Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Speaks Out About Performing After Acrobat's Death

Acrobat fell to his death while performing just before Green Day's show at a festival in Madrid

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong says his band "most likely" would not have performed at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid had they been informed that an acrobat had fallen to his death at the venue just before the group's set.

Pedro Aunion Monroy, 42, was performing a stunt in which he was suspended in a cage by a harness hanging from a crane. He fell from a height of around 100 feet and was pronounced dead after paramedics were unable to revive him. Green Day performed their set afterwards as scheduled, then revealed on Twitter that they learned about the accident only after they had finished, calling the acrobat a "brave artist."

Amid growing criticism, Armstrong released a lengthier statement Sunday on the band's website.

"We are so sad for Pedro and his family and we pray for them in this time of grief," he said. "I can't imagine how much suffering the friends and family are going through."

 

"Many of you are wondering why we continued to play our show after the accident," he wrote. "Green Day did not hear about the accident until after our show was over. We didn't even know there was an acrobat performance at all. These festivals are huge. There are so many things happening at the same time it's impossible to keep up with every performer/artist."

Armstrong said the band was warming up about half a mile away from the main stage at the time of the accident.

"Fifteen minutes prior our tour management was told by local authorities to wait to go on stage because there was some sort of security issue," he said. "Security issues are a normal occurrence and procedure at any show.. We were NOT told why which is also normal. We waited as we were instructed. Still, We had no clue there was any such accident. We were given the OK. The band jumped into vans and drove to the main festival stage."

He said Green Day performed for more than two hours at the show, which marked their final gig of their European tour.

"Everything seemed normal," Armstrong said. "The crowd and fans had a good time. We got off stage and drove back to our artist compound. It was there when we were told the shocking news about Pedro. All of us were in disbelief. I don't know why the authorities chose not to tell us about the accident before our concert. All we know is what was said after our concert."

"This has never happened in the 30 years Green Day have been performing live," he wrote. "If we had known prior to our performance we most likely would not have played at all. We are not heartless people. The safety and well being at any of our concerts absolutely comes first. What happened to Pedro is unthinkable. Once again we are heartbroken for his friends and family. We are also shocked and heartbroken for anyone that had to witness this tragedy."