Nearly Blinded by Crowd Injury, Community Rallies to Help RITM’s Bunny

[Simon]

Nearly Blinded by Crowd Injury, Community Rallies to Help RITM’s Bunny

A literally blinding eye injury from a festival in South Korea has changed the life or Rabbit in the Moon’s Bunny forever. The dance community is rallying to help him, this Saturday with a benefit dubbed the Bunnyfit (http://www.giantclub.com/), at Giant’s anniversary party in LA on September 6th.

For more than a decade, Rabbit in the Moon has pushed the boundaries of live electronic music through stunning stage antics, theatrical costumery, and a dedication to expressing the best of life through their music. RITM frontman Bunny personifies what the group is all about, and he’s become a sort of icon in the dance community. He is warm and gracious to eager fans who declare their obsession with him after a gig and accessible on stage and off for those who want to share in the love-filled rave or post rave experience.

It’s a cruel irony then that Bunny would fall victim to an act of violence that has caused his near-blindness brought on by an audience member. This past May, Bunny and Rabbit in the Moon were hired to perform at the second Annual World DJ Festival in Seoul, South Korea. Bunny performed the first night and accompanied his friends DJ Dan and Donald Glaude to the festival the second night when they performed, assisting them with some technical and sound issues. It was the second night when a glass bottle, thrown by a member of the festival’s crowd, was launched intentionally and directly at Bunny, hitting him squarely in his left eye, destroying his retina, lens, some skin underneath, and his vision. He talked exclusively to Big Shot about his ordeal and the painful aftermath.
“I was standing next to Dan and I got hit in the chest with like, a coin, and some dude in the crowd was flipping me off and looking at me like ‘yeah, I threw it.’ I didn’t think anything of it, just what happens at festivals and stuff.”

It was 20 minutes later when the second object was thrown. “It went right to my face. I got hit in the eye with a bottle. It went directly into my eye. I immediately collapsed, bleeding. They carried me off and took me to the hospital. I basically thought I lost my eye. I’m a visual artist, so losing an eye would be like… I mean, it’s a big part of my life and livelihood.”

At the hospital, his flesh wound was stitched up, but he was given the option of having an immediate and dramatic surgery on this eye to recover some of the vision there in Seoul, risking complications that would have stranded him overseas, unable to fly for months. Bunny opted to return to the US, with the promoters’ promise that his medical expenses would be paid for. That was not the case.

Although every live music event is contractually obligated to insure themselves for these kind of accidents, and RITM’s contract with the promoters of this event was no different in its stipulations, it has become clear since this incident that any insurance policy on hand was insufficient. Unlike in the US, Korea has no law regulating punitive damages, meaning nobody can be sued for liability. Bunny has no legal recourse in Korea, only in the US, and even if the promoters are sued in a US court, they would have to be extradited to enforce a US court’s penalty of law.

Bunny has paid out of pocket for two surgeries this summer. At this point he has about 20% vision in his left eye, which renders his depth perception and peripheral vision obsolete. From the surgeries, he’s also acquired trauma-induced glaucoma, which creates erratic levels of a painful pressure on his eye. “It’s so extreme I can’t even put sentences together,” he says of the times when the glaucoma flares up.

It’s been four months since the accident. While he’s learned to manage the day-to-day details of his life, it’s understandable still an upsetting ordeal. He describes moments of waking up and thinking that it didn’t really happen, and then—upon looking at anything—realizes it’s all too real.

He estimates his basic monthly expenses for his eye care—including doctor’s visits and eye drops—is about a thousand dollars, and that doesn’t include any extra procedures or surgeries, many of which still loom in the future. Because so many artists like Bunny don’t have healthcare (certainly not group health plans either), and the US has no national healthcare, Bunny’s story has caught the attention of the dance community, which has organized a benefit, the Bunnyfit, to aid and offset his considerable medical expenses.

Naturally, DJ Dan and Donald Glaude are performing at the Bunnyfit, forgoing their fees to help their friend. Other performers include LA-based artists like Sandra Collins and her husband Vello Virkhaus, Quivver, and Freddy Be. Rabbit in the Moon, of course, will also DJ at the event.
This experience has impacted Bunny in ways yet to be seen, not the least of which is his intermittent anxiety about what could happen to him when he’s on stage. “Things I never thought of in fifteen years of interacting with an audience,” he says of these fears.

