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American Morning

Who is to Blame for Nightclub Inferno?

Aired February 26, 2003 - 07:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, a grand jury begins hearing testimony in the Rhode Island nightclub fire. The band, Great White, has been subpoenaed. Members of the group returned to Rhode Island last night. A critical question is whether the band had permission to use pyrotechnics.
A club employee now says he warned the owners months ago that other bands were using pyrotechnic devices. This video was shot during a band's performance at The Station in March of 2000.

Joining us right now from West Warwick, Rhode Island, Paul Vanner, stage manager and sound engineer at The Station, along with his attorney, Ronald Resmini.

Good morning, gentlemen. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.

RONALD RESMINI, ATTORNEY FOR PAUL VANNER: Good morning, Paula.

PAUL VANNER, STAGE MGR, THE STATION: Hi, Paula.

ZAHN: So, Paul, we just reported that you indeed warned the owners months in advance that clubs (sic) were using pyrotechnic devices. You were very concerned about that. What did the owners tell you when you had that conversation?

VANNER: They seemed to take it to heart; that's for sure. They certainly were considering it. They didn't come to me with any direct change of policy or anything like that, but they certainly seemed to think that they were thinking about it.

ZAHN: So, the policy, as far as you're concerned, all along was that pyrotechnic devices were allowed?

VANNER: Some pyrotechnic devices were allowed.

ZAHN: We spoke with Jack Russell, the lead singer of the band, and he told us not only did the band have permission to use the pyrotechnic devises, his attorney is now saying conversations went back weeks before the performance when it was very clearly laid out to the club owners that indeed this is what the group planned to do. Do you have any knowledge of any of these discussions that took place?

VANNER: No, I don't.

ZAHN: Because the club owners are denying they were ever asked for permission to use these devices. VANNER: Well, I believe they would have told me if they had any prior knowledge, but I do not know.

ZAHN: When were you aware that Great White was going to use pyrotechnic devices that night?

VANNER: As soon as I saw the first stocks was the first knowledge that I had.

ZAHN: When you say you saw the first box, I know bands often travel with dozens and dozens of boxes with their equipment in it. Was it when they were unloading a box, or when they were actually installing some of the equipment onstage?

VANNER: No, the first stocks.

ZAHN: Oh, OK.

VANNER: Paula, it was the first stocks, not the first box.

ZAHN: And -- stocks, OK. And at what point did you become concerned?

VANNER: It was when I -- a friend of mine was right next to me, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, "The soundproofing material is getting on fire, Paul." So, I immediately went for a fire extinguisher.

ZAHN: And could you find one?

VANNER: I knew there was one underneath my front-of-house soundboard, because that's where I usually am stationed on a typical night. So I went back there. It was about 35 feet away. By the time I got turned around, I got back towards the stage, the back wall was up in flames.

ZAHN: So, if you didn't see this until the first sparks, I'm just wondering how it would be that they could have installed the equipment necessary to light off these things without anybody seeing them.

VANNER: Well, the stage gets dimmed. The club goes dark for about three or four minutes before the band comes on. They do like an intro CD. Certainly that's ample time, I believe, to put up a device like that.

ZAHN: Mr. Resmini, a final question to you about what the attorney general of the state has to figure out here, when you have the band's drummer saying this last night: "We would never set up anything without permission. We are told five minutes before we go on stage if we have permission or not. If we get permission, then we go on stage."

Who's lying here?

RESMINI: Well, I think what's going to have to happen is they're going to have to look at the past practices of the band with Great White, because they've dealt with many, many managers in the past. And if they are consistent with this particular position that they've taken with other people, then perhaps you'd have to give them the benefit of the doubt on that. I think past practices of both individuals will determine who is telling the truth.

ZAHN: And the past practices, your client has made clear has included these kinds of displays.

RESMINI: Well, one, I think what is significant is when he indicated that they had that conversation two or three months ago, from his recollection it was never done after that. There is no question, according to Paul, that it was done on many occasions prior to that conversation. And this particular one, by the way, was significantly unique from what they had experienced in the past. These canisters that they were using were much larger and obviously were not even recognizable as being pyrotechnics until everything went up.

ZAHN: Well, gentlemen, we're going to leave it there this morning. Ronald Resmini, Paul Vanner, thank you both for spending some time with us this morning in advance of this grand jury probe. Appreciate your time.

RESMINI: Thank you, Paula.

