Fans Injured At Tool Show

Band Photo: Tool (?)

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that at least 15 people were injured when thousands of fans surged forward during TOOL's Street Scene 2006 performance in the parking lot of San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. The report is as follows:

More than a dozen concertgoers were sent to area hospitals last night after a crowd disturbance at Street Scene 2006, a large music festival held in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium.

The melee happened during the headlining performance by Los Angeles rock band Tool.

There were few details on the incident, but witnesses reported seeing a stream of fans being carried out on stretchers.

“We've had quite a few injuries,” said San Diego fire Battalion Chief Chris Brainard, shortly before midnight. “We have probably 15 patients transferred to area hospitals and we're still making determinations on (the condition of) others.”

Brainard attributed the injuries to the thousands of fans packed near the front of Street Scene's Zaranda Stage, where Tool began its performance at 10:36 last night.

The crush of fans grew so great that midway through the band's second song, lead singer Maynard James Keenan stopped singing and said: “Step back so you don't get trampled. It's just rock.”

Keenan repeatedly implored the crowd to step back, even before a uniformed city official conferred with him on stage.

“If you all take a few steps back we can keep playing,” Keenan told the audience at 10:52. The crowd moved back.
A few minutes later, Keenan said: “Look out for your brothers and sisters. No one has to die in rock 'n' roll.”

He and his band then played on, concluding their performance at midnight.

Last night was not the first time that excited Street Scene fans have been hurt. In 2004, a Friday night show featuring the band AFI drew such a large crowd that a metal barrier near the front of the stage collapsed.