The "Munich 1999" Accident!

kai

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Besides all the LN stuff going on, here is a thread on something else.
You all know that bridge-accident fron 1999.

I'd like to know all the information about it.
We know that the bridge was supposed to not completely fall down and also in a much slower tempo.
After it happened you can see that Michael looks different. You see he had a lot pain and he was way more sweaty.
So what happened here? What did it mean to MJ's life after that show?
Anyone have more info about this. I hear a lot of stories that his doctor said he could have broken his backbone etc...
What is the truth?

Check here at 18:51
 
when any person falling like that it causes spine compression. MJ already said before around 1996 that his back was hurting sometimes. So this event defenetly left a mark on MJ's health
 
In a video posted by the Sun recorded in 2005, Michael spoke briefly about it.
 
The local performers for Earth Song started filing on stage. Earth Song began... then the bridge appeared, just as it had done in Korea. The children and adults slowly entered and filled the stage. The song builds.... Michael flies up the bridge and gyrates and pounds his feet, twirls as the bridge lifts away from its braces. Smoke, explosions, bombard our eyes and ears...the bridge continues higher and higher, but unlike rehearsals, and the last show.... it didn't pause at its pinnacle... INSTEAD it came careening down gaining speed with Michael tightly grasping the railings... still singing. I started screaming, but I could not even hear my own voice over the pyro, music, and the audience. I started running out from behind the stage in horror as the bridge quickly disappeared below the front of the stage, slamming down on the concrete floor. Security grabbed and stopped me, thinking I was going to ruin the performance.

Backstage, there was crying and screaming, only the crew and performers knew there was something desperately wrong. From our vantage point we had lost sight of Michael, as the bridge had fallen below the front of the stage. My heart stopped beating, while in the strong arms of a perplexed security guard. Even though the show continued for everyone else, time stood still for me as I could not imagine how Michael could have survived such a fall.

But slowly, and after what seemed like an eternity, as the music and applause continued, I saw one arm reach for the floor of the stage...then a long lean leg, another arm, another leg...he was up, center stage... finishing the end of Earth Song! My mouth dropped open in relieved amazement .

Looking dazed, he made his way to our side of the stage. "Michael, sit down...."

"NO!" He demanded.

"Security... please get him to the hospital!" I was begging.

"NO!" He grabbed the microphone and ran out to finish performing "You Are Not Alone".

I could not believe what I was witnessing. He finished the song, took his final bow, and returned once again to his stage dressing room and then... collapsed. Security whisked him off to a hospital in Munich.

Band members, dancers, Slash and crewmembers all shocked and amazed at what we had witnessed wrapped up the show with prayers in our hearts.

Once back in the hotel... I started making the phone calls to find out how he was. I got the reports that nothing was broken, but he was badly bruised, and his back was very badly strained. It had been a miracle. Being the performer he was, he knew how to land.

The next day we were to leave for Paris for a photo shoot. This had been postponed until he was better. I asked him..."Why did you continue? I cannot believe you were able to do that."

"You know Turkle, the only thing that I heard in my head, was my father's voice saying to me, MICHEAL, DON'T DISAPPOINT THE AUDIENCE!"


Later she aded via Twitter: "that left him with a back injury that effected him through the rest of his career."


Read more: https://www.truemichaeljackson.com/health/back-bruise/
 
It has also been written that the 1999 Munich accident was the starting point of his use of Propofol.

One of these sources is Frank Cascio’s book (‘My Friend Michael’).which was also the first book that made that revelation.

Hopefully, the bridge did not land on the audience’s heads in the front rows.

Can you imagine what would have happened in that case?

I always found foolhardy such things on stage (like that bridge thing on that show) for both the performer & the audience.

Parenthetically, the crane concept during his concerts (for ‘Beat It’, ‘Earth Song’) was just another act of unnecessary foolhardiness.
 
mj_frenzy;4248085 said:
It has also been written that the 1999 Munich accident was the starting point of his use of Propofol.

