In the tragedy of the fire at the Rhode Island night club, as people try to affix blame, the band, Great white, says they were given permission for the pyrotechnics while the club owners, TV reporter Jeff Derderian and his brother, said they did not give permission. I think I believe the owners. Why? Consider the following from a Boston Globe story:
DePetro said he believed his friend. ‘‘If there was ever a time you’d have your place on best behavior, it would be when there’s a live camera there filming a piece on club safety,’’ he said.
There was a cameraman from Derderian’s local news station where he had just started working filming the club for a piece on nightclub safety. It would be pretty dumb to do something so dangerous on camera and then show it on the news. The fire marshal would be at your door the next day with a court order to shut you down and revoke your liquor license.
And then there’s the reports from several other nightclubs that Great White lit off pyrotechnics without permission from them either. It’s not looking good for the band.
