Advertisement
(AUSTIN, TEXAS) -- Citing the little known "it's only rock 'n' roll, and you don't always have to like it" statute, a jury in Austin, Texas, cleared the members of the Jesus Lizard in a lawsuit filed by a fan who claimed she was injured at their concert. |
Last week, lead singer David Yow flew home to Austin where he and bandmates Duane Denison and David Sims were all found not responsible for an audience member's medical treatment.
Melissa Slepekis, 26, sued the band and Liberty Lunch -- the Austin nightclub where Jesus Lizard played on May 2, 1996 -- after Yow allegedly threw a nearly full beer can that struck her on the side of her face. In testimony, two doctors supported Slepekis' complaints of ongoing jaw problems and headaches, while several witnesses recalled seeing Yow hurl the can from stage.
"David said he doesn't remember (throwing the can)," Slepekis' attorney, John Anderson, said, arguing against the singer. "He said, 'I don't remember but I don't think I would have wasted a full beer.'"
Called to testify, Yow was unapologetic about his outrageous antics onstage, where he usually stage-dives, crowd-surfs and boldly interacts with the crowd. "What I'm doing is entertainment," he said. "It's part of the show, part of why people come to a Jesus Lizard show."
Defense lawyers and the jury apparently agreed, saying fans should know what they're getting into when they go to a concert by a band like the Jesus Lizard. "We didn't feel the conduct of the band or the club was anything out of the ordinary," said juror Barbara Straub, 61, who added she was impressed by the testimony Yow's mother, Doris, gave in his defense. Doris had attended the 1996 concert, and described her son's shows as "the most fun I've ever had in my life."
When the four-day trial ended on Thursday, Yow said he wasn't
going to tone down his performance at all when the band goes back
on tour this week. "It's back to business as usual," he said.
(Chris Riemenschneider)