Don’t believe the hype: Jerinx back in Bali’s more welcoming climes
Imagine this on an episode of Miami Ink: one of Kat’s rock star clients has his body photographed and put in a magazine to counter rumors that he has a “F*ck New York” tattoo. No? Well, the truth is stranger than reality TV in Indonesia, where a scene played out for Superman is Dead (SID), Bali’s biggest band.
The punk rock trio almost ended up dead when a small, but determined group of knuckleheads pelted them with stones and cement blocks at a concert in Jogjakarta. The motive being SID’s alleged anti-Javanese sentiments. Attempting to give credence to their cause, the haters ‘flamed’ via the usual channels – web boards, SMS, each other’s ears. The spreading rumor was that hidden on SID’s drummer, Ari “Jerinx” Astina, there was a “F*ck Java” tattoo. The movement died out (or at least went underground) after Jerinx orchestrated a photo shoot – published in a magazine – showing every square inch (well, almost) of his body. No disparaging remarks about the neighboring island was to be seen.
Talk about celebrities’ privates lives being scrutinized by the public! One could say this was a case of negotiating with terrorists, but then again, when your body is the Sistine Chapel, sometimes the best thing to do is to open the doors of enlightenment for the barbarians.