Luckily for his fans and his own life, he hasn’t let any of this stop him. “I have to trust. I am at the mercy of the audience and they are to me.”

Words: Zel McCarthy
http://newsflash.bigshotmag.com/?p=1237

[JuliaP]

Wish I could be there to support it.

[phunkphreaker]

wow.

That is horrible.

At least he did not get it as bad as Dimebag. :sadpanda:

No more RITM makes a very sad me. Hope he recovers.

[dubsteptim]

that sucks

fuck that asshole who hit him. what an utter dick

[shade]

wow that's shitty :thumbsdown:

[Daniel Paul]

that sucks

fuck that asshole who hit him. what an utter dick

you mean fuck that asshole with a stolen, crooked, lumpy, fat dick. thats a really shitty thing to do to anyone for no reason. i hope karma really bites that person in the ass.

[shade]

how does one steal a dick?

[Cliff]

how does one steal a dick?

there are ways my friend


you don't want to know


but there are ways

[phunkphreaker]

how does one steal a dick?

Simple. Just follow these steps.

1) walk into men's room

2) rip off unsuspecting guys dick at urinal

3) run

[Daniel Paul]

how does one steal a dick?

got me? it just sounded good at the time.

i wouldnt wanna use my dick so in order to procure one i guess id have to steal it. ill be damned if im gonna ask someone to borrow theirs.

[beth]

dang, yo.

[Utopium]

Damn, that sucks. I'm surprised this hasn't happened earlier though since that part of the routine where he throw out those glowsticks adds potential risk to put an eye out.

[stormryder]

Damn, that sucks. I'm surprised this hasn't happened earlier though since that part of the routine where he throw out those glowsticks adds potential risk to put an eye out.

If this had actually been a glowstick, I wouldn't quite know whether to laugh or cry or both.

[maynard]

wow, that's really fucked up.

[JuliaP]

being tall I HATE when those long glow sticks get out into the audience because someone beside me is always whipping it around above there head and in my eye.. But this REALLY sucks. I hope in time he has a close to full recovery.

[JacobDaniel]

Wow dude, that's fucking horrible :sadpanda:

[cherri sassis]

that sucks....

and his line about not letting this stop him is true....i would never have known anything was wrong with him by his performance at the virgin festival

[zarbizarre]

Nearly Blinded by Crowd Injury, Community Rallies to Help RITM’s Bunny

A literally blinding eye injury from a festival in South Korea has changed the life or Rabbit in the Moon’s Bunny forever. The dance community is rallying to help him, this Saturday with a benefit dubbed the Bunnyfit (http://www.giantclub.com/), at Giant’s anniversary party in LA on September 6th.

For more than a decade, Rabbit in the Moon has pushed the boundaries of live electronic music through stunning stage antics, theatrical costumery, and a dedication to expressing the best of life through their music. RITM frontman Bunny personifies what the group is all about, and he’s become a sort of icon in the dance community. He is warm and gracious to eager fans who declare their obsession with him after a gig and accessible on stage and off for those who want to share in the love-filled rave or post rave experience.

It’s a cruel irony then that Bunny would fall victim to an act of violence that has caused his near-blindness brought on by an audience member. This past May, Bunny and Rabbit in the Moon were hired to perform at the second Annual World DJ Festival in Seoul, South Korea. Bunny performed the first night and accompanied his friends DJ Dan and Donald Glaude to the festival the second night when they performed, assisting them with some technical and sound issues. It was the second night when a glass bottle, thrown by a member of the festival’s crowd, was launched intentionally and directly at Bunny, hitting him squarely in his left eye, destroying his retina, lens, some skin underneath, and his vision. He talked exclusively to Big Shot about his ordeal and the painful aftermath.
“I was standing next to Dan and I got hit in the chest with like, a coin, and some dude in the crowd was flipping me off and looking at me like ‘yeah, I threw it.’ I didn’t think anything of it, just what happens at festivals and stuff.”

