COLWYN BAY, UK (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Three hugely powerful freak gusts of wind lifted and twisted the Serious Stages 18m Orbit roof built over the stage for the BBC’s Children In Need concert at Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay, Wales.
The incident occurred about midnight on the Wednesday night, with the stage fully constructed, rigged with lights and awaiting the PA and video rigging to continue through Thursday, in readiness for Friday night’s live broadcast. The site was deserted apart from on-duty security personnel.
Serious Stages team were pressed into action, working through the night to bring together two teams of riggers and a complete replacement roof all ready to roll by first light.
The first team of nine arrived on site and worked at clearing the wreckage and assessing the impact on the Luna PA wings and decking which were also supplied by Serious. Luckily these elements had incurred only minor damage. They were inspected by structural experts and rectified by the Serious team where necessary.
PA (SSE) and Video (XL Video) rigging could continue almost as planned on Thursday, as their positions were all located off and to the sides of the actual stage, so they could work alongside the roof rescue team.
Lighting contractor HSL also supplied emergency technicians to disentangle their damaged equipment and rounded up replacement fixtures and trussing.
The second Serious team of 12 cleared – by about 5 p.m. on the Thursday – they set to work erecting a new 2-bay 18 metre Orbit, which was finished and fully skinned, complete with side sheds by midnight.
By 3.30 a.m. on the Friday morning, the lighting was re-rigged and working, with LD Martyn Rourke programming his show – almost as if nothing had happened!!!
The Colwyn Bay concert went ahead despite the stage roof collapsing in high winds late on Wednesday, and 10,000 people enjoyed the Colwyn Bay show live with performances by Ronan Keating, Jamelia, The Feeling and others All the tickets for the Colwyn Bay event were snapped up within days when they were made available last month. It was one of several events staged throughout Wales for the BBC’s 27th children In Need, all of which helped push the total on-the-night figure raised to £18.3 million.
The figure is expected to grow as people send in cash from fundraising events of their own.
