Station Nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island 2

**billoween** · 04-23-2024, 01:09 PM

It appears there was another video taken at The Station on the night of the fire which is still in existence--but which few people have ever seen. Here's the story:

The band, Trip, got an enthusiastic reaction from the Station crowd during their six-song set. Dancing even broke out, not something this newly-formed trio was always seeing. And this sent Bill Long, Trip's road manager, into action.

Bill Long: "The vibe we felt that night was so incredible that I jumped on stage . . . and video-taped the fans because they were having so much fun."

Survivors like Shamus Horan and Lisa Johnson and Jeff Ward all mentioned seeing Long video-taping in the witness statements. Jeff Ward gave a statement to a Warwick police detective, who wrote this: "He did recall seeing a white male with long hair who was wearing a black T-shirt with the word 'Chopper' written inside a cross, but does not recall what the man was doing by the stage. He believes that the man had a stage pass of some sort around his neck and may have been using a video camera."

Cut to some 50 minutes later, with fire taking off from the foam

Bill Long: "I had some personal stuff. A digital camera, video camera, guitars, a laptop computer--expensive stuff. I went to gather it together."

But the fire was moving way too fast. So Long snapped one quick photo of the fire, stuffed the camera in his pocket, and left the rest of the equipment behind to head for safety. Flames were now racing across the ceiling of the club.

Okay, so this much we knew. And, yeah, I'd always bemoaned the loss of Long's video-camera, which must have caught many of the now familiar faces who were there to see GW.

But just recently, I was reviewing Trip bassist Jason Williams's 3-06-03 interview with ATF agents. And one agent wrote this:
"Williams believes that Trip's manager Bill Long had videotaped the performance. Williams does not know where the tape is now, but he had viewed it back [home] in Vancouver and believes [band leader] Michael Shapiro has the tape. Television stations in Portland and Los Angeles had requested the tape, but they had not given it to them."

Well, it appears that Michael Shapiro also had a video camera, and Long would sometimes use IT to tape Trip. So all I can conclude is that THAT video camera must have gone back to Shapiro and the bus sometime before GW's performance.

PS--I've never come across any mention of what became of the single still-photo Long took.

**billoween** · 04-30-2024, 12:19 PM

Joe Barber was a very busy guy on the Thursday that Great White played The Station.

Station manager Kevin Beese, Barber's softball and dart team friend for years, had asked Joe to help run errands for Great White, so Joe's Grand Cherokee was like a taxi from mid-afternoon to mid-evening. If his list of errands had been written out beforehand, it would have looked something like this:

1--Pick up Dan Biechele and tour-bus driver John Kubus at The Station. Stop at a NAPA so Kubus can buy new windshield wipers for the bus. Then take Biechele to the post office.

2--Drop off Kubus at the Fairfield Inn Hotel and pick up Jack Russell.

3--Drive Russell and Biechele to a Fed Ex store in Warwick, for a 20-30 minute stop.

4--Then take Russell and Biechele to The Station for a sound check and a quick early dinner.

5--Next, drive Russell to Skot Greene's tattoo shop, "The Doors of Perception."

6--While Russell sits for his tattoo, go back to The Station and pick up Ty Longley and Mark Kendall and take them back to the hotel.

7--Then, stop to buy throat discs for Russell, as instructed, and return to "The Doors of Perception."

8--If Russell isn't finished yet [he wasn't] drive back to The Station and pick up [his friend] Rodney Gaumitz. Together with Gaumitz, pick up Longley and Kendall at the Fairfield Inn and bring them to The Station.

9--Drive back to "Doors of Perception," pick up the freshly-tattooed Russell--who's invited everyone at the shop to the show, unfortunately--and bring him back to the Station and the tour bus for good.

--Finally, Barber's duties were over and he could take his place at the main bar with other regulars, including his sister, Kathy. He would enjoy free beer and some gas money for his efforts that day. Later, Barber would get out the bar door and perform many rescues there and then at the bar windows, where he burned his right hand.

--Several GW and Trip musicians had wanted to check out "The Guitar Center," a new store just 10 minutes from The Station. But with Barber so busy, Scott Vieira volunteered to take them.

**cigardaddio smoke** · 05-11-2024, 10:44 AM

Everybody I hope you are doing well . I had some choice for the VA hospital in the area so I decided to stop at the memorial. I had fresh flags with me to place on the placards of our 5 fallen veterans. The park is blooming and the day is very nice. It's a very restful place here. Is one question to anybody that may know, There is a tree just outside the main area that has a Old faded sign on it. Some of it is readable and I was wondering if it is a leftover from the temporary memorial that was here before the park was built. I am trying to figure out how to send pictures, So it may be a separate post in a little while. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Hope you all have a great start to summer !
Jimmy D. Taunton, Ma.

**cigardaddio smoke** · 05-11-2024, 01:56 PM

ok so I think I got it right on the posting of the pictures ! The first couple are the sign & tree I was asking about. Then some of the veterans plaques and the park. The blooming and color are quite excellent !! I'll probably be back there to take a stroll through and check on the flags when the VA does it's summer sports clinic in the area in July. Hey much love to all, the info & great stories of remembrance are why I always love coming back. Keep it up and have a great start to summer

Jimmy D Taunton, Ma.

It won't let me do anymore so I'll wait and send the rest shortly, I love tech stuff !!