A not-so-grand finale?

I've heard of a performance artist 'going out with a bang', but never before with a bite.

Indonesian pop singer Irma Bule died this week after being bitten by a snake used as an on-stage prop during a live performance on Sunday.

"The accident happened in the middle of the second song when Irma stepped on the snake's tail," audience member Ferlando Octavion Auzura told local website merdeka.com.

"The snake then bit Irma on the thigh."

. . .

It's thought that Bule believed the cobra had been defanged. She was well known for using snakes during live performances - a relatively common practice in the region - and had previously appeared with pythons and boa constrictors.

There's more at the link.

I'm sorry for Ms. Bule's death, but really!  Growing up in Africa, we learned early and often that if something has teeth and/or claws and/or fangs, it's not entertainment - in fact, you're more likely to provide entertainment (and sometimes a meal) for it than the other way round!




Peter