TOOL – 15 Fans Injured At Street Scene 2006 Performance

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that at least 15 people were injured when thousands of fans surged forward during TOOL‘s Street Scene 2006 performance in the parking lot of San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. The report is as follows:

More than a dozen concertgoers were sent to area hospitals last night after a crowd disturbance at Street Scene 2006, a large music festival held in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium.

The melee happened during the headlining performance by Los Angeles rock band Tool.

There were few details on the incident, but witnesses reported seeing a stream of fans being carried out on stretchers.

“We’ve had quite a few injuries,” said San Diego fire Battalion Chief Chris Brainard, shortly before midnight. “We have probably 15 patients transferred to area hospitals and we’re still making determinations on (the condition of) others.”

Brainard attributed the injuries to the thousands of fans packed near the front of Street Scene’s Zaranda Stage, where Tool began its performance at 10:36 last night.

The crush of fans grew so great that midway through the band’s second song, lead singer Maynard James Keenan stopped singing and said: “Step back so you don’t get trampled. It’s just rock.”

Keenan repeatedly implored the crowd to step back, even before a uniformed city official conferred with him on stage.

He and his band then played on, concluding their performance at midnight.