VANNER: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Good luck.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired February 26, 2003 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, a grand jury begins hearing testimony in the Rhode Island nightclub fire. The band, Great White, has been subpoenaed. Members of the group returned to Rhode Island last night. A critical question is whether the band had permission to use pyrotechnics.
A club employee now says he warned the owners months ago that other bands were using pyrotechnic devices. This video was shot during a band's performance at The Station in March of 2000.

Joining us right now from West Warwick, Rhode Island, Paul Vanner, stage manager and sound engineer at The Station, along with his attorney, Ronald Resmini.

Good morning, gentlemen. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.

RONALD RESMINI, ATTORNEY FOR PAUL VANNER: Good morning, Paula.

PAUL VANNER, STAGE MGR, THE STATION: Hi, Paula.

ZAHN: So, Paul, we just reported that you indeed warned the owners months in advance that clubs (sic) were using pyrotechnic devices. You were very concerned about that. What did the owners tell you when you had that conversation?

VANNER: They seemed to take it to heart; that's for sure. They certainly were considering it. They didn't come to me with any direct change of policy or anything like that, but they certainly seemed to think that they were thinking about it.

ZAHN: So, the policy, as far as you're concerned, all along was that pyrotechnic devices were allowed?

VANNER: Some pyrotechnic devices were allowed.

ZAHN: We spoke with Jack Russell, the lead singer of the band, and he told us not only did the band have permission to use the pyrotechnic devises, his attorney is now saying conversations went back weeks before the performance when it was very clearly laid out to the club owners that indeed this is what the group planned to do. Do you have any knowledge of any of these discussions that took place?

VANNER: No, I don't.

ZAHN: Because the club owners are denying they were ever asked for permission to use these devices. VANNER: Well, I believe they would have told me if they had any prior knowledge, but I do not know.

ZAHN: When were you aware that Great White was going to use pyrotechnic devices that night?

VANNER: As soon as I saw the first stocks was the first knowledge that I had.

ZAHN: When you say you saw the first box, I know bands often travel with dozens and dozens of boxes with their equipment in it. Was it when they were unloading a box, or when they were actually installing some of the equipment onstage?

VANNER: No, the first stocks.

ZAHN: Oh, OK.

VANNER: Paula, it was the first stocks, not the first box.

ZAHN: And -- stocks, OK. And at what point did you become concerned?

VANNER: It was when I -- a friend of mine was right next to me, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, "The soundproofing material is getting on fire, Paul." So, I immediately went for a fire extinguisher.

ZAHN: And could you find one?

VANNER: I knew there was one underneath my front-of-house soundboard, because that's where I usually am stationed on a typical night. So I went back there. It was about 35 feet away. By the time I got turned around, I got back towards the stage, the back wall was up in flames.

ZAHN: So, if you didn't see this until the first sparks, I'm just wondering how it would be that they could have installed the equipment necessary to light off these things without anybody seeing them.

VANNER: Well, the stage gets dimmed. The club goes dark for about three or four minutes before the band comes on. They do like an intro CD. Certainly that's ample time, I believe, to put up a device like that.

ZAHN: Mr. Resmini, a final question to you about what the attorney general of the state has to figure out here, when you have the band's drummer saying this last night: "We would never set up anything without permission. We are told five minutes before we go on stage if we have permission or not. If we get permission, then we go on stage."

Who's lying here?

RESMINI: Well, I think what's going to have to happen is they're going to have to look at the past practices of the band with Great White, because they've dealt with many, many managers in the past. And if they are consistent with this particular position that they've taken with other people, then perhaps you'd have to give them the benefit of the doubt on that. I think past practices of both individuals will determine who is telling the truth.

ZAHN: And the past practices, your client has made clear has included these kinds of displays.

RESMINI: Well, one, I think what is significant is when he indicated that they had that conversation two or three months ago, from his recollection it was never done after that. There is no question, according to Paul, that it was done on many occasions prior to that conversation. And this particular one, by the way, was significantly unique from what they had experienced in the past. These canisters that they were using were much larger and obviously were not even recognizable as being pyrotechnics until everything went up.

ZAHN: Well, gentlemen, we're going to leave it there this morning. Ronald Resmini, Paul Vanner, thank you both for spending some time with us this morning in advance of this grand jury probe. Appreciate your time.

RESMINI: Thank you, Paula.

VANNER: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Good luck.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.