You go to all the effort of planning a little suicide for your fans to enjoy and those pesky legislators step in and remove all your fun. The city council of St Petersburg in Florida have passed new legislation ahead of this weekend's proposed Hell on Earth gig where the band claim a terminally ill fan will commit suicide in order to raise awareness of the 'right to die' campaign. Although some reckon the proposals to stage such a suicide would leave the band and the venue open to prosecution on the grounds they "assisted" in allowing someone's death, the band's lawyers argued current laws would not make them liable. So, just to be, sure the City Council have written some new laws, making it specifically illegal to conduct a suicide for commercial or entertainment purposes.
Commenting on the new legislation one council member told reporters: "While I still think it's a publicity stunt, we still couldn't sit idly by and let somebody lose their life."
It is still unclear whether or not the proposed suicide is actually just a publicity stunt - something the band is famous for. If it is a genuine plan it is also unclear where the gig will take place - the owner of the city's Palace Theater where the gig was due to take place pulled the booking after the local uproar about the suicide plan. But band front man Billy Tourtelot says the gig, and the suicide, will go ahead in the city in an undisclosed location: "This show is far more than a typical Hell On Earth performance. This is about standing up for what you believe in, and I am a strong supporter of physician-assisted suicide."