Green Day Responds to Acrobat's Death, 'We Weren't Told Until After the Show' (UPDATE)
Green Day on Acrobat's Death Band Wasn't Told 'Til After the Show 'We Are Not Heartless People'
1:23 PM PT : Organizers of the Mad Cool Music Festival have explained why they did not cancel the show following the acrobat's death, saying they followed orders from state and local security forces who felt canceling the show would present a safety issue ... and that people would possibly react violently at an event of about 45,000 attendees.
Green Day says they didn't find out that an acrobat died in a performance before their set at a music festival in Spain until AFTER they had left the stage.
Pedro Aunion Monroy fell to his death Saturday at the Mad Cool Music Festival in Madrid, Spain.
In a statement posted to the band's website on Sunday, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said, "We are so sad for Pedro and his family and we pray for them in this time of grief."
As to why the band continued to play after the acrobat's death, Armstrong insists they weren't told about Pedro's death until AFTER the performance. "We had no clue there was any such accident", he says.
Armstrong adds that the band was only made aware of a "security issue." They were not told any more specifics than that, which Armstrong says is normal.
Only after the concert was the band told of Pedro's shocking death. The band said had they known about Pedro’s death they likely would not have performed.
“We are not heartless people," Armstrong says... "The safety and well being at any of our concerts absolutely comes first. What happened to Pedro is unthinkable. Once again we are heartbroken for his friends and family. We are also shocked and heartbroken for anyone that had to witness this tragedy."
