POP/ROCK - July 13, 1989

The Italian city of Venice is threatening to ban a massive floating-stage concert by the British rock band Pink Floyd Saturday because of the damage the crowds and noise might do. The concert, scheduled for live broadcast on 17 European television stations, is expected to attract 100,000 people to the area around St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace while Pink Floyd performs on the water toward the island of San Giorgio. But government officials, including the city’s mayor and its director of tourism, said Wednesday they feared vibrations from the group’s heavily amplified music could shake building foundations while wild crowds might deface walls or tear down railings. The city council deferred a verdict Wednesday on the concert but was expected to decide by Friday.