Ministry guitarist kicks fan onstage

[...]

On Sunday, Al Jourgensen's Ministry performed as the headliner on the
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in Helsinki. It was a solid, good gig
with the setlist veering towards material from "Psalm69" and without
any pre-"The Mind Is A Terrible Thing..." -material played. I can take
that, but there was just one thing that left me somewhat confused
about the show.
At one point, a crazed - apparently drunk - fan from the audience
rushed to the stage, as it quite often happens during outdoors
festivals of this kind. On his brief visit to the stage he shortly
grabbed Jourgensen by his arm and also somehow managed to stumble to
the guitarist, who fell on his knees and dropped his instrument in the
process. Naturally, the security guards came to the stage and started
yanking the guy off stage. It was only then when the guy was
half-lying on the ground, the guitar player (can't be arsed to
remember his name, but the one with the long hair) started kicking the
defenceless fan on the back. He must have received from three to five
quite severe looking blows and I wouldn't be suprised if he would have
been injured to some degree.
I'm not saying it wasn't entertaining to watch a band physically abuse
their record-buying public, but you'd expect a forty-something
professional to behave a bit more maturely. The rest of the band
didn't take part in the event though - in fact they didn't even miss a
single note during it and Jourgensen himself didn't seem to mind at
all that the fan had grabbed him. Shame about the childish,
unnecessary violence. Just leave your hardcore for the music, thank
you

[Psymanteum]

Post by ...
I'm not saying it wasn't entertaining to watch a band physically abuse
their record-buying public, but you'd expect a forty-something
professional to behave a bit more maturely.

Umm... you've heard their album, right? ;o)

[Industrialrednek]

Well I'm not exactly condoning Mike's apparent actions, however you must also
realize that when some fans step out of line and go where they don't belong
they can become a threat to the bands. For example on Ozzfest '99 Ozzy had his
rib cracked due to a fan that rushed the stage and hugged him too hard. Given
certain circumstances some of the band members get upset when this kind of
thing happens and like everyone else tend to react to their emotions. When you
get upset you're not looking at someone as a fan who bought your bands album or
what not you're looking at them as a threat and and asshole. It happens.
~~dink!!!~~

[...]

When you get upset you're not looking at someone as a fan who bought

your >bands album or what not you're looking at them as a threat and
and asshole. It >happens.

Sure, I understand that. But from the audience's view point it looked
like the security guard and the roadie were holding the guy down while
he was being kicked at. That's not exactly how it necessarily went as
the two guys were seriously trying to force the guy off the stage, but
I'm just a bit worried on any person immediately reacting like that -
"He tipped me over... now he deserves to DIE!"

I mean there were some very notorious death metal bands also
performing on the other stages, and even they managed to get through
their sets without too much trouble. And when you consider that
Ministry is a frickin' disco band...

[Industrialrednek]

yeah but just cuz you're kicking someone that doesnt mean you're trying to kill
them. Like I said I'm not backing his actions, but you're taking them to
extremes.

[...]

Post by Industrialrednek
yeah but just cuz you're kicking someone that doesnt mean you're trying to kill
them. Like I said I'm not backing his actions, but you're taking them to
extremes.

Like I said, I am not terribly serious about this whole deal.