Letter has been sent to Live Nation CEO
The US House of Representatives is investigating Live Nation in connection with the Astroworld Music Festival tragedy in Houston last month. In a letter sent to Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, Representatives Carolyn Maloney, James Comer, Al Green, Kevin Brady and Bill Pascrell Jr. are seeking further information about the company’s responsibility after 10 people were killed and hundreds of others injured following a stampede while rapper Travis Scott was performing.
Live Nation was the promoter of the event that saw 50,000 people in attendance when the crowd surged towards the stage on November 5th. Panic ensued which caused people to be trampled and emergency personnel to intervene multiple times.
“We are deeply saddened by the deaths that occurred at Astroworld Festival and are committed to investigating what went wrong to inform possible reforms that could prevent future tragedies,” the House states.
The letter seeks clarification about reports of security and medical staff that were “inexperienced or ill-equipped to deal with mass injuries” and for the “placement of barricades made it difficult to escape.” It’s also seeking answers as to why organizers failed to “heed warning signs” after hundreds of fans broke through metal barricades at the same festival in 2019 and through the entrance of this year’s festival hours before it was to begin.
The House is also asking Rapino to respond to reports that the concert wasn’t stopped after police responded to a “mass casualty event.” Instead, the concert continued for another 40 minutes, even though Live Nation reportedly agreed to end the show early after the Houston Police Department and Fire Department declared a mass casualty event.
The letter is also seeking further details of newly surfaced reports that pay is being withheld from part-time employees until they sign a revised employment contract that releases Live Nation from all liability involving the 2021 festival. The original employment contract was signed prior to working the 2018 festival.
The letter also outlines several other incidents in which Live Nation was cited and/or sued for safety violations. Those incidents include previous stampedes at shows, a stage collapsing and killing seven and injuring 61 at a Sugarland concert in Indiana following a storm in 2011, and a concert staffer suffering from brain damage following a forklift crash in 2013. The company was also cited ten times for safety violations between 2016 and 2019.
The House is requesting that Live Nation provide written answers by January 7, 2022 addressing these concerns and what action the company plans to take to prevent future injuries or deaths at promoted concerts and events.
Earlier this month, Scott spoke to radio personality Charlamagne Tha God in his first interview since the event. The rapper shared his perspective of how the events unfolded and how difficult it is to determine excitement from danger while on stage.
More than 200 lawsuits representing 1,500 plaintiffs have been filed against Scott, Live Nation and others. The Board of Judges of the Civil Trial Division of the Harris County District Courts has determined to consolidate all the past filed and any future filed Astroworld lawsuits to one judge for further handling.
Scott and Live Nation promised full refunds for attendees with Scott covering all funeral costs and mental assistance for those affected. However, most victims’ families have denied Scott’s offer.
