Jessica Anna Michalik (7 January 1985 – 31 January 2001) was an Australian girl from

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, born to Polish immigrants, who died as a result of

asphyxiation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are ...

five days after being crushed in a

mosh pit Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other. Taking place in an area called the mosh pit (or simply the pit), it is typically performed to aggressive s ...

during the 2001

Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...

music festival during a performance by headlining act

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...

Incident

Limp Bizkit tribute during Soundwave 2012 in Melbourne

Prior to Limp Bizkit's set, the band

At the Drive-In At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums ...

had taken exception to the vigorous moshing during their performance earlier that day. Their lead singer

Cedric Bixler-Zavala Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is an American musician. He has been the lead singer and lyricist of the progressive rock band the Mars Volta since its inception in 2001. He was the lead singer and only constant member of the post-ha ...

addressed the crowd at the conclusion of their song "Cosmonaut", saying "I think it's a very very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through

slamdancing Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other. Taking place in an area called the mosh pit (or simply the pit), it is typically performed to aggressive st ...

". Then after pointing at an audience member

crowd surfing Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person (often during a concert). The "crowd surfer" is passed above everyone's heads, with everyone's hands supporting the person's weight. Origins Iggy Pop leapt ...

, he continued "look at that... you didn't learn that from your best friend! You learned that from the TV!", and finally told 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. Reviewing Limp Bizkit's performance at the Big Day Out for ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...

'', Mark Hughes stated that "a horrifying looking rowdcrush" occurred at the front of the stage when the band began playing "

My Generation "My Generation" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by ''Rolling Stone'' on its list of the " 500 Greatest S ...

". The band were then cut short by medical personnel and security staff as they attempted to play " Re-Arranged". Durst reportedly encouraged the crowd "to settle down", and after a 15 minute break, the band resumed their performance with the songs " Take A Look Around" and " Break Stuff". After another intermission "to settle the rabid punters", during which the crowd was hosed with water by staff, Limp Bizkit performed the final song of their set, " Nookie". The

Coroner's Court of New South Wales The Coroner's Court of New South Wales is the court in the Australian state of New South Wales where legal proceedings, in the form of an inquest or inquiry, are held and presided over by the State Coroner of New South Wales (or NSW State Coro ...

findings into her death criticized the crowd control measures in use at the time, as well as Limp Bizkit lead singer

Fred Durst William Frederick Durst (born Frederick Allen Mayne III; August 20, 1970) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has release ...

for his "alarming and inflammatory" comments during the rescue effort. Michalik’s favourite band,

Grinspoon Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales, which formed in 1995 by Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar, Kristian Hopes on drums and frontman Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar. Also in that year, Grinspoon ...

performed at her funeral, and a "minute of noise" tribute had been observed at subsequent Big Day Out festivals. Limp Bizkit paid tribute to Michalik during their

Soundwave Soundwave or Sound Wave may refer to: * Sound, a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave * Acoustic wave, the wave which carries sound Festivals * Soundwave (Australian music festival), an annual music festival 2007–2016 * Soundwave Fe ...

2012 performances, which included performing under a banner with Jessica's name on it during the Brisbane and Melbourne legs.

Incident

References

Further reading