Forty Injured as Thunderstorm Strikes Sonisphere Festival in Finland

Posted on Aug 10th 2010 8:00AM by Farah Ishaq
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Roni Rekomaa, AFP/Getty Images

Around 40 rock fans have been treated for injuries -- with two seriously hurt -- after a freak thunderstorm hit the final Sonisphere festival of the Summer in Finland on Sunday, Aug. 8.

Although the storm lasted just a few minutes, the damage was so severe the rock festival's second stage had to be abandoned affecting artists like Motley Crue -- whose drumkit was broken -- Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden, report organisers at UK.Sonispherefestivals.com.

A statement confirmed "approximately 40 people were injured, two of them seriously so. The injured people are currently receiving treatment in hospital.' An update said the two fans in critical condition are no longer so.

Iggy Pop was the first artist to get back up on stage after the unforeseen storm struck, saying, "We're a small part of the f---ing Stooges" and then played an un-billed four-song Stooges acoustic set with the band's guitarist.

Iron Maiden's singer Bruce Dickinson told the festival goers gathered at the Main Stage: "The stage over there is completely f---ed. Motley Crue have gone home as their stuff is f---ed and our stuff is f---ed, but we don't care. We're not going home until you go home."

Both Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper managed to perform full festival sets, after heroic attempts by roadies to dry off equipment soaked with rain using hair-dryers. Other bands playing the festival also loaned their instruments and helped salvage the shows. Alice Cooper's band were helped out by Slayer, who loaned their equipment.

After playing their two-hour delayed set, Dickinson exclaimed, "This is one of the most amazing concerts of my whole life. We were pissed on by the gods and we pissed on the gods right back. For those of you that have rocked we f---ing salute you."