On Sunday night, several people were injured after a stage collapsed during a Cheap Trick performance at the Ottawa Bluesfest. According to the AP, none of the band members were harmed. On Sunday night, a thunderstorm had been predicted by Canadian weather services for Ottawa. The storm struck during Cheap Trick’s performance on the main stage at the festival.

A video posted on YouTube by gastorch997 showed the stage come down in a few seconds with onlookers stunned and screaming. In an Ottawa Citizen report, Meghan Hurley, a concertgoer, wrote that there was a loud band and then she was told the stage had just collapsed by a frightened woman nearly in tears. She continued, I look over to the spot where we had been sitting just a couple minutes before. All that was left was a pile of chairs. They looked like a pile of kindling that is used in a bonfire.

The AP was also told by Ottawa Fire Services spokesman Marc Messier that there was a 49 year old male who had leg, pelvic and abdominal injuries and was in serious condition, while one individual had suffered a spinal injury, and yet another person had suffered chest pains. An additional eight people at least were treated on the scene for anxiety and minor injuries.

Cheap Trick band members wrote on the group’s Facebook page that all of them were fine and were fortunate to be alive. They hoped all of their fans were also okay.

Def Leppard, the rock icons from Great Britain, have made some additions to their 2009 itinerary. A third leg of their North American tour will be with Cheap Trick. The co-headliners will start out in Reno, NV on October 22 and then follow up with 15 concerts across the middle of American and into Canada. The Def Leppard tour ends in Louisville, KY on November 25.

The Def Leppard website states that in the coming weeks they will announce more dates. Phil Collen, Def Leppard guitarist, along with his alternative rock group Man Raze, will be opening the shows.

In June, Def Leppard left on the first leg of their North American tour with Poison and Cheap Trick, in which they performed an interactive show which lasted for four hours using text messaging and Bluetooth technology to interact with the crowd.

Early in 2008, Def Leppard released their first material since “X’ in 2002. Their new album “Songs From the Sparkle Lounge” landed on the Billboard 200 at No. 5 and topped the hard rock and rock albums charts.

Cheap Trick is touring to support “The Latest,” their 16th studio set, which was released in June.

2009 Def Leppard Tour Dates
October 2009
22 – Reno, NV – Reno Events Center
24 – Nampa, ID – Idaho Center Arena
25 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
27 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Pacific Coliseum
31 – Edmonton, Alberta – Rexall Place

November 2009
2 – Calgary, Alberta – Pengrowth Saddledome
4 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – MTS Centre
6 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
9 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
10 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
12 – Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Place
13 – Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum
14 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
18 – Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
24 – Nashville, TN – Sommet Center
25 – Louisville, KY – Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Expo Center