A new investigation into the 2012 stage collapse that killed Radiohead drum technician Scott Johnson is set to begin next March. The news comes a year after the original investigation and subsequent charges were stayed by a judge.
The stage collapse happened ahead of a Radiohead gig in Toronto, Canada in June 2012, just hours before thousands of fans were set to enter the venue. Subsequent investigations saw charges pressed against Live Nation and the company that put the stage together.
Four years later the case was dropped in September 2017. A judge ruled that delays had caused the the trial to violate time limits. Now The Globe and Mail report that the chief coroner of Ontario’s office will begin a new investigation into Johnson’s death on March 25th 2019.
“Coroner’s counsel Prabhu Rajan said over the phone that he expects all parties, including Radiohead, Optex and Live Nation, to apply for standing – the right to ask questions of witnesses and make submissions directly to the jury, with respect to the nature and scope of its recommendations,” The Globe & Mail reports. “The coroner’s inquest’s recommendations, however, are non-binding.”
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The members of Radiohead have expressed outrage at the situation on multiple occasions. Most recently, earlier this year during the band’s first show in Toronto since the collapse, frontman Thom Yorke told the crowd “The people who should be held accountable are still not being held accountable in your city. The silence is fucking deafening.”
Live Nation denied any wrongdoing back in 2013, saying “We absolutely maintain that Live Nation and our employees did everything possible to ensure the safety of anyone who was on or near the stage involved in the tragic incident that led to the unfortunate death of Mr. Scott Johnson.”
Radiohead’s latest album A Moon Shaped Pool was dedicated to Scott Johnson. Check out the video for “Burn The Witch” below.
Watch: Radiohead – “Burn The Witch”
