General admission seating made up 80 percent of tickets sold, which was said to be a contributing factor to the rush for entry as fans clamored for a good view of the show. On the night of February 20, 2003, more than 400 music fans packed into the small Station nightclub. This is an IMPORTANT rock doc that EVERYONE needs to watch. Join our newsletter for exclusive features, tips, giveaways! The local pride and fortitude of the community shine through as interviewees recount the fire and reflect upon both their duty both to remember and to move forward toward healing. Amid the chaos, Ricardi couldnt see his friend but was hoping that Gahan was right behind him. The venue is The Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Several people made their way toward the exits hed pointed out while others didnt take the threat seriously. That said, it's also the sort of thing that needs to be examined in the hope of preventing similar calamities in the future. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. This was supposed to be a monument to remind state officials, local officials, elected officials what happens when you dont do your job. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. So [the movie] gave me the opportunity to talk about how I felt and for me to apologize. "There was a man named Joe; they call him 'The Lizard Man,'" Jack said. Great White is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Lawsuits were filed against several defendants including American Foam Corporation, Anheuser-Busch Inc. (which had advertised the concert as well as supplied beer), the Town of West Warwick (which had inspected The Station and not found it a fire hazard), and Great White. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Comment. (Courtesy of James Gahan), "I cant even begin to tell you how elated he was," James recalled to Fox News Digital about the 21-year-old. MTLEY CRE'S NIKKI SIXX OPENS UP ON SOBRIETY, WHY HE LEFT CALIFORNIA FOR WYOMING: ITS HOME. And it was just horrific, man. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. We don't go blow stuff up and whatnot. On the two-year anniversary of the fire, Jack Russell and Mark Kendall, along with Jack Russell's attorney, . More than 18,000 tickets were sold for The Whos concertat Cincinnati Riverfront Stadium, and there were only 25 police officers allotted for crowd control. "He was the worst, most badly burned of all the people. The Massachusetts native was a celebrated high school athlete when he turned to music as a disc jockey at Nichols College. The ensuing stampede crushed and knocked over many, and people died from suffocation, smoke inhalation, or were claimed by the fire itself including Great Whites lead guitarist, Ty Longley. Weeks after the fire a charred handwritten notebook page was recovered from the Station nightclub ashes that contained rows of names and above them were the words Guest List., Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) Thursday marks the 17-year anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire that left lasting scars on numerous families and the state of Rhode Island. And he met his wife in the fire and they had a beautiful son. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends). "One of Jimmys friends heard about what happened at the club," said Gahan. WARWICK, R.I. Sunday marks the 19th anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire in Warwick, Rhode Island. It could fairly be said that music and rock culture drew one hundred innocent people to their deaths in The Station fire. And his comment was, 'If this wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have met the love of my life. PAUL STANLEY Blasts MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE After She Complains Of Harassment, DAVE LOMBARDO To Tour U.K. With 'Progressive Grindcore' Band EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, MIKKEY DEE Is Open To Playing With KING DIAMOND Again: 'That'd Be Great Fun For Me'. On February 20th, 2003 in West Warick, Rhode Island, tragedy struck during a Great White headlined concert. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Jimmy Gahan was ecstatic when he was offered the opportunity to interview Jack Russell, the lead singer of Great White. At an underground electronic music party in Oakland, a fire broke out that trapped and killed 36 people. The lead singer of Great White is making a documentary about the tragic 2003 fire that killed 100 people at a concert in Rhode Island Charles Krupa/AP. This experience has taught me that I am a tenacious individual. He went on to explain his reluctance to discuss the matter further: "I've said everything that I ever want to say about it, I've done a million interviews. (Courtesy of James Gahan). The Station nightclub fire remains America's deadliest rock concert. There's a certain thing in music that is very healing, and it's helped a lot of people through the aftermath of the fire.". It lets you know how beautiful music is and how music can heal everything, no matter what people think. A fire claimed 100 lives during a Great White show on Feb. 20, 2003 at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. More than 200 others were also injured in a blaze caused by the band's . On Feb. 20, 2003, The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, burst into flames when pyrotechnics from the rock band landed on flammable foam installed as soundproofing. Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. So when they opened doors, the backdraft or whatever made it just go up. And they've gotta understand, when all this went down, my legal team, they said, 'You cannot ever say you're sorry, because it implies guilt.' Not a guilty apology, but because I just, "I mean, I feel horrible that it happened," he continued. "I lost a lot of friends that night a lot of friends. According to the BBC, the band was told to stop playing, and once aware of the problem they asked fans to back away, but it was too late. Kendall later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. Photo: Getty Images. Great White's pyrotechnics inside The Station, a rundown roadhouse in West Warwick, Rhode Island, on September 3, 1977, set off America's deadliest rock concert.In addition to the 100 casualties, many other people were seriously injured in the incident. Pyrotechnics caused a fire, which resulted in 100 deaths and many injuries, America's deadliest rock concert to date. (CNN) -- Pressed between blinding black smoke above her and bodies beneath her, Lisa Shea felt certain she would die in the West Warwick, Rhode Island, nightclub fire. The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE. What is the deadliest rock concert in history? Russell said that the flames from the pyrotechnic display spread to foam decorations around the stage. Reels will be looking back at the tragic 2003 Station Nightclub fire that broke out during a Great White concert that claimed the lives of 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley, in their new . There, an underpass that led to the concert grounds became clogged with people who entered the tunnel despite no one being let into the festival at the time. For more information read our privacy policy. Weeks later, when I awoke from my coma I immediately understood and accepted what was going on. Many international stars played the event, including Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue, and Ennio Morricone. The ornate Cabaret room, where two comics were warming up an audience of at least a thousand people in a space meant for about 600, held the majority of the buildings occupants. What . It remains Americas deadliest rock concert. governor unveils proposed $55.5B state budget, Hunter who killed dogs thought they were coyotes, The War on Alzheimers: The Battle Continues, 2022 Rewind: Our favorite stories from last year, From Homeless to Hope: An Educators Journey, Parents threaten lawsuit to block closure of Prov. ", The brothers who owned the nightclub, Jeff and Michael Derderian, were found guilty of one hundred counts of involuntary manslaughter, and have used varying charitable methods to atone for the disaster. In 2008, members of Great White agreed to pay $1 million to survivors and victims relatives, Billboard reported. For many of those passionate fans, what appeared to be their very luckiest day turned out to be their last. It was the first procedure of its kind at the Massachusetts General Hospital Hand Transplantation Service. In the afternoon before the concert Russell met many Great White fans in the West Warwick area and graciously added their names to the guest list for the show that night. The band's guitarist Ty Longly was missing at the time. "I think it's ruining all the positive strides that we're now making to heal here in Rhode Island," Jody King, whose brother Tracy was a bouncer at the Station, told the Associated Press in 2015. Kinan was severely burned in the Station nightclub fire. This was a tragedy of a magnitude not seen before in Rhode Island. Croman was a rock club in Barrio Once in Buenos Aires. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. Musicians United to Benefit the Victims of the Station Nightclub Fire Feb. 25, 2008, in Providence, R.I. 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