Honestly, can we collectively stop throwing shit at artists on stage now? Because this latest incident could’ve gone a whole lot worse…
Oli Sykes has revealed he suffered a mild concussion after being donked on the head by a phone thrown from the crowd during Bring Me The Horizon’s sold-out show in the US city of St. Louis this week.
Fan footage from the concert showed Sykes visibly disoriented after the incident, repeatedly holding the side of his head while continuing to push through the set. At one point, the vocalist told the crowd he was feeling “dizzy”, with the band ultimately cutting YOUTOPIA from the setlist and scaling back portions of the performance afterwards.
Now, Sykes has addressed the incident directly in a statement posted to social media, confirming he sustained a mild concussion.
“Alright everyone – just wanted to let you know I’m all good,” he wrote. “The phone to the head definitely smarted and I ended up with a mild concussion, but the swelling’s gone down a decent amount.”
“Last night I was struggling a bit on stage afterwards because singing was putting a lot of pressure on the wound and making things feel a bit disorienting while performing, so I’m sorry on my part what may have seemed like a half-hearted performance.”
“Appreciate everyone checking in and worrying about me though. Everything should be fine for tonight’s gig.”
According to posts circulating online, one fan later alleged that the person who owned the phone approached security claiming somebody else had grabbed and thrown it into the crowd. Regardless of who launched it, the incident has once again reignited conversations around increasingly reckless fan behaviour at live shows.
Because let’s be real: hurling a solid object at someone’s head mid-performance isn’t “rock and roll”. It’s just fkn dangerous.
And unfortunately, this is far from the first time artists have been injured by objects thrown from crowds in recent years. Multiple performers across pop, rock and heavy music have been struck by phones and other items during live shows – sometimes seriously enough to halt performances entirely.
Thankfully, Sykes appears to be recovering and the band are expected to continue their North American run, with just a handful of dates remaining before BMTH head into a packed European festival season and later return to North America for their POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – THE THIRD ASCENSION PROGRAM tour dates.
Still… maybe don’t throw projectiles at musicians, k???
Further Reading
Bring Me the Horizon N. American Ascension Program 2 Tour Setlist
WATCH: Bring Me The Horizon’s Jaw-Droppingly Insane ‘Doomed’ Concert Film Footage
Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘POST HUMAN: NeX GEn’ Album Arrives As Surprise-Drop
