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American Morning
Members of Band Great White Subpoenaed
Aired February 26, 2003 - 08:11 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The State of Rhode Island, more developments expected today where a grand jury will start hearing testimony at a nightclub fire that claimed 97 lives last Thursday evening. Members of the band Great White have been subpoenaed and a critical question right now, a critical question whether the band had permission to use pyrotechnics inside the club.
Brian Cabell live in West Warwick to bring us up to date on what's happening today -- Brian, good morning.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
As you say, the grand jury is convening a little later on this morning. We're told by a local newspaper that it'll be at the National Guard complex in East Greenwich, which is not far from here. And the band, Great White, which was playing here last Thursday night, came back to town. Yesterday they arrived in Rhode Island, last night at the airport. They, of course, have lost one of their band members, the lead guitarist, who perished in the fire.
And the question again, as you put it, is did they have permission to use pyrotechnics last Thursday night. They have said all along they did have it. The club owners have said they did not.
Now, the stage manager, a gentleman by the name of Paul Vanner, has been very outspoken the last couple of days. He said that he sat down with one of the club owners about two or three months ago after one of the shows and spoke of his concerns about people, about bands using pyrotechnics in this club.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL VANNER, STAGE MANAGER, THE STATION: Just the fact that it was people coming in that I don't know, you know, it's like I know some guys that do pyro that I've worked with for years and I know that they run a safe show and I don't really have any much concerns. But people coming to see that band, they see they're using pyro. So when their band comes in, they want to use it. But I don't know those guys. So it's kind of like, you know, what do you do? If you do it for one, you're kind of supposed to do it for all. So I was just like instead of that, why don't we just do it for none kind of thing after that day.
CABELL: And so you did it for none after that point?
VANNER: The way I recollect it, we didn't have any bands that used pyro since that conversation. CABELL: So he took it to heart at that point?
VANNER: It seemed like he took it to heart.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABELL: Yesterday, heavy equipment was out here at the site, sifting through the rubble. Dogs were out here as well because the governor had reported that apparently there is still one missing person they haven't accounted for. They were clearly looking for a body. As far as we can tell, they found nothing in this rubble.
But again today, Bill, the big news is the grand jury is getting under way -- it'll be a little later on this morning -- amid concerns that still the owners, the club owners, have not been cooperating fully in this investigation -- back to you.
HEMMER: And that is the thing we watch.
Thank you, Brian.
Brian Cabell in West Warwick.
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 - 08:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The State of Rhode Island, more developments expected today where a grand jury will start hearing testimony at a nightclub fire that claimed 97 lives last Thursday evening. Members of the band Great White have been subpoenaed and a critical question right now, a critical question whether the band had permission to use pyrotechnics inside the club.
Brian Cabell live in West Warwick to bring us up to date on what's happening today -- Brian, good morning.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
As you say, the grand jury is convening a little later on this morning. We're told by a local newspaper that it'll be at the National Guard complex in East Greenwich, which is not far from here. And the band, Great White, which was playing here last Thursday night, came back to town. Yesterday they arrived in Rhode Island, last night at the airport. They, of course, have lost one of their band members, the lead guitarist, who perished in the fire.
And the question again, as you put it, is did they have permission to use pyrotechnics last Thursday night. They have said all along they did have it. The club owners have said they did not.
Now, the stage manager, a gentleman by the name of Paul Vanner, has been very outspoken the last couple of days. He said that he sat down with one of the club owners about two or three months ago after one of the shows and spoke of his concerns about people, about bands using pyrotechnics in this club.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL VANNER, STAGE MANAGER, THE STATION: Just the fact that it was people coming in that I don't know, you know, it's like I know some guys that do pyro that I've worked with for years and I know that they run a safe show and I don't really have any much concerns. But people coming to see that band, they see they're using pyro. So when their band comes in, they want to use it. But I don't know those guys. So it's kind of like, you know, what do you do? If you do it for one, you're kind of supposed to do it for all. So I was just like instead of that, why don't we just do it for none kind of thing after that day.
CABELL: And so you did it for none after that point?
VANNER: The way I recollect it, we didn't have any bands that used pyro since that conversation. CABELL: So he took it to heart at that point?
VANNER: It seemed like he took it to heart.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABELL: Yesterday, heavy equipment was out here at the site, sifting through the rubble. Dogs were out here as well because the governor had reported that apparently there is still one missing person they haven't accounted for. They were clearly looking for a body. As far as we can tell, they found nothing in this rubble.
But again today, Bill, the big news is the grand jury is getting under way -- it'll be a little later on this morning -- amid concerns that still the owners, the club owners, have not been cooperating fully in this investigation -- back to you.
HEMMER: And that is the thing we watch.
Thank you, Brian.
Brian Cabell in West Warwick.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
