Posted: Mon., Sep. 29, 2003 11:14:39 AM MST

SAINT PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) -- The Saint Petersburg city council passed a law Monday designed to scuttle a rock group's plans to feature an onstage suicide.

The hard-rock band Hell on Earth had said that a suicide by a terminally ill person would take place during a concert Saturday to raise awareness of right-to-die issues.

In response, the city council met Monday morning to unanimously approve an emergency ordinance making it illegal to conduct a suicide for commercial or entertainment purposes, and to host, promote and sell tickets for such an event.

"While I still think it's a publicity stunt, we still couldn't sit idly by and let somebody lose their life," council member Bill Foster said.

Tampa-based Hell of Earth, known for such outrageous onstage stunts as chocolate syrup wrestling and grinding up live rats in a blender, created the furor by announcing the suicide would happen Saturday at the Palace Theater in downtown St. Petersburg.

But the theater's owner, David Hundley, promptly canceled the band's show, and another venue also turned away the event.

Band leader Billy Tourtelot has vowed that the concert and suicide will still take place at an undisclosed location in the city, broadcast live on the band's Web site.

"This show is far more than a typical Hell On Earth performance," Tourtelot said in an e-mail last week. "This is about standing up for what you believe in, and I am a strong supporter of physician-assisted suicide."

A message left for Tourtelot was not immediately returned Monday.

A Florida law already makes assisting in a suicide manslaughter, a second-degree felony.

Hell on Earth is playing clubs in support of its independently produced album, "All Things Disturbingly Sassy."

OH GOD

PLEASE, NO MORE THREADS ABOUT THE ASSISTED SUICIDE CONCERT!!!

(Red, I'm sure you're a wonderful person and a credit to the Org...but this has been posted like four times already and it is just making me )

Sorry...

must have missed it. Ha! It was news 2 me

Red said:

Hah, news to me aswell. I think it's a great idea. What they should do is like that cartoon where one of the piano keys is rigged to some explosives strapped to the guys head. The guy could be dancing on stage during the 'performance', and the crowd could wager bets as to how long the guy would carry on dancing after that fatal note.

That way you will not only raise 'awareness' concerning the right for one person to die, but it would also make a good public awareness ad against the dangers of dancing with dynamite strapped to your head. The DVD could have a special feature showing behind the scenes test-shots using rats (the un-blended variety). Oh, and there could be a hidden easter egg that takes you to nanometer-small print with a number for the charity of whatever disease this guy happens to have.


Sorry I'm English.


[Disease awareness versus wanting to peg-it awareness edit)
[This message was edited Fri Oct 3 4:44:44 PDT 2003 by MaggotBrain]

MaggotBrain said:

OH SHIT man that is HILARIOUS. You english tarts are WACK YO! no Shizzle. I think your suggestion would REALLY make the piece more of a performance. Let's start a letter writing campaign to the band.

www.hellonearth.net

otan said:

:

Anyway, I think 'bands' like that deserve the right to die...that letter writing campaign is tempting...oh but I'm at work Anyway if the guy want's to croak, that's cool by me. BUT COME ON, what an opportunity!

I have an uncle who, when he dies, wants to be stuffed, and be kept inside a glass bell jar in his local pub...so I understand this sick guys torment...my uncle aint even sick, at least physically

Even me, Mr. Freedom of Expression, cannot condone that kind of display. It is wrong. Plain and simple. The world is, and has been, heading down the wrong path.

Peace,
JD

JD...we all know it's wrong...but because it's so morbid...ya gotta lighten it up with humor. Serious sickness.

Flashpointe said:

I disagree JD, but not for the reasons you'd think.

I watched my uncle go from a hilarious man, a basketball coach, high school teacher that helped rural, underpriveleged kids learn carpentry and plumbing so that they could go out into the world with something other than a useless diploma, he was a strong powerful man, only to end up a drooling bed-ridden unintelligible frustrated man. His mind continued to be sharp until the day he died, but his body disappeared, piece by piece over the span of 15 years. It started with a slight tingling in his fingertips and ended with a colostomy bag, diapers, a feeding tube and god knows what else.

