B-52s Blast Festival Organizers for Demanding Setup as Tornado Bore Down

The B-52s' scheduled performance at the Retro C Trop Music Festival in Tilloloy, France was canceled at the last minute on Saturday when a violent storm struck the venue, according to Rolling Stone. The storm destroyed some of the band's equipment, forcing the cancellation. "the band issued a statement on Facebook apologizing to fans and thanking their crew for prioritizing safety during the dangerous weather event." The band went further in their criticism. According to Stereogum, the B-52s publicly criticized festival organizers for forcing them to set up their equipment as a dangerous tornado approached during Europe's unprecedented heatwave. "While many events were canceled due to the fatal heatwave that killed over a thousand in France, this festival proceeded recklessly, endangering performers." The B-52s called out the organizers for prioritizing the show over safety amid extreme weather conditions, a decision that Stereogum described as reckless. The band's statement, shared on Facebook, made clear that they valued crew safety above all else.

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