T In The Park 'Spiderman' fined for climb

United Kingdom | | 19 September 2007

Duncan Binnie, of Timberbush, Leith, donned a Spiderman mask and forced headline band Snow Patrol to try and talk him down from the fragile gantry.

During the show-stopping climb, the 25-year-old waved to the 10,000-strong crowd as band members appealed to him to climb down to safety.

Fiscal depute John Malpass told Perth Sheriff Court that the light alluminium frame could easily have toppled onto the crowd, due to the man's excess weight.

He told the judge: “Mr Binnie was observed by the band on stage and the lead singer shouted to the accused to try and get him to come down.

“He shouted something like ‘your tea’s out’ but it didn’t make much difference to the accused who continued to wave and gesticulate to the crowd.

“After being coaxed he climbed down. Police took possession of the Spiderman mask.”

After dropping a second charge of giving police a false name, Mr Malpass said: “It’s a good job he never gave the name Peter Parker as that would have really confused the issue.”

Images of Binnie at the top of the tower have been viewed more than 20,000 times on YouTube. See it HERE.

Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody can be heard urging Binnie to come down as the fake superhero is being pelted with bottles by booing spectators.

The singer says: “We’ve got an unusual request. The guy up there on the tower. Can you come down please?

“You’re frightening everybody. You’re frightening me. I’m scared of heights. I’m scared of other people up heights. That’s how scared of heights I am.

“So if you could come down, your mother called and says that she’s got your clean slippers for you at home.

“And some nice jammies and toast with Marmite – just enough Marmite – the way you like it. Here he comes. This song is dedicated to the man up in the various scaffoldings.”

The band then played hit single 'Chasing Cars', as Binnie climbed down before being arrested by police.

Solicitor Alison McKay told the court he had graduated and secured a job which he was about to start in a fortnight.

She said: “This was something that seemed like a good idea at the time. It was a prank. He was looking at the gantry. He had been drinking but was not drunk.

“He borrowed the mask from someone nearby and thought I could climb up there. It didn’t occur to him the trouble he would find himself in.”

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