Great White Tour enrages victims' families

[Janice]

Rockers enrage victims


Notorious rockers Great White will be paid thousands to headline a "benefit'' gig at a Weymouth nightclub later this month, enraging families of victims killed in the deadly inferno at The Station.

"Why are they out singing and dancing when my son is dead?'' railed Carol Sweet of Pembroke, whose 28-year-old son, Shawn, was among the 100 killed at the Feb. 20 concert at the West Warwick nightclub. ``They should be dancing around in a jail cell, that's where they should be.''

The Los Angeles-based band, whose illegal pyrotechnics allegedly touched off one of the worst nightclub fires in history, is in the midst of a controversial 40-date benefit tour that will hit Club Odyssey in Weymouth on Sept. 26. The band is not expected to play in Rhode Island.

``They'll be lucky if they don't have a lynching mob outside waiting for them,'' said Sweet, whose son died watching the band with his 32-year-old girlfriend, Laura Gillette. ``I can't believe they're playing right in Weymouth, right in our back yard. I should bring them down to the cemetery to show them my son Shawn and his girlfriend. They're buried two feet apart.''

The band says the tour is to raise money for the Station Family Fund but the Herald has learned that Great White's standard nightly fee is $6,000, which is $1,000 more than their contract called for them to get paid for the doomed Station concert.

Andrew Rome, who was supposed to host Great White at his Leominster club, Liquid, said he was shocked at the lofty fee. Rome, who canceled the Leominster show because he sold the club, said the band claimed they needed the money to ``cover expenses.'' But Rome said he recently paid less for similar acts, including $4,400 for Quiet Riot and $2,500 for Dokken guitarist George Lynch.

Club Odyssey booking agent Lou Lipson said the band's fee is confidential but said $6,000 is ``in the ballpark.'' Band manager Ed McPherson did not return phone messages.

Club Odyssey owner Bill King said yesterday that despite complaints from victims' families, he decided to book the show because the show is a fund-raiser and is in high demand. The 300-person capacity club will have increased security for the show. ``The people are looking forward to seeing them. It's for a good cause,'' King said. ``I expect a sellout.''

But Kimberly Rich of Attleboro, whose 40-year-old husband, Walter, died in the blaze, called the tour and the Weymouth gig ``ridiculous.''

``I just don't think they should be playing,'' said Rich, who is now raising the couple's 10-year-old son alone. ``I have no use for them. The things they did could have been prevented. One hundred people's lives have changed because of them.''

A grand jury is nearing the end of a criminal probe into the blaze that could result in charges against the band and club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. Several civil suits have also been filed.

************************
Boston Herald
Thursday, September 4, 2003

[ABlairican Pie]

So what's the news on the club owners possibly being to blame for the blaze?

I don't see the point of people using Great White as a whipping post, even though many people died in the blaze. People have died at rock concerts before:

Pearl Jam at Roskilde, Denmark
The Who in Cincinatti
AC/DC in Salt Lake City
Iron Maiden and Guns N' Roses, etc., at Monsters of Rock in Donington, UK
and of course, the Stones at Altamont

as well as others. There was even a murder at a Judas Priest concert here in Tacoma in 1986. But these bands managed to survive and remain popular. I guess because Great White has been "past their prime" since their heyday back in the 80's, it's easy to bash what many think is a "hair-metal" band, even though they have still been very popular to many. Yeah, they shouldn't have used pyrotechnics, but I still think the club is at fault. I'm still wondering though, if people would have a .problem if it were a BIGGER band like Pearl Jam or others if this tragedy had happened with them.

[Janice]

By all news accounts that I've read or have seen on the news, it's likely that charges will be filed against the owners of the club, Great White, their tour manager who actually lit the pyro, and possibly the fire inspector.

The difference with Great White and the other concert deaths you mentioned was that Great White didn't have a permit for the pyro; therefore, take a lion's share of the blame for the deaths.

This was the Perfect Storm of negligence. A fire inspector, who two months before the tragedy, allowed a faulty door which trapped victims inside....two owner brothers who installed the highly-flammable, highly-illegal foam padding on the walls of the stage which made the fire spread like....well, wildfire
.....and Great White who have a documented history of using pyro without permission.

Any developments on this case still receive massive coverage here in Boston, which is a New England state as is Rhode Island.

As for Great White's tour, I think they have every right to perform because they're innnocent until proven guilty. I'm sure the owners of the club are still working.

[laceyinthesky]

I wonder just how much money Great White is going to get out of this "fund-raiser." Hmmm...

[ABlairican Pie]

I read yesterday that Great White will be playing next week in Everett and Tacoma. I'd like to go see that in Tacoma next weekend. Even though there's debate who's to blame for the disastrous fire earlier this year, it's great to see the band do something positive and helpful for the victim's families. It would be nice for them to continue and not let tragedy hinder them. I read before this happened, they were one of the 80's bands that still felt they had a second chance at cracking the charts, seeing they had a good fan base still.

House Of Broken Love
(Russell, Niven, Lardie)

Come the mornin' don't ya wake me
I'll be dreamin' that I'm free
Come the daybreak don't ya shake me
Send me back to misery

Cause I'm dealin' with a devil
With no help from above
I'm stealin' with the devil
Through this house of broken love

Takin' chances with you baby
I saw something in your eyes
And though no one else could blame me
There were signs I shoulda recognized

Now I'm dealin' with a devil
With no help from above
I'm sleepin' with the devil
In this house of broken love

If you don't wanna lose my lovin'
Use it constantly
If it's gonna be lies, suspicious eyes
Baby oh baby set me free

When the night falls and she's leavin'
Ooo the moon shines cold and grey
Hear my heartbeat yeah yeah hear m' weepin'
Pain and sorrow's here to stay

I begged you baby help me
But you turned your back on me
You didn't even listen
You should have set me free

Now I'm leavin' with the devil
Gonna leave this search for love
Leavin' with the devil
Leave this house of broken love

[¤I Love Clay Aiken¤]

Anyone see the CSI episode about the club fire?

[TJL]

I really think it's time for these guys to pack it in.

[Brian Damage]

Originally posted by TJL
I really think it's time for these guys to pack it in.

Do you hear that Poison?