day weekend?
