FW: FW: Talk about a tough crowd (fwd)

[Andy C]

Well heres more about Gunther, but beware this is from the weekly world news !

Andy C

----------
From:   Brian Chapman
Sent:   06 November 1996 20:23
Subject:        Re: FW: Talk about a tough crowd (fwd)

On Wed, 6 Nov 1996, Andy C wrote:

>
> Possible urban legend, but whatthehell:
>
> German rock star GUNTHER DEITZ crashed to his death when peeved fans refused
> to catch him in a crowd-diving stunt.
It pays to read the tabloids, Andy. From the Weekly World News, 5
November 1996, p. 15:

ANGRY CROWD LETS ROCK STAR DIVE TO HIS DEATH...INSTEAD OF CATCHING HIM!

By Randy Jeffries

HAMBURG, Germany--The music world is grieving the loss of rock superstar
Gunther Deitz who ended his concert and his life when he dove from the
stage expecting to be caught in the arms of the crowd--only to have them
step away and allow him to smash facefirst into the concrete floor!

Few Americans have ever heard Dietz's music. But he was known throughout
Europe for his throbbing high-decibel sound and his exciting concert
performances.

The heavy metal singer-guitarist routinely concluded his shows with a
dramatic leap into the mosh pit--the area directly in front of the stage
in which fans collide into each other in time to the brain-blasting beat.
The adoring audiences would clamor for the privilege of catching him.

But on this night--Friday, October 4--things went tragically wrong.

The crowd was reportedly angered by Dietz's late start and his replacing
of lead guitarist Willy Decker with another player.

Dietz's manager and backup band are blaming the fans for the popular
singers's brain concussion death.

"They knew he'd dive into the pit," said manager Ernst Breiger.

"He did it every time he performed and the fans have always caught him.
Letting him fall like that can only be called murder."

But one audience member who witnessed the tragedy from behind the pit
sees things differently. "Gunther got what he deserved," said the
19-year-old spike-haired male. "First of all, he started an hour late.
That lame opening act kept coming back for bogus encores.

"Then, when Gunther finally wandered onstage his heart wasn't in it. He
gave a real lame show.

"But the biggest drag about it was that he kicked Willy Decker out of the
band and put in that wimpy new guy. Willy's playing used to really kick
butt. This guy's solos were as weak as pudding."

German authorities are still investigating the incident, but doubt that
anyone will be charged.

"These hard rock fans are a fickle bunch," said Detective Fritz Krause.
"Deitz should never have counted on them."

Deitz was 24. He is survived by a sister Lenna, 30, and ex-wife Gerta
Deitz, 25.
---------------------------
The article features three photographs: a generic shot of a youthful
audience; someone completely covered in a body bag and identified as Dietz;
and, for no apparent reason, Jimmy Page.

Articles about rock stars are not common in the tabloids. This one may
have made it in because it shows its protaganist getting his comeuppance.
----------------------------------
S. Elizabeth Bird,*For Enquiring Minds. A Cultural Study of Supermarket
Tabloids*. Knoxville, Tenn.: University Of Tennessee,1992, pp.69-70.

[*Examiner* editor William Burt] explains that his paper cannot promote
"crazy rockers" except for the occasional "oddity" such as Boy George.
Michael Jackson, for instance, has received frequent tabloid coverage,
apparently much of it originating from his own publicists, largely
because his behavior has so often been characterizable as "bizarre." The
ocassional venerable rock stars, such as Rod Stewart, may make appearances
in the gossip columns, but the main characters in feature coverage are
the stars of popular TV shows and movies, particularly prime-time soap
operas, game shows, and situation comedies, with frequent appearances by
country music stars.

[....] Even the *Star*, which tends to cover a wider range of
celebrities, including younger ones, draws the line at such people as
heavy metal rock musicians.
---------------------------

Considering the UL about Gunther Burpus, the hapless fellow who becomes
trapped in a cat flap and gets a daffodil stuck up his ass, perhaps it
would be wise to be wary of any stories involving Gunthers.

Curiously,
Brian Chapman