Musician Jarvis Cocker has said that “life became dark” after he stormed the stage during a performance by Michael Jackson at the BRIT Awards over two decades ago. He’s said that the aftermath was “difficult” for him to handle.
The incident happened at the music awards ceremony in 1996, where Michael performed Earth Song. It was later suggested that the late singer, who was joined on stage by a group that included children, portrayed himself as a “Christ-like figure with the power of healing” in the performance.
Jarvis, now 61 – who’s a member of the rock band Pulp – is said to have headed onto the stage during the performance in “protest”. It’s been reported that he pretended to ‘moon’ the audience and footage shows him making what’s been described as a “wafting gesture” during his stunt on stage.
As previously reported, Jarvis was accused of “harming” three children who were on stage at the time. However, he wasn’t prosecuted though and that all charges were dropped.
Jarvis reflected on the incident in an interview that was published this week. The outlet wrote that after running on stage he gave a “questioning look”, “waggled his behind” and “lifted up his jacket” before leaving the stage.
He said: “At first it looked bad: they accused me of cobbing kids off stage and stuff, and a bare bottom as well, which wasn’t true.” He added that after the incident “everybody” knew who he was.
Jarvis said to Mojo: “I’d always wanted to be famous, but you can’t decide on the level of fame that you’re going to get, and that sent me into an overload of it.” He added that it was for a “quite out-of-character thing” rather than for his music.
The former radio host said that’s when things became “really difficult to handle” as he “couldn’t go out” anymore. He said that “life became dark” before adding: “It sent me into a space that took me a long time to get out of, over 10 years for sure.” Jarvis however said that he “did it” so “can’t complain”.
Jarvis has previously spoken about the incident and the aftermath. He told the New York Times in 2020 that he suddenly became “crazily recognised”. He told the outlet that he wasn’t “equipped” for the level of fame that he experienced.
After sharing that it had a “detrimental effect” on his mental health, Jarvis said that he was “saved” by the late David Bowie. He said: “There was an accusation that I’d knocked some kids off the stage. I’d been arrested. The only footage that’d been released was like a CCTV camera, and you couldn’t see what was happening.”
He recalled David having been at the BRIT Awards that year with his own camera crew as he was receiving a lifetime achievement award. Jarvis said that days later, they released their footage and “then the charges were dropped”. He said it was one of the things he was “grateful” to David for.
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