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MACHINE HEAD Plays Zurich Concert Despite Family Loss

December 8, 2007

MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel's father passed away a few hours before the group's concert Friday (December 7) in Zurich, Switzerland. During the band's performance, frontman Robb Flynn dedicated the song "Descend the Shades of Night" to everyone who has lost someone important in his/her life, and informed the crowd that MACHINE HEAD had just lost a family member of its own, adding that the song would be played in Phil's father's honor. (See video footage below.) Demmel reportedly cried while he played the solo to the track, which Flynn had previously described as "an eight-minute elegy on death."

As previously reported, MACHINE HEAD's show in Milan, Italy on Thursday (December 6) was cut short after Demmel apparently fainted/collapsed on stage 35 minutes into MACHINE HEAD's set (during the intro to "Descend the Shades of Night"). He was subsequently tended to by medical emergency professionals and reportedly didn't require hospitalization (the ambulance was seen driving away empty).

Fan-filmed video footage of the moment when Demmel collapsed on stage in Milan and the subsequent statement the other members of MACHINE HEAD made from the stage regarding Demmel's condition can be viewed below.

MACHINE HEAD's concerts in Milan and Zurich were part of the band's European "The Black Crusade" tour with TRIVIUM, DRAGONFORCE, ARCH ENEMY and SHADOWS FALL.

MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn introducing the song "Descend the Shades of Night" in Zurich, Switzerland (December 7, 2007):

MACHINE HEAD performing "Descend the Shades of Night" in Milan, Italy (December 6, 2007):

MACHINE HEAD's statement regarding Phil Demmel at Milan concert (December 6, 2007):

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