Rhode Island fire: Co-owner released

According to a local TV channel, Michael Derderian, one of the co-owners of the nightclub where 100 people died in a fire following a Great White show, has been released early from prison.

He was originally expected to be freed in the autumn, but has secured an early release through good behaviour.

[Rhode Island nightclub fire - full coverage]

Great White offer settlement

Great White have offered a settlement of $1 million to survivors and relatives of victims caught in the nightclub fire in February 2003.

[Part of Rhode Island nightclub fire coverage]

Rhode Island survivors victimised again - because of musical taste

There's been no end of press coverage these last five years of the legal battles to pin blame for the Rhode Island nightclub fire. Less thought has been given to the people who got caught in the inferno, as a piece in the New York Times points out. The paper says that, for many, they're caught waiting for a legal settlement, still suffering from the effects of being trapped in a burning building - and finding a lack of sympathy:

“Most people don’t understand that a burn injury is a life injury,” said Ms. Fisher, 38, who gets a Social Security disability payment of about $1,000 a month. “If they think about us at all, it’s probably, ‘They must be all better, so why aren’t they back to work?’ ”

There's some suggestion that the nature of the band who caused the fire has reduced both the victims' visibility, and support for them:

Many believe the circumstances of their misfortune — that they were blue-collar folks gathered in a scruffy club to hear Great White, a has-been “hair metal” band from the ’80s — also help explain the lack of interest.
[...]
“We were waitresses, house painters, contractors, strippers,” said Victoria Eagan, who escaped the fire with minor injuries but whose two best friends were badly burned. “If it had been people at the opera that night, there would have been a big difference.”

Dee Snider is doing a benefit gig for the Station Family Fund, and he agrees that the heavy metal angle isn't exactly a help:

“I’ve tried to get this away from being about hair bands, about heavy metal, and to make this a people issue,” Mr. Snider said. “Since nobody else is going to do it, it’s got to be musicians, all kinds of musicians, taking care of their own and reminding people this could have happened to anyone.”

You can find the Station Family Fund online.

[Part of the Rhode Island nightclub coverage]

CBS affiliate settles in Rhode Island Fire

The legal ripples from the Great White nightclub fire continue to spread; WPRI-TV and one of their camera team have reportedly reached a settlement with survivors and relatives. The CBS affiliate was being sued over claims their cameraman Brian Butler had blocked escape routes by filming on the night of the fire - a claim they had vigorously denied.

Ironically, Butler was in the club filming a feature on safety in public places when the band's firework display went terribly wrong.

Early reports place the deal at around $30million.

[Part of Rhode Island nightclub fire coverage]

Biechelle to be paroled, says AP

Daniel Bichelle, manager of Great White, is being lined up for early release, reports the Associated Press. Bichelle has served less than half of his sentence for his part in the Rhode Island nightclub blaze.

[Full coverage of the legal aftermath of the fire]

Great White knew nothing of fireworks

Some members of Great White are seeking to be released as co-defendents on the legal actions relating to the Atlanta nightclub fire:

Three of the band members - Mark Kendall, Eric Powers and David Filice - maintain in new court papers that they had no managerial duties with the group, had no contact with the owners of the club and did not participate in preparing or lighting the devices.

"They were at the nightclub that evening for one purpose - to perform music:, attorneys for the band members wrote in court papers filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Providence. "They had no other role in the band's performance at The Station."

Jack White isn't, at this stage, seeking to be let off.

Rhode Island fire coverage in full

Full coverage: Rhode Island nightclub fire

In 2003, the Station Nightclub in Rhode Island caught fire following an accident with Great White's pyrotechnic display. Over 100 people died in the resulting fire, numbers far higher than they should have been - it was subsequently revealed the club had used flammable soundproofing material.

Yesterday, the owners of the club, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were sentenced for their role in the deaths.

Jeffrey Derderian, who was also slapped with 500 hours of community service and three years probation, said in court: "This tragedy has our name on it. I wish I could give you back what you lost, but I know I can't."

Survivors are being helped by the Station Family Fund

These are the stories on No Rock which have tracked the disaster and its aftermath:

25.02.03 - Fred Durst is "horrified", forgets own role in festival disaster
02.03.03 - Great White singer Jack Russell asks for immunity before testifying
20.08.03 - Health and Safety levy 100,000 fine
29.09.03 - Great White's drummer in car crash
10.12.03 - Indictments issued - manager, owners face 100 charges of involuntary manslaughter
23.04.04 - Band disown 'Burning House of Love'
25.04.04 - Unofficial 'Burning House of Love' release pulled from stores
24.07.04 - Families file lawsuits
31.01.05 - Jack Russell takes the fifth
19.07.05 - Familes demand right to test foam for their own legal action
29.09.06 - Light sentences for nightclub owners attacked
10.01.07 - Great White rally for seals as family fund runs dry
07.04.07 - Great White members ask to be excused from case
20.09.07 - Manager Bichelle up for early release
04.02.08 - CBS affiliate settles 'blocked escape' claims
17.02.08 - Survivors struggle because of 'hair metal' profile
02.09.08 - Great White offer million dollar settlement
26.06.09 - Co-owner released from jail

Fred On The Dead

Fred Durst is fast emerging as the Richard Hillman of shit rock. Writing on the Limp Bizkit website, fred sheds tears over the nightclub fire last week:

"i am horrified at what happened to the innocent people who were burned to death at the great white concert recently. i feel so much sadness inside because of it. how could such a thing happen? especially when it could have absolutely been prevented. it is so important to make any concert a safe place for fans to be. we have had our own terrible exsperience with a similar situation in australia a while back. i believe that it is our resposibility to provide you with the safest most secure conditions when you come to our concerts and i pray that every club owner, tour promoter, venue security, and band will learn from this horrible incident."

Ah, yes. Learning from horrible incidents - so, presumably, you'd be disgusted if the attempts to investigate what happened in Rhode Island last week were hampered by, say Great White's singer refusing to attend the inquest except by video link? You know, Fred, like the way you were "too busy" to attend the inquest after that "nasty Australian experience"? It's interesting that you're now Mr. Safety, though. Perhaps when the Australian coroner accused you of being "inflammatory and indeed insulting to the security staff who were engaged in their best efforts to extricate crucially injured patrons from the crowd collapse" it hit home? or are you merely hoping everyone's forgotten?

[Edited 20-09-08 for formatting only; content unchanged]
[Part of Rhode Island nightclub fire coverage]