News Roundup 2011: July

Cheap Trick had been playing at the Bluesfest in Ottawa when gale force winds rolled in. The band left the stage and literally moments later the whole thing collapsed, remarkably killing no one. "We are SOOOO lucky! Everyone is shaken up but band and crew are all fine. Cheap Trick hopes that everyone who attended the show is also OK." Cheap Trick singer Robin Zander later added, "Fortunately the band and crew are all lucky to be alive and we'll see you down the road. And all the best to our truck driver Sandy." The incident was the first of three particularly shocking stage collapses this year. A stage at the Indiana State Fair collapsed in August, killing four people and injuring scores more. And in Belgium a flash storm cost five people their lives and injured more than 100 when two stages fell down.

Here's the moment that the Cheap Trick stage fell:

Elsewhere, John Fogerty took issue with his former Creedence bandmates taking a new incarnation of the band out on the road as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. He told the Canadian Press "We had an agreement among ourselves way back in the day that we would never do such a thing, and having seen the result of these guys doing this now I still have the same opinion. I think it really confuses the fans." In an interview later in the year, though, Fogerty revealed that he would be kinda, sorta, maybe interested in a full blown Creedence reunion at some point in the future.

And speaking of former singers taking issue with their band, Jon Anderson cast a critical eye over the new Yes album. "I wasn't really convinced," he told Rolling Stone. "The new singer is singing good, but it sounded a bit dated to me. Also, the production wasn't as good as I expected. They've got a great producer with Trevor Horn, so what the hell are you doing?"

Two members of The Doors commemorated 40 years since the death of Jim Morrison by heading to Paris to light candles at his grave. Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek were joined at the Pere Lachaise cemetery by a group of Morrison's fans, who laid flowers while wearing t-shirts bearing the words "40th anniversary".

Slash did this:

Dave Lee Roth became a bit of a tease back in June by posting two words on his website "Get ready". Unfortunately we got ready and nothing whatsoever happened. We felt like we'd been stood up on a date that had already cancelled on us ten times.

And finally, a metal fan in Sweden got government backing to indulge his interests. The story goes that 42 year old Roger Tullgren has been medically diagnosed with a non-substance compulsive disorder that means his addiction to heavy metal often impacts on his social and working life. He now gets state benefits such as income support to attend gigs. "Some might say that I should grow up and learn to listen to other types of music but I can't. Heavy metal is my lifestyle," he said.