Even if it was impossible to lower the roof (due to the tons of PA,
screen and
truss hanging off of it) within the time frame of the approaching storm, an evacuation should have been ordered. At the very least, the area around the
stage, in the "crash zone", should have been cleared. It is
CLEAR that there is a dire need for rules that give absolutely authority to someone (who that someone should be, I don't have the experience to say) to make the cancel
call.
You know guys? I praise myself for having been trained by some of the best folks in the show industry. All were American and I have always been very very proud of the things they set as Standards for the Mexico show industry.
I was a production Director for OCESA, OCESA Presents for a number of years. But my
point is that I do not what happened to my "masters."
Almost every production I have attended to here in the USA seems to lack all the basic principles that were thought to me.
The people who thought me how to erect a
ground support would have lowered the roof or ordered an evacuation the moment the wind picked up and they would have known it was going to
pick up minutes before...
What happened guys? Why does it seem that all the production minimal
safety standards have made way to profit? I mean, I know our industry like any other is cut throat but...
The production guy who made comments to the TV station says that "there was a lot of pressure" and he is talking about a 20K Pax
arena aprox...
20k Pax was my medium
venue (Palacio de los Deportes) and my big one was 62K Pax... (Foro Sol) and yes... I know millions of dollars are on the
line, but when you only thing gold... eventually someone else will pay with his/her life. And that is just a rule.
The show must go on... certainly... but I have worked with roofs down, it is not the end of the world. And I have also canceled events due to terrible weather. So if I learned from the best and I have been able to do this... what the heck happened here?
The chief rigger normally has authority to lower the roof, the
production manager has complete authority to do anything from cancel the show to lower the roof, to order the tarps removed (which would have been a bad idea in hindsight).
But OK, so fine... you loose a roof and millions of dollars of
Backline, lights, sound, monitors,
monitor consoles, microphones, and all that is there on the
stage. That can be called an "accident" even a "freak accident" if you are so inclined...
But having spot operators up there in those weather conditions, is borderline criminal and negligent to say the least.