Radiohead Alters European Concert Schedule After Stage Collapse

TORONTO — In the wake of the June 16 stage roof collapse at Downsview Field here, which killed drum tech Scott Johnson, injured three others, and destroyed the band’s unique lighting and audio setup, Radiohead has announced the postponement of seven shows that had been scheduled in Europe from June 30 (in Rome) through July 9 (in Switzerland). The tour is expected to resume July 10 in the south of France.

In a statement, the band noted that, along with “the grief and shock ensuing from this terrible accident,” there were “practical considerations to deal with…The collapse also destroyed the light show; this show was unique and will take many weeks to replace. The collapse also caused serious damage to our backline, some elements of which are decades old and therefore hard to replace.”

Along with a unique, luminous LED “bottle wall” comprised of many thousands of bottles, the immersive performance environment that visual designer Andi Watson had come up with for the band included 880 Versa Tubes, BB7 LEDs, some new custom Thomas LED followspots, and a dozen “puppet” video screens that move during the performance.