Madina Lake Bassist Severely Beaten in Heroic Act

The musical world got a taste of the darker side of humanity as Nathan Leone of the band Madina Lake posted some very disheartening and sad news on his Tumblr blog today, June 30, 2010.

On his way to meet a friend for a drink, Leone's brother and bandmate, Matthew, encountered a man beating his wife and, heroically, chose not to look the other way. He intervened, pulled the man off of his wife and managed to dial 9-1-1 before the man's wrath was turned back on him.

Below is the message Nathan Leone posted earlier today, asking friends and fans alike to send their prayers, love and support to Matthew in his recovery:

Suffering a massive shock ...

i'm afraid I have some of the worst news that has ever hit our lives. It's almost impossible to even type this update. A few nights ago, Matthew walked from my apt. a block and a half down the street to meet a friend for a drink. half way there he saw a man severely beating his wife. Being the most amazing, strong, heroic and incredible person I know.. even though the guy was twice his size, Matthew intervened. He managed to subdue this guy for a second and since his wife was beat up pretty good called the cops.. as he did so the guy jumped him from behind and beat him. This guy did things I can't even type. After words, he and his beaten wife left Matthew unconcious on the street. Matthew is in the hospital with a third of his skull removed as we wait for the swelling in his brain to go down. I'd rather not share any additional information at this time besides the fact that he acted as a hero (as he always would in any of these situations) and is paying a horrific price. Pease send all your love and good energy and vibrations to him. I've been and will be next to him throughout the entire recovery process. We don't know enough yet details about how that will develop.. but it has shocked, stunned, disgusted our best friends, family and band (which are both). The world can be evil beyond belief and as much as we want this evil eliminated, right now our hearts heads and energies need to go to my best friend, soul mate, hero, and angel, Matthew. Love you all and will be in touch as soon as I can muster up the emotional energy to reach out again. Please, be safe and peaceful as we get through this impossible time.

Nathan

At this time it appears that the regular news media has not caught on to this tragedy, so, in the meantime, keep an eye on Nathan Leone's blog (here: http://madinaswan.tumblr.com) for updates on Matthew's condition.

Jyn Radakovits, the voice behind the Chicago Indie Music Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-1823-Chicago-Indie-Music-Examiner) has also pledged to keep her readers updated as more news becomes available.