Thrilled fan collapses and dies at King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard concert

A music lover collapsed and died at his favourite band's concert on Friday.

Paramedics rushed through the crowd to tend to Mathew Gawiak after the 36-year-old man fell to the ground at a King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard gig in Denver, Colorado. His brother Christopher "watched his brother die right in front of him" as, despite the best efforts of medics, Mathew succumbed to his injuries.

The Australian band stopped their set around one hour into the concert to alert medical staff to the emergency. They had been livestreaming the concert on their YouTube page at the time, but the video has now been removed.

Paying tribute to his sibling, Christopher said: "Matt was a loving and beloved husband, son, brother, uncle and friend. He was the love of my life and my best friend, he was the kindest most genuine person that I've ever met."

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Christopher shared details of the tragedy on Reddit, revealing Mathew suddenly felt dizzy at the concert. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, formed in 2010, have won awards for their live performances and their song Cyboogie briefly peaked at number two in the UK singles chart in 2019.

Mathew, described as "a diehard Gizzard fan", was part of a huge crowd at the Field of Vision Festival on Friday, where his beloved band were headlining. But Mathew quickly fell unwell, with Christopher recalling: "They had to call in an ambulance because they ran out. For all intents and purposes, I watched my brother die right in front of me and I was powerless to do anything about it.

"I find some peace knowing that he was surrounded by music and a community that was special to him and that he was truly happy in the moments before he tragically passed away."

More than $53,000 (£40,000) has so far been raised on a GoFundMe page for the scientist's family to cover funeral costs and support his memory. Christopher, whose brother beat cancer as a child, continued: "'His passions included playing guitar, camping, skiing, traveling, cooking, live music, and above all else, sharing those experiences with the people he loved... He got his Masters and had a fulfilling career as a geospatial scientist. His goal in life was to make the people he loved happy."

A joint statement from the band and the venue said: "Regarding the incident, we are deeply saddened to share that on Friday night, a guest passed away due to an unexpected medical event during the King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard concert at Meadow Creek despite the best efforts from emergency teams. We are sending our love and condolences to their family, friends, and the entire King Gizzard community."