Changes at LiveCity after barricade collapses during a concert
Posted February 17, 2010 3:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Changes have been made to prevent another accident like the one that hurt 19 people at Live City Yaletown last night. The 46-metre barricade, which broke when the crowd surged toward the stage for an Alexisonfire show, has been replaced with a different barrier and the show’s producers believe this should be enough to ensure folks are not hurt again. Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem says the new barrier is similar to the one that was broken. “They are very heavy, they’re very robust. This is put together slightly differently than the barricade involved in the accident, but essentially it’s the same kind of barricade.” Ballem adds Live Nation, the production company in charge of the event, has never had a barricade fail before and the city is now investigating what appears to be an equipment failure. Ballem stressed that overcrowding and alcohol were not factors in the accident. “Part of the barricade buckled. It’s extremely unusual. Live Nation has never had this happen to them. They’ve been in this business for 20 years.” According to Ballem, the nine people taken to hospital last night, two of them with leg fractures, have been released. All the changes made to the venue will allow Wednesday’s shows to go ahead as planned.
