Glen Hansard to pay for grief counseling for fans

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Glen Hansard

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Dublin singer and Oscar winner Glen Hansard is offering to pay for grief counseling for fans who witnessed a man jump to his death at his concert in California recently.

During his tour with the Swell Season, a 32-year-old man Michael Pickles jumped from a roof covering the outdoor stage in an apparent suicide.

Hansard, who recently announced his return to the band The Frames, was very upset at the incident thus prompting him and his band to foot the cost of fans who are trying to come to terms with the fans apparent suicide.

Over 1,900 people attended the August 19 concert at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.

Pickels landed right near Hansard who had just finished his last song.

Hansard said that the band will remember the "tragic event" forever.

"It was a terrible shock," he said. "To everyone at the concert, my sympathies are with his family and friends and specially to the children and adults in the audience who had to witness such a tragic thing."

A spokeswoman for Palo Alto-based Kara counselling centre, Stephanie Demof, said the band had promised to pay for four group counselling sessions, which are available for free to audience members.

In spite of vowing to continue on their tour, Hansard has left The Swell Season, which included his former girlfriend Marketa Irglova.

"I'll go back to The Frames, and Mar will make her own record at some point," he said.

"Getting together and making music with Mar was a side thing for me, but it felt absolutely right."

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