It was 20 minutes later when the second object was thrown. “It went right to my face. I got hit in the eye with a bottle. It went directly into my eye. I immediately collapsed, bleeding. They carried me off and took me to the hospital. I basically thought I lost my eye. I’m a visual artist, so losing an eye would be like… I mean, it’s a big part of my life and livelihood.”

At the hospital, his flesh wound was stitched up, but he was given the option of having an immediate and dramatic surgery on this eye to recover some of the vision there in Seoul, risking complications that would have stranded him overseas, unable to fly for months. Bunny opted to return to the US, with the promoters’ promise that his medical expenses would be paid for. That was not the case.

Although every live music event is contractually obligated to insure themselves for these kind of accidents, and RITM’s contract with the promoters of this event was no different in its stipulations, it has become clear since this incident that any insurance policy on hand was insufficient. Unlike in the US, Korea has no law regulating punitive damages, meaning nobody can be sued for liability. Bunny has no legal recourse in Korea, only in the US, and even if the promoters are sued in a US court, they would have to be extradited to enforce a US court’s penalty of law.

Bunny has paid out of pocket for two surgeries this summer. At this point he has about 20% vision in his left eye, which renders his depth perception and peripheral vision obsolete. From the surgeries, he’s also acquired trauma-induced glaucoma, which creates erratic levels of a painful pressure on his eye. “It’s so extreme I can’t even put sentences together,” he says of the times when the glaucoma flares up.

It’s been four months since the accident. While he’s learned to manage the day-to-day details of his life, it’s understandable still an upsetting ordeal. He describes moments of waking up and thinking that it didn’t really happen, and then—upon looking at anything—realizes it’s all too real.

He estimates his basic monthly expenses for his eye care—including doctor’s visits and eye drops—is about a thousand dollars, and that doesn’t include any extra procedures or surgeries, many of which still loom in the future. Because so many artists like Bunny don’t have healthcare (certainly not group health plans either), and the US has no national healthcare, Bunny’s story has caught the attention of the dance community, which has organized a benefit, the Bunnyfit, to aid and offset his considerable medical expenses.

Naturally, DJ Dan and Donald Glaude are performing at the Bunnyfit, forgoing their fees to help their friend. Other performers include LA-based artists like Sandra Collins and her husband Vello Virkhaus, Quivver, and Freddy Be. Rabbit in the Moon, of course, will also DJ at the event.
*This experience has impacted Bunny in ways yet to be seen*, not the least of which is his intermittent anxiety about what could happen to him when he’s on stage. “Things I never thought of in fifteen years of interacting with an audience,” he says of these fears.

Luckily for his fans and his own life, he hasn’t let any of this stop him. “I have to trust. I am at the mercy of the audience and they are to me.”

Words: Zel McCarthy
http://newsflash.bigshotmag.com/?p=1237


wow, that really sucks... hope everything works out for him

the part I bolded, someone needs to fire the editor there, thats poor taste to let that slip by in the article due to the very nature of it, no matter how innocent the sentence is or was meant to be

[GoldenArms]

Man that fucking sucks.

[Jungle Jessi]

:sadpanda:

people are so shitty sometimes.

[Rican]

i would never have known anything was wrong with him by his performance at the virgin festival

yeah that's what i was just thinking...

hope it works out...

[Raverjimbob]

This one is big. Congress is working to stop incidents like these as we speak.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOSBH84Wqtg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOSBH84Wqtg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[kathy v]

that sucks....

and his line about not letting this stop him is true....i would never have known anything was wrong with him by his performance at the virgin festival

Absolutely. He came out in true form for his fans at Virgin Fest. What a shame for this to happen to anyone but to Bunny in particular - such a descent guy...so very sad...

[Funshine]

Wow.... that's terrible :sadpanda:

[Tatts4Life]

Holy shit I would be pissed if that happened to me. I hope he's OK and they can still tour. I know there show is played out but it's still neat to watch.

[RAMIRO]

This one is big. Congress is working to stop incidents like these as we speak.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOSBH84Wqtg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOSBH84Wqtg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

niiice

[RAMIRO]

the flyer for it is classic
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/darroyo152/image.jpg

[justgaia]

Sweet flyer! That is such a bummer though.