One of these sources is Frank Cascio’s book (‘My Friend Michael’).which was also the first book that made that revelation.

Hopefully, the bridge did not land on the audience’s heads in the front rows.

Can you imagine what would have happened in that case?

I always found foolhardy such things on stage (like that bridge thing on that show) for both the performer & the audience.

Parenthetically, the crane concept during his concerts (for ‘Beat It’, ‘Earth Song’) was just another act of unnecessary foolhardiness.

Have you seen the theatricality of today's mainstream acts? The crane is is nothing.
 
Just want to say that it seems weird that MJ would start using propofol - at home I'm guessing is the meaning of the statement - as a reslut of that injury, since it's a sedative..? Demerol and/or morpfine that as I understand it, MJ was hooked on between the Pepsi accident and the drug rehab in -93, seems more likely.

I just know that Michael referred to it now and again after the accident, not least during the trial when sitting on that wooden bench all days totally killed their back and of course when they slipped on the bathroom floor, got the back totally messed up sort of re-boothing that old injury and had to go to the hospital, but the judge didn't allow it.
 
I definitely think it must have damaged him in a way that was significant. Wasn't it already confirmed MJ was using propofol during the HIStory tour? Or am I getting that wrong?
 
I was at this concert, first row, it was scary. Was anyone else here there?
 
kai;4246832 said:
Besides all the LN stuff going on, here is a thread on something else.
You all know that bridge-accident fron 1999.

I'd like to know all the information about it.
We know that the bridge was supposed to not completely fall down and also in a much slower tempo.
After it happened you can see that Michael looks different. You see he had a lot pain and he was way more sweaty.
So what happened here? What did it mean to MJ's life after that show?
Anyone have more info about this. I hear a lot of stories that his doctor said he could have broken his backbone etc...
What is the truth?

Good question. But I fear we´ll never get an adequate answer. I was totally shocked by watching that! I remember back then nothing was written about it. Though it was such an absolutely serious, a horrendous occurance - the performer could have die! But afterwards nothing was explained. Why???
 
FlyMeToTheMoon;4248290 said:
Good question. But I fear we´ll never get an adequate answer. I was totally shocked by watching that! I remember back then nothing was written about it. Though it was such an absolutely serious, a horrendous occurance - the performer could have die! But afterwards nothing was explained. Why???

read what I posted in this thread, Karen Faye explain what happned
 
Also remember watching that as a kid.. but i knew that something was wrong because of the overdriven "boom" sound. And after that suddenly Michael looked like a dead person kind of to me. Or like an unreal person. His cheeks turned so red and same time his face was so pale. I always thought he might be in pain..
 
You are used to fireworks and big things happening, so to me it seemed like part of the show... then again, I think Michael can do anything...
 
mj_frenzy;4248085 said:
It has also been written that the 1999 Munich accident was the starting point of his use of Propofol.

One of these sources is Frank Cascio’s book (‘My Friend Michael’).which was also the first book that made that revelation.

Hopefully, the bridge did not land on the audience’s heads in the front rows.

Can you imagine what would have happened in that case?

I always found foolhardy such things on stage (like that bridge thing on that show) for both the performer & the audience.

Parenthetically, the crane concept during his concerts (for ‘Beat It’, ‘Earth Song’) was just another act of unnecessary foolhardiness.


Nowadays when a big rock band or a pop act that plays in a large venue uses a MJ-esque hydraulic lift, usually there will be some kind of safety belt that the performer puts around their waist heaven forbid they lose their balance. When MJ did it, it was a little more dangerous because not only were there no safety devices, but he would dangle out of the lift.
 
I feel it definitely caused a relapse in his drug addiction, I think it lasted throughout the early 2000's, he recovered whilst going through the trial and when in Dubai and Ireland but relapsed again during the This Is It rehearsals, such a shame!
 
but relapsed again during the This Is It rehearsals, such a shame!
-----------

evidence actually showed the opposite during that time. That was murrays defence but the evidence showed ge hardly touched the benzos diagnosed to him didnt use them per the dosage and certainly wasnt abusing them.
 
