Rob Thomas’ longtime habit of swinging his microphone stand around during Matchbox Twenty concerts finally went wrong when the stand struck bandmate Paul Doucette in the head in the middle of a show.
The accident happened during the band’s Aug. 16 performance at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Concert footage shows Thomas swinging the stand behind himself before it connects with Doucette, who temporarily left the stage.
Thomas later told the crowd the stand had “nailed him hard,” called Doucette his best friend and admitted that an onstage move he had performed repeatedly suddenly seemed like a terrible idea. Doucette soon returned smiling and ready to give Thomas a hard time.
The impact caused more than a momentary scare. After the show, Doucette shared video of pieces of his damaged in-ear monitor being removed from his ear while the band joked that Thomas had finally claimed his first victim after roughly three decades of swinging the stand.
The Accident Happened in the Middle of ‘Bent’
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Thomas was performing one of his familiar stage moves when the accident occurred. According to Entertainment Weekly, he was holding the microphone stand near the top and swinging it behind himself when it struck Doucette, who was playing guitar during “Bent.”
Doucette promptly left the stage. Although Thomas clearly realized something had gone wrong, the band finished the song before stopping to address what had happened.
“Every night, I’m over here, and I’m throwing this god d— thing around,” Thomas told the crowd afterward. He said it had “nailed” Doucette and added, “He’s my best friend in the world, and I think I almost killed him, and I feel really bad about this.”
Thomas asked the audience to give the band a moment while Doucette was offstage. “By the way, it felt like a really good idea right up until now,” he added. “I feel like an ass.”
Doucette Came Back and Roasted Thomas for His Mic-Stand Habit
Doucette’s return quickly changed the mood. He walked back onto the stage smiling and carrying a glass, then reminded Thomas that he had warned him about the microphone stand before.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve told you about swinging that f—ing thing,” Doucette said, according to PEOPLE. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”
Doucette pointed out that the band had been together for about 30 years and joked that spending the earlier part of its history farther toward the back of the stage may have protected him. “Maybe I’ve gotta go back there because obviously it’s safer,” he said.
Thomas responded that he had identified at least one thing he intended to stop doing. The apologies continued later in the concert. In another clip, Thomas told Doucette, “I’m so sorry,” before joking that he expected to continue apologizing “all month.”
The Mic Stand Smashed Doucette’s In-Ear Monitor
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The full effect of the hit became clearer after Matchbox Twenty left the stage. Doucette shared video from the band’s tour bus as people examined his ear using tweezers and a phone flashlight.
He explained that Thomas had hit him with the swinging microphone stand and smashed his in-ear monitor, leaving pieces of it lodged inside his ear.
As someone attempted to remove one of the fragments, Doucette made clear that the process was painful and urged them to be careful while the bus was moving.
Once the piece was removed, he turned back toward the camera and directed another expletive at Thomas. “After 30 years of mic swinging, Rob claimed his first victim: @repairmethod of course.”
Doucette Was Back on Stage Quickly, and the Tour Remains on Schedule
The band’s official tour calendar still lists a Sept. 18 performance at the Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City, followed by the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City, Maryland, on Sept. 27.
Thomas and Doucette have been playing together since Matchbox Twenty formed in 1995. Doucette originally served primarily as the band’s drummer before later taking on rhythm guitar and other instruments.