The B-52’s Festival Set Canceled Just “Minutes” Before Tornado Struck

The B-52’s had their set canceled in the nick of time. The rock band was slated to play at Retro C Trop Music Festival in Tilloloy, France, but their set was canceled just minutes before a tornado struck the venue.

In a Facebook post, frontman Fred Schneider addressed the “total disaster” that went down.

“First, there was lightning, but the promoter still had the crew set up the stage and told the band to get ready to perform. Luckily, our tour manager, said to hold back 10 minutes because it’s not safe and we have to see what is going on with the storm,” he wrote. “Then it was like a world wind hurricane force and heavy rain.”

According to Schneider, after the festival was evacuated due to the weather conditions, the band “could not even leave because it was too dangerous to drive.”

“We felt terrible for the fans that have waited in the heat all day for us to perform,” he wrote. “And then get very little warning to no warning from the promoter that it wasn’t safe to stay out and make our way to the stage, there was lightning striking the band before our set.”

Schneider went on to reveal that “scaffolding even fell from the stage and destroyed our equipment,” including keyboards, mic stands, laptops, and sound equipment.

“Our tour manager, Alice Martin handled everything in an incredibly great manner. We could’ve been stuck on stage if we didn’t hold for those 10 minutes,” he wrote. “Our sound man Frank feared for his life. It was that dangerous. We were worried about the crew the entire time.”

Schneider ended his post by confirming that “no one was hurt thank goddess.”

The B-52’s Address Canceled Festival Set

The B-52’s also spoke out about the situation on Facebook, writing, “We are so sorry to everyone who came out to Château de Tilloloy yesterday. The storm made it impossible to continue, and the safety of our fans and everyone on site had to come first.”

“A huge thank you to our touring crew for their work and care in keeping everyone as safe as possible throughout an incredibly dangerous situation,” they added. “We hope everyone got home safely.”

Following the scary night, the music festival canceled its next day of programming. Artists including Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Europe had been slated to perform.

“Due to the events that occurred on Saturday night and the public evacuation, we would like to inform you that the festival will not be able to open its doors this Sunday,” the festival posted on Facebook. “We’ll communicate more tomorrow on the arrangements.”

Shortly thereafter, in a press release, the festival shared more about the events that occurred. According to organizers, organizers canceled the last day of festivities “due to a tornado that occurred late last night and destroyed all public reception facilities.”

“The safety of the public, artists, teams and all stakeholders remains our top priority,” the press release read. “Given the exceptional weather conditions and their consequences on the site, this decision has been imposed as the sole responsible [one].”

Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images for ABA

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