Man takes deadly leap from roof to stage at concert

SAN FRANCISCO - A concertgoer died in an apparent suicide when he jumped from the roof of an amphitheatre onto the stage where a folk music duo was performing, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

The death occurred during a concert by the group Swell Season late Thursday at Mountain Winery’s outdoor stage outside Saratoga, California, about 80 km south of San Francisco.

The man who died was identified by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office as Michael Edward Pickels, 32 of San Jose, California.

He had gone to the concert with a friend but slipped away from their seats during the performance, sheriff’s spokesman Sergeant Rick Sung told the Chronicle.

A short time later, he appeared at the roof above the musicians and plummeted to the stage from a height of at least eight metres.

Another concertgoer said that Swell Season had just performed a song with the title When Your Mind’s Made Up, prior to the incident. The duo halted the concert and later posted a message of condolence on their website.