Cheap Trick Ask Congress to Regulate Temporary Concert Stages

Cheap Trick's stage collapsing disaster may have happened in Canada but the rockers are hoping the U.S. Congress will take action on the matter. According to the Chicago Tribune, guitarist Rick Nielsen and the band's manager Dave Frey appeared in Washington, D.C., Oct. 3 to urge Congress to seek legislation regarding temporary stages.

"We want to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," Frey said, adding they hoped Congress could enact a "certification process as you would have with elevators or a Ferris wheel at a carnival."

News of their appearance was met with general support on their Facebook page with some urging the band to make a similar appearance in north of the border.

The stage collapse -- which took place at the Ottawa Bluesfest July 17 -- thankfully resulted in no deaths but there were several injuries. "I felt like I was in a Buster Keaton movie where the building falls down on him," Nielsen said, who escaped thanks to a six-foot gap between the collapsed roof and the stage.

The Bluesfest collapse was just one of four incidents this summer -- three in North America and one in Europe -- which shone a spotlight on the issue. The Flaming Lips saw gear destroyed in Tulsa while the horrific stage collapses at the Indiana State Fair and Belgium's Pukkelpop Music Festival resulted in numerous deaths.

Following the Ottawa incident, Cheap Trick cancelled a Vancouver show Sept. 1 at the Pacific National Exhibition after discovering the company providing the Vancouver stage was responsible for staging in Ottawa.

In related news, the band -- who were forced to cut short a concert in West Springfield, Mass. Sept. 30 due to heavy rains and lightning -- might see one of the signature pieces of gear that was smashed at the Ottawa show soon repaired. Nielsen's five-neck checkerboard guitar is getting the finishing touches put on it after an "extensive rebuild."

Cheap Trick will stage a series of shows at Milwaukee's Northern Lights Theatre this month where they will be performing with the Rhythmic Noise Philharmonic Orchestra and Mind Choir, playing hits from their 'Dream Police' album among other signatures. Hopefully, there won't be any more bumps in the road for the guys.

Watch Footage of the Ottawa Bluesfest Stage Collapse With Cheap Trick