Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. … That is the furthest exit away from the stage … But it's a relatively straight line. … Since I had been there earlier in the night, I knew that there was at least an exit in the back barroom. Phil Barr: A lot of people moved back towards the main entrance … it became really clear that we were not going to be able … get out the front door. … once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium.īarr was located between the stage and the front door. … you could not see your hand in front of your face. Phil Barr: We kind of crouched down behind some of the people in front of us. Phil Barr: I remember … the smoke descended really quickly. That exit door would soon be engulfed in flames. The pyrotechnics ignited the walls on either side of the stage and within seconds flames spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling of the club intended to dampen sound.Ībout 40 seconds after the song began, Great White stopped the show and all but one member of the band escaped through the stage door exit. Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. … You know people didn't react … instantly.īut Jeff Derderian, who was helping out at the bar, says he and an employee tried to get to the stage with a fire extinguisher. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move.

Seconds later, flames appeared on the back wall. when the rock band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and the group's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, set off four large fireworks called gerbs. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time.īut their plans for the future would suddenly change.Īs Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks - called gerbs. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. … And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. … And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through,' explains Scott James. The four exits inside The Station: 'There's an exit near the stage. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. This is the main bar where you can get your drinks…. … You see on your left … the horseshoe-shaped bar. Scott James: When people arrive, they walk through this entrance and this kinda longish hallway.

So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. Phil Barr: There really weren't that many people around early in the night. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. It was really everything to me at that time. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team.

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