Jessica Michalik
Encyclopedia
Jessica Anna Michalik was an Australia
n teenage girl from Dee Why, Sydney
who died as a result of asphyxiation five days after being crushed in a mosh pit during the 2001 Big Day Out
music festival during a performance by nu metal
band Limp Bizkit
.
findings into her death criticized the crowd control measures in use at the time, and also criticized Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst
for "alarming and inflammatory" comments during the rescue effort. Jessica's family and best friend Liza Ryan have maintained that it was a series of factors that contributed to Jessica's death and no one party was to blame.
Somewhat coincidentally, the band At the Drive-In
had taken exception to the vigorous moshing during their performance earlier that day. Their lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala
, at the conclusion of their song Cosmonaut addressed the crowd saying "I think it's a very very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slamdancing" then after pointing at an audience member crowd surfing
saying "look at that... you didn't learn that from your best friend! You learned that from the TV!," and finally stating to the crowd "You're a robot, you're a sheep" before bleating at them several times and leaving the stage around 10 minutes into their set.
The band Grinspoon
performed at Jessica's funeral, and moments of silence have been held at subsequent Big Day Out festivals. Performers at the Big Day Out observe the "minute of noise" each year to honour her memory.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n teenage girl from Dee Why, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
who died as a result of asphyxiation five days after being crushed in a mosh pit during the 2001 Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
music festival during a performance by nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
.
Incident
The Coroner's Court of New South WalesCoroner's Court of New South Wales
The name of "Coroners Court" is the generic name given to proceedings in which a Coroner holds an inquest or an inquiry in New South Wales. Coroners have jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person...
findings into her death criticized the crowd control measures in use at the time, and also criticized Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
for "alarming and inflammatory" comments during the rescue effort. Jessica's family and best friend Liza Ryan have maintained that it was a series of factors that contributed to Jessica's death and no one party was to blame.
Somewhat coincidentally, the band At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...
had taken exception to the vigorous moshing during their performance earlier that day. Their lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American musician known for his work as frontman and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta, and previously as frontman and occasional guitarist of the post-hardcore punk group At the Drive-In...
, at the conclusion of their song Cosmonaut addressed the crowd saying "I think it's a very very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slamdancing" then after pointing at an audience member crowd surfing
Crowd surfing
Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person during a concert, transferring the person from one part of the venue to another...
saying "look at that... you didn't learn that from your best friend! You learned that from the TV!," and finally stating to the crowd "You're a robot, you're a sheep" before bleating at them several times and leaving the stage around 10 minutes into their set.
The band Grinspoon
Grinspoon
Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar and Kristian Hopes on drums. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore,...
performed at Jessica's funeral, and moments of silence have been held at subsequent Big Day Out festivals. Performers at the Big Day Out observe the "minute of noise" each year to honour her memory.