When the paramedics arrived at Respectable Street Wednesday night to treat his injured leg, Monotonix frontman initially refused to leave with them. (For a full account of the incident, which cut the band's headlining set short after four songs, click here.) By shortly before 1 a.m., it was clear that Shalev was too injured to continue the show -- even though he seemed at first like he wanted to try -- but it was unclear if he would seek further medical attention.
via myspace.com/monotonix
Turns out he was, in fact, hurt badly enough to do so, and the band finally went to JFK Memorial Hospital in Atlantis (that's in Palm Beach County) around 2 a.m. There they spent the wee hours of the morning, signing autographs and generally keeping the hospital staff entertained, guitarist Yonatan Gat wrote yesterday on the band's MySpace page. Gat also wrote that while yesterday's show in Athens, Georgia was canceled, the band would try to finish its January shows in North Carolina before flying to Chicago to record, as planned, with Steve Albini.
Hit the jump to read the band's account of the Respectable Street show, and to see more hospital photos posted to the band's MySpace.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Ami injured leg, Athens show cancelled
during the show in west palm beach, florida we did with surfer blood in "respectable st. cafe" (which was our first southern florida show), Ami had a bad landing on his feet during the first song. he was on Haggai, then he jumped down, and got a bad pain in his right knee, it's something he's been carrying since a blow he suffered at a show in tel aviv in the summer of 2008.
we kept playing the second song but obviously something was wrong with Ami, and we didn't know if we should stop or not yet. he tried to keep going, but during the third song it was pretty obvious he can't go on after he had to lean on people from the audience to stay standing. we never stopped a show in 700 shows, but yesterday it seemed like we should. Ami asked if there was a paramedic or doctor at the audience, and everyone thought it was a joke. even when he laid down at the side of the venue a guy that was helping him (which was a wrestling coach) kept asking us if it was a prank and he's gonna get up and keep going in a sec. I was holding the ice on Ami's leg and people kept asking: "are you guys selling merch?" we stopped the show and Ami layed down. an ambulance came and Ami refused to get on it.
we packed our stuff and drove to JFK Memorial Hospital close to Palm Beach and put Ami on a wheelchair. the doctor showed up asking for autographs and started having the nurses take his pictures with Ami and the band. other nurses kept coming in and out of the room with monotonix show videos playing on their ipods. the highlight of the evening was the doctor showing us youtubes of his 12 year old son playing drums while Ami is getting pain killer shots to his butt from the nurse. there was a commercial TV in the hospital room and the bill was tremendous.
we're gonna cancel tonight in Athens, but still try to make it to Charlotte and Asheville to finish the tour properly, and then off to Chicago to record.
Ami is in good spirits, but still can't step on his leg. we're hoping it will be better soon.
 |
| via myspace.com/monotonix |
 |
| via myspace.com/monotonix |
 |
| via myspace.com/monotonix |
 |
| via myspace.com/monotonix |
