Radiohead drummer Philip Selway has revealed he would have died in the 2012 stage collapse that killed his drum technician, Scott Johnson, if the band had been on schedule. He acknowledged in a new interview that his, and the band's desire to find out the truth about what took place is out of respect for his memory.

“When the collapse happened, it happened at four in the afternoon,” Selway told the CBC. “Our soundcheck was due to start at four, and I actually should have been where Scott was. That is an incredible weight, and personally I can’t let this lie. I want to see a proper conclusion, something that is respectful to Scott.”

Although they hadn’t reached the stage at Downsview Park in Toronto, the band were nearby when it collapsed. “We heard what sounded at the time like an enormous cabinet of glasses falling over,” Selway recalled. “You could see from behind that the top of the structure had buckled. Something that was meant to bring a lot of joy that evening that just resulted in the death of Scott.”

The situation is made more poignant by the fact that Johnson’s father, Ken, is an adviser on scaffolding safety and plays a leading role in monitoring the British industry. “Some of the errors are fairly obvious because of the nature of my role,” he said. “It just wasn’t strong enough. There’s no getting away from it. If it was strong enough, it would have stayed up.”

HIs wife Sue added: “I would like to know who made mistakes, what the mistakes were, and mostly make sure that it doesn't happen to someone else, because it cost my Scotty’s life.”

Canadian authorities last week confirmed that an inquest into the death would take place after charges against organizations involved in the concert’s production had been stayed. Radiohead had released a statement saying they hoped the inquiry would lead to justice being served to Johnson’s family.

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