[Maffew]

What the hell is RITM doing in Korea to begin with?
The guy that threw the bottle should be shot, or dropped in the middle of D.C. for a night of friendliness.
I can't believe that shit.
Somebody should set up a fund consisting of Paypal donations.
I know I would contribute some funds for Bunny.
I guess RITM needs chicken wire now. (Blues Brothers movie)

Maybe I'm an evil bastard for doing this but ....

"Look into the eye, look into the eye!"

[sprklqueen]

They were playing the World DJ Festival as were many others.

I just heard about this the other day & am amazed at the stupidity of the person responsible.

[PaulieWalnuts]

Their website is down and there's no link to information on donating.

Fail is their press agent.

[xgirl]

the flyer for it is classic
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/darroyo152/image.jpg

yay! this was my party ramiro! i love the flyer too. :)

the benefit last night went really well! here are pictures -
http://photo.rukes.com/vanguard121/vanguard121.html

you can still donate on line, here is the site....
http://www.thebunnycoalition.com/

[JuliaP]

Really looks like it was an awesome night....

[PaulieWalnuts]

Why the fuck don't people accept checks anymore? Are we really that impersonalized that it's become impolite to actually write a check with a NOTE OF APPRECIATION OR CONDOLENCE OR WHATEVER BEHOOVES THE SITUATION?

Paypal's shit. Fuck that.

[method]

poor bunny :sadpanda:

[Tatts4Life]

His eye doesn't look that bad. Hope he's doing better and gets his full sight back.

[xgirl]

Why the fuck don't people accept checks anymore? Are we really that impersonalized that it's become impolite to actually write a check with a NOTE OF APPRECIATION OR CONDOLENCE OR WHATEVER BEHOOVES THE SITUATION?

Paypal's shit. Fuck that.

wow. ok. if you want a name and address i can get you one.

[xgirl]

His eye doesn't look that bad. Hope he's doing better and gets his full sight back.

this happened 3 months ago, he's already had 2 surgeries and several other various eye doctor appointments. cosmetically, it's looking ok now, but he still only has 20% sight in his left eye. here are some pictures of his eye just after the accident....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2840160097_4da0f756d1_o.jpg

[Tatts4Life]

this happened 3 months ago, he's already had 2 surgeries and several other various eye doctor appointments. cosmetically, it's looking ok now, but he still only has 20% sight in his left eye. here are some pictures of his eye just after the accident....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2840160097_4da0f756d1_o.jpg

OH FUCK That's nasty. It's amazing what doctors can do. At least they were able to make his eye look normal.

[| Bass Drop |]

Ok. Seriously. I love RITM and all and would never wish this type of injury on anyone.

Because so many artists like Bunny don’t have healthcare

But why the fuck don't you (and many other artists) have insurance?!?! An individual policy isn't that expensive. Really, it isn't.

[DJ ZeroAlpha]

how is RITM not making $1000 per gig overseas?

[juicyjay]

oh no!

[☮♥♪]

Dang. I got a corneal abrasion once and it was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. Thankfully my eye totally recovered without the need for any surgery.
What a shitty thing for someone to do:(

[zoot]

i hate those that throw stuff at a show!at all good during bassnecter i was w/ a chick that ate a glowstick in the eye. she is fine but ithink it is the lowest form of entertainment to heave something thru the air for your own enjoyment,with out thinking about the end results. ive seen this at to many events, IT SUCKS.

[☮♥♪]

yeah-Sadly, I think this is a pretty common problem for musicians. I remember seeing water bottles and trash thrown at performers at a number of alternative/rock festivals but never seen it happen at any electronic events before.

[method]

RAVE GOGGLES

not just for blurring your vision anymore.

[Christine]

the part I bolded, someone needs to fire the editor there, thats poor taste to let that slip by in the article due to the very nature of it, no matter how innocent the sentence is or was meant to be
I don't think that's really a big deal -- it's not like the writer was trying to make an in-very-poor-taste pun. Granted, something like "yet to become apparent" would've been better.