I´m surprised how hard it is for me to go back to that...

@1nn5. Yes, Karen Faye described a part of that what we could see. And there were Michaels few words the Sun-interview. Very many years later. But the circumstances around the occurance never were revealed.

The bridge definitively broke down as it never couldn´t have been regular. That was not a part of the show. We can compare it with the other MJ&Friends-shows. In Seoul: There the pieces of the bridge were put together again slowly and precisely - Michael still stood on it and performed, Slash played the guitar, Michael landed softly... Of course. No danger. But in Munich it was completely different. Shockingly dangerous for Michael! I was in panic as well as Karen Faye, though I only sat in front of the TV. And Michael? Despite his shock and, for sure, intense pain he was so incredibly disciplined to let the show continue!!! Obviously so many people even didn´t see what had happen.

I always wondered that nothing was written afterwards about maybe a false construction, any technical problems, accident or not or what...
 
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My sister thought that Michael had died in front of her eyes. Of course, he survived. But my sister saw that something was wrong, and it was later revealed that he was rushed to a hospital after the concert.
 
A lot of people say that the 1984 Pepsi incident was one of the major factors that changed MJ's life forever, however people don't really remember this incident that well. I think that the Munich accident was just as serious as the Pepsi accident. I mean, nothing was broken and he wasn't life threateningly injured, but it still did a number on him.
 
I always wondered that nothing was written afterwards about maybe a false construction, any technical problems, accident or not or what...

It was reported at that time that the 1999 Munich bridge accident happened because of a serious mechanical failure which in turn created an explosion and then the bridge began to fall down at a high speed until it eventually crashed down.

Michael Jackson got big and persistent pains on his back from that accident, and these pains continued to affect him in the following period.

He even later cancelled his two Millennium concerts (Sydney, Hawaii) because of these pains which did not let him dance properly while rehearsing for those two concerts.

Even during his trial in 2004-2005, these pains on his back were still causing him much physical discomfort while he was sitting on his chair inside the court room.
 
mj_frenzy;4284299 said:
It was reported at that time that the 1999 Munich bridge accident happened because of a serious mechanical failure which in turn created an explosion and then the bridge began to fall down at a high speed until it eventually crashed down.

Yes, of course, that was definitely ´a serious mechanical failure´. Where did you read that? Where was reported about this accident? I followed the news, but never saw any explanation.
 
What does that mean? “At least I had an unclouded experience?”

Unclouded?

Anyway, I am admitting that I didn’t see it, because I want to try and help clear up what happened. Then it’s better to tell the truth, right?!?!

Even though it’s embarrassing to say, that I didn’t notice.

It would be cooler to make up a story, right? And say, “oh yeah I knew right away, that it wasn’t part of the show” blablabla

If I would have been at the very front, then perhaps I would have noticed. But I was not at the front. As I remember there was a bracelet system, if I remember correctly. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY!!! I only had the second best bracelet, or something. (Can anyone else remember this?) The only positive thing to say about that is, that it was one of the few concerts, where I didn’t feel like a train had hit me afterwards.

I know there was articles written in the German newspapers about it. I wasn’t told untill the next day.
 
FlyMeToTheMoon;4284385 said:
Yes, of course, that was definitely ´a serious mechanical failure´. Where did you read that? Where was reported about this accident? I followed the news, but never saw any explanation.

German media reported at the time that the accident happened simply due to a technical/mechanical failure (for example, “Es war schlichtweg ein technischer Fehler” was one of their report references about that accident back then).

Greek media at the time also spoke about a serious mechanical failure as the cause of that accident.

Also, certain Michael Jackson fanzines that were published in the following one or two months after his 1999 Munich performance, in their review section of that performance they also wrote about a technical or mechanical failure (that caused the bridge to fall down violently).
 
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