So, if at some point, my uncle decided, screw this party, I'm heading up to the VIP lounge, I would REGRETFULLY understand how he felt and wish him well.

A sick twisted fuck that's just mad at the world, that's one thing, and no, they don't need suicide, they need better parents, but somebody that's been struck down with an incurable painful illness that robs you of any dignity you might have acquired in your life - THAT is a sin.

I know you and I see differently in the world, and I'm not trying to change your mind, but asking that you at least empathize with someone that's in a position that you and I both PRAY to never have to be in.

otan said:

cosignism Otan

I'm sorry for your personal insight mate, and I honestly empathise fully.



JD: You're right it's probably not the best way to raise awareness...

...but what if all parties are consenting adults, from every member of the audience, erm, to the explosives technician?

Here's my can of worms...only a different perspective to Otans

...I work in labs, but sadly I don't get to blend mice or rats. The folks who do have to do the unfortunate things with animals have to pass extremely (I mean EXTREMELY) tough creditation (at least in the UK) concerning the levels of (perceived) pain experienced by the little critters. It's all based on how worthwhile the experiments are to human medicine, but ultimately anything deemed too painful for the little kitten won't get done, or at least it's 'enter stage' for the man with the dynamite before the kitten is in a lot of pain. This regulation is all relatively new, and I'm 100% for it. The thing that bugs me though is that we have these strict guidlines set up to prevent (and END) pain and suffering of animals that are used to ultimately save folks from diseases, yet in most countries the poor peeps that have those disease have to stick with it. I find the irony really funny but the whole thing is fucked up if you ask me.

Sorry, I hope this thread aint got too serious now!

So like, are the band any good anyway?

I don't know what is more shocking about all this... Assisted suicide as entertainment, blending rats, english humor or Otan using the words PRAY and SIN.


Anywho, I believe in assisted suicide if you have an illness which makes it physically painful to live. I DON'T think it should be a form of entertainment.





Changing pysically to physically. No one has the right to die just because they can't pyss


[This message was edited Fri Oct 3 15:41:27 PDT 2003 by VinaBlue]

VinaBlue said:

Hey - I believe in God and prayers and shit - just don't believe in church.

And, ain't it a bitch - the band gets all the publicity and their site is down.

www.hellonearth.net

BUT they're on mp3.com:
http://artists.mp3s.com/a...earth.html
[This message was edited Fri Oct 3 10:18:55 PDT 2003 by otan]

otan said:

Whoops! I forgot the emoticon there.

Just teasin there man. Guess I don't always use the perfect emoticon.



Pass the vodka.

VinaBlue said:

If only I spotted this emoticon before! Nah you're right Vina I find it all very shocking as well. At least Otan didn't mention THE DEVIL!


...as do Hell On Earth, in their timely classic Mrs. Potatohead. I never felt such emotions while listening to this piece. If only I could speak the tongue of angels, then maybe I would understand that Mrs. Potatohead is pure love defined. Unfortunately I have to settle with the "throbbing bass guitar riffs and unique double bass beats" that "details a hell on earth makeover".



If ya into the death metal stuff I'm just messing with ya. I own a Coolio CD so there...

Band's site is down...but their fan site is running...stamped with the evil 666.

but you know what's really ironic when you visit the website. The front cover page and it's giant red letters NEWS.

Red said:

THEY LIKE PRINCE?

VinaBlue said:

Thanks for having my back, Vina! . Yes, I agree with assisted suicide in cases of terminally ill patients also, Otan, and yes, I have seen folks that wanted to have that option and did not have it available. I just agree with Vina, in the way that having an ailing person kill theirself on stage is NOT ENTERTAINMENT.


Dude, I am all for many points of liberalism, but this goes way too far- WHERE IS THE LINE DRAWN?

Flashpointe said:

Yeah. I agree. I think I'd hurl if I were actually at the show...

Reminds me of Gladiators and public tortures and hangings. I hope we've evolved passed that, but I think many people haven't.