"I was literally on fire for 4 ½ songs." Journey drummer Deen Castronovo has lucky escape as blaze breaks out below stage

Jonathan Cain, Todd Jensen, Deen Castronovo, Arnel Pineda, Jason Derlatka, and Journey founder Neal Schon perform during the Journey 50th Anniversary Tour at Moody Center on February 22, 2023 in Austin, Texas. — (Image credit: Brian Ach/Getty Images for Journey)

Journey had to cancel their show in Houston, Texas, this weekend after just five songs when an electrical fire broke out below the stage area.

The band were performing at the RodeoHouston event at NRG Stadium and had just started playing their massive hit Don't Stop Believin' when the sound at the venue abruptly stopped.

As the band left the stage, staff with fire extinguishers rushed to the drum riser. An announcement was made shortly after, telling fans the band would not return as an electrical fire had damaged equipment.

Drummer Deen Castronovo wrote in a social media post that he had a lucky escape.

Castronovo says: "Hey, Houston. An act of God tonight. Fire broke out underneath the stage – right under my drum riser!

"I was literally on fire for 4 ½ songs, all the power cables melted, and the show was a bust! That doesn't mean we won't be back soon, because we love you all – and we will return. God bless you all!"

Organisers RodeoHouston later shared a statement saying fans would hear from them soon about refunds or a rescheduling of the show.

The statement reads: "Due to an unforeseen electrical incident under the stage area, we regretfully announce the cancellation of tonight's Journey concert.

"We sincerely apologise to all fans for this disappointment. Our team is working diligently to assess the situation, and we will provide updates regarding rescheduling options and or refunds as soon as possible."

There were no reports of any injuries as a result of the fire.

Posted by DeenCastronovoOfficial on

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.