Eric Clapton and Bring Me the Horizon’s frontman Oli Sykes have both been struck by objects thrown at them while performing, the latter incident leaving Sykes with concussion.
As Bring Me the Horizon performed in St Louis on Monday, a member of the audience threw a phone at Sykes, striking him on the head. Sykes continued to perform but cut one of the songs from the band’s set as well as a fan interaction section.
He later wrote on social media: “The phone to the head definitely smarted and I ended up with a mild concussion, but the swelling’s gone down a decent amount already … 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 for what may of seemed like a half-hearted performance.”
Clapton meanwhile was performing in Madrid on 7 May, when he was hit in the chest by a vinyl album in its sleeve, thrown by a member of the audience towards the end of his set. He ended the concert without an expected encore, though it did not affect his next performance in Barcelona on Sunday.
Other musicians have had to face similar incidents in recent years. Throwing objects on to the stage has almost become routine, and not necessarily as a way to voice disapproval with a concert: fans often attempt to give gifts or get stars to take photos with their phones.
A major spate of such incidents occurred in 2023. Pop star Bebe Rexha was left with a cut and swollen eye after a phone was thrown at her, while Harry Styles, Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Kelsea Ballerini and Steve Lacy all faced objects or drinks thrown at them, in some cases striking them. Ava Max endured a fan rushing on stage and slapping her, injuring her eye, while Pink told a fan “I don’t know how I feel about this” after they threw a bag of ashes on stage, reportedly of their late mother.
That year, Billie Eilish complained: “I’ve been getting hit on stage with things for like literally six years … It’s absolutely infuriating when you’re up there … But you know it’s out of love, and they’re just trying to give you something.” She was again hit by an object at a concert in December 2024, though she was able to continue.
During her Las Vegas concert residency in 2023, Adele addressed the issue, telling the audience in typically forthright terms: “Have you noticed how people are like, forgetting show etiquette at the moment? People just throwing shit on stage … I fucking dare you. Dare you to throw something at me and I’ll fucking kill you.”
Last year, two concerts by country star Zach Bryan were affected by objects being thrown at him, one of them striking his leg; Azealia Banks cut a German concert short after a cup was thrown at her; and in November, Sabrina Carpenter had to hurl a pair of furry handcuffs off stage that were thrown at her during a song.
In March, country singer Riley Green was hit on his head by a phone thrown from the audience, causing him to bleed, though he continued the Melbourne concert.
