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Band offers counselling for fans who witnessed suicide at gig
Alt-rock band the Swell Season has offered to pay for counselling sessions for hundreds of fans who witnessed a man jump to his death at a concert.
The Swell Season were performing on an outdoor stage in California, when 32-year-old Michael Pickels jumped to his death in an apparent suicide.
The band, fronted by Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, were finishing performing a song when Pickels jumped from the roof covering the stage. He landed near Hansard, who waited by the man as paramedics made their way to the scene.
According to Associated Press, around 1,900 attended the concert at the Mountain Winery venue in Saratoga, and most of them are thought to have witnessed the tragic event.
Hansard has since confirmed his band will pay for four group sessions fronted by professionals with counselling training. The sessions will be free for any audience members who feel affected by the incident.
Irish musician Hansard, who starred in the 2006 film 'Once' alongside bandmate Marketa Irglova, said the incident hit him hard and that he felt for anyone in the crowd who may have witnessed it.
"It was a terrible shock," Hansard told The Herald.
"To everyone at the concert, my sympathies are with his family and friends and specially to the children and adults in the audience who had to witness such a tragic thing," he added.
