Rocklahoma Organizers - "Our Commitment To The Fans Is Always Our Number One Priority; When We Felt That Everyone Was Safe, We Chose To Continue On With The Festival"
July 13, 2008, 15 years ago
BW&BK; has received the following report on Rocklahoma 2008 from the official Rocklahoma fanpage:
PRYOR, OK: After a 2 ½ hour rain delay and two side stages collapsing, Rocklahoma and eighties rock would not be denied as all bands will be performing! At 5:45pm on Saturday, July 12th, a storm consisting of five different cells converged on Pryor, OK and the Catch The Fever Music Festival Grounds.
"In just three minutes, we went from rain showers to a storm that I have not seen in my thirty years” said Rocklahoma’s on site weather expert Mike Orange. “There was not enough time to warn everyone in advance.” Winds in excess of sixty-five miles per hour appeared from nowhere causing the collapse of two temporary side stages. No one was injured due to the collapse. One female broke her arm earlier as she was running for cover from the rain, slipped and fell. “Our commitment to the fans is always our number one priority. I would like to personally thank General Manager Dave Giencke and his team for their quick thinking and dedication, providing safety for the festival goers and the artists. In addition to the building of three side stages along with securing the main stage, thus enabling all of the bands scheduled to perform to go on as planned” said General Manager of Catch The Fever Music Festivals, Mark Nuessle. “When we felt that everyone was safe, we chose to continue on with the festival."At 8:17pm LYNCH MOB took the stage playing to thousands of eighties rock fans followed by KIX, Lita Ford and WARRANT finished the evening. Every band received their full set time with Warrant ending their show at 1:40AM. With rain pouring down, Jani Lane of Warrant thanked the fans for their dedication and proceeded to douse himself with bottled water proclaiming 'If you’re going to be wet then let’s get wet together!'
The festival continued on as all 122 bands that were scheduled to perform took the stage, as three side stages were constructed early Sunday Morning.
Operations Manager Dave Giencke said, “In six years at the Catch the Fever Festival Grounds, every band on the main stage has performed at both Country Fever and Rocklahoma. We want to give our fans the ultimate experience.”
Rocklahoma is the world’s largest Rock Festival of its type featuring bands from the eighties. Attendance has come from all fifty states and every continent in the world with Antarctica being the only exception.
