It’s May 2012. Famous DJ Steve Aoki is throwing a concert called Intervention at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Brittany Hickman and her co-workers are on a weekend getaway and bought tickets to the Sunday show.
Hickman wasn’t familiar with Steve Aoki, but she decided to attend the concert anyway. “I tried to listen to a few of his songs to get a feel for what it would be like,” she said.
EDM concert-goers certainly know who Steve Aoki is. He has over 2 million followers on Twitter. He’s a grammy nominated artist, and in 2008, he won a Billboard music award for best mix album of the year.
His fans also know what his shows are like. They’re filled with exhilarating electronic music and wild performances. Aoki isn’t afraid of his pushing his shows past the line of absurdity with his stunts. He’ll crowd surf, shower the audience in champagne and other booze, and throw cakes at fans’ faces. Basically, anyone near the front of the stage should prepare for almost anything and everything.
Recently, eight people were injured at a free downtown Los Angeles concert. Someone had jumped up and held onto a camera boom, forcing it to crash down other fans. Fortunately, all the injuries were minor.
The Hard Rock Hotel show wasn’t any different, but the repercussions of Aoki’s stunts were much worse this time. During the set, Aoki climbed up the scaffolding and jumped off the stage landing on a raft which the crowd was holding.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_S1bfZLeXg&w=560&h=315]
Below the raft stood Hickman. She was unaware of Aoki’s jump off the estimated 20-foot makeshift stage, and the moment it happened she was struck in the head, instantly knocking her unconscious. When she came to she was being attended by someone on the Hard Rock Hotel medical staff.
Severe pain led her to the doctors who told her that her neck was broken. Any slight movement overhead or heavy object lifted could have left her paralyzed. She spent several days in the hospital and missed two months of work.
Finally, after three years she’s bringing the case to court, and the lawsuit isn’t only against the performer but also the venue.
“Your life can be changed so much for someone’s reckless actions,” said Hickman
As the case is now heading to trial, Steve Aoki and the Hard Rock Hotel management have not spoken out about the issue.
Image via: flickr/Jared eberhardt