Far more grievous (in my opinion as a professional writer-editor) is the headline -- the way it's structured, "nearly blinded by crowd injury" modifies "community," not "RITM's Bunny."

[Christine]

But why the fuck don't you (and many other artists) have insurance?!?! An individual policy isn't that expensive. Really, it isn't.
And this.

What happened to Bunny is truly awful, but people need to recognize that they are taking a big, big gamble if they don't have health insurance. Sure, it's not cheap if it's not through your employer, but what happened to Victoria Williams should've been a wake-up call to all professional musicians.

For anyone not familiar with the Victoria Williams story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Williams

In 1993, Williams' life took a dramatic turn when she learned that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis. In 1993, an array of artists from different genres, including Pearl Jam, Lou Reed, Maria McKee, Soul Asylum, Lucinda Williams and others, joined together to record some of Williams' songs for a tribute/benefit project called Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams. This led to the creation of the Sweet Relief Fund, a charity that aids professional musicians (of any stature) in need of health care.

[PaulieWalnuts]

They need to do like that bar in Road House and equip all rave stages with chicken wire perimeter fencing.

[Dj Akasha]

What a story, that shits ridiculous.

[Judson Myers]

Poor Bunny.

[Maffew]

They need to do like that bar in Road House and equip all rave stages with chicken wire perimeter fencing.
Or some machine gun nests as discussed in the Wayne's World movie by the crazy roadie guy.

[thelazee1]

damn that sucks. bunny has always put so much into what he does. this is just a damn shame.

[zartan]

Ok. Seriously. I love RITM and all and would never wish this type of injury on anyone.



But why the fuck don't you (and many other artists) have insurance?!?! An individual policy isn't that expensive. Really, it isn't.

not true. try actually getting one.

[| Bass Drop |]

not true. try actually getting one.


Actually, it is. I know from second hand knowledge (my brother). Sure it's taxed but I mean WTF you gonna do? Walk on pins & needles all yourt life hoping some type of injury or a new/random health problem doesn't come your way? No thanks!

But in this particular case don't you agree that Bunny could/should afford health insurance for himself?

[housecat]

I didn't read the article.. did it say he had NO health insurance whatsoever or was it not valid because he was out of the country? I know that if you're out of the country and something happens your insurance may not cover you there. Regardless, of why he didn't have it this sucks big time. Even if insurance did cover it, that is horrible.

How are you gonna pay to see a live act then fucking throw a bottle at 'em. Stupid people suck.

[Funshine]

From the article.. his "insurance policy on hand was insufficient". And you can't sue anyone for liability in Korea.

Sucks, dude.

[housecat]

So he did have insurance. Back off people sheeeeesh.

That's bullshit you can't sue in Korea. Here you can sue people for looking at you wrong.

[| Bass Drop |]

From the article.. his "insurance policy on hand was insufficient". And you can't sue anyone for liability in Korea.

Sucks, dude.


Although every live music event is contractually obligated to insure themselves for these kind of accidents, and RITM’s contract with the promoters of this event was no different in its stipulations, it has become clear since this incident that any insurance policy on hand was insufficient.

I think that is in regard to the promoter and their insurance for throwing an event. Not Bunny's own personal policy being insufficient. At least that's the way I read it.

[| Bass Drop |]

So he did have insurance. Back of people sheeeeesh.

That's bullshit you can't sue in Korea. Here you can sue people for looking at you wrong.


lol...simma'

Yeah I brought it back.

[Funshine]

I think that is in regard to the promoter and their insurance for throwing an event. Not Bunny's own personal policy being insufficient. At least that's the way I read it.

Yeah, you're totally right. I'm not at the top of my game this morning :)

[| Bass Drop |]

:) s'ok, me either.

*goes to coffee pot for more joe*

[unknown dj]

look into the eye....ouch, some one threw something @ my eye........just a joke ...listen to the song: mind fuck from ritm

[Maffew]

look into the eye....ouch, some one threw something @ my eye........just a joke ...listen to the song: mind fuck from ritm

From page 2,
......

Maybe I'm an evil bastard for doing this but ....

"Look into the eye, look into the eye!"
Beat you to it.

[unknown dj]

dammit!! maybe next year!