Concert projectiles leave Oli Sykes with a ‘mild concussion’ and Eric Clapton skipping an encore

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People at concerts are continuing to throw objects at performers, with recent incidents involving Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon and Eric Clapton.

A video from Monday is making the rounds on social media, showing singer Sykes performing the band’s song “Happy Song” when someone threw a phone that hit him in the face.

The singer was crouching and performing when someone threw a phone, hitting him. He seemed stunned, briefly crouched down again, and then angrily asked the crowd, “Who just threw a phone?” He then tossed the phone to security.

On Tuesday, Sykes shared an update on Instagram, explaining he was feeling okay after a minor concussion. The original post has since disappeared.

He explained that being hit on the head really hurt and gave him a slight concussion, but the swelling has already gone down. He admitted he had some trouble performing because singing put pressure on his injury and made him feel dizzy, and he apologized if his performance seemed weak because of it.

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Drake recently joined a growing list of performers who have had objects thrown at them during concerts. This raises the question: what’s causing this trend? Is it a result of changes since the pandemic, the influence of social media, or a lack of security at venues?

People at the concert in St. Louis shared online that after being hit, Sykes seemed to become noticeably disoriented and unsteady. Several concertgoers also said his face was swollen by the end of the show, and videos show a visible bruise forming near his eye while he was performing.

Just days before a similar incident in St. Louis, Eric Clapton was struck by an object—seemingly a vinyl record—during a concert in Madrid. GuitarWorld reported that the 81-year-old guitarist had just finished playing his well-known rendition of J.J. Cale’s “Cocaine” when the album was thrown from the crowd and hit him in the chest.

Eric Clapton, known for the song “Wonderful Tonight,” finished his concert early after an incident occurred, instead of returning for an encore performance at the Movistar Arena.

Throughout 2023, several musicians were targeted during concerts with objects thrown onstage, like water bottles and phones. One incident involved Bebe Rexha being hit in the face by a cellphone, leading to an arrest and requiring her to get stitches.

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A recent Bryan Adams concert saw a disruption when a fan ran onto the stage and grabbed the microphone while he was performing.

Nicolas Malvagna, a New Jersey resident, was arrested for assault after allegedly throwing his phone at singer Rexha. Court documents state Malvagna admitted he threw the phone, hoping to jokingly hit her with it at the end of the performance.

Billie Eilish recently told the Hollywood Reporter that being hit with objects thrown by fans during concerts has been a recurring issue for her – for about six years now. She explained that while fans may be excited, it can be dangerous and incredibly frustrating when it happens on stage. She understands the intent is usually positive, but being on stage leaves performers in a vulnerable position.

In October 2025, while walking through the crowd at a Miami concert, the singer of “Ocean Eyes” was suddenly pulled backward by a fan and slammed into a barricade.

Adele addressed a growing trend of concertgoers throwing objects onstage with a stern warning. During a recent Las Vegas show, she jokingly threatened to physically harm anyone who dared to throw something at her, commenting on what she saw as a lack of basic concert etiquette.

Throwing things at musicians during concerts has been happening for as long as there have been rock stars and stages, but it’s now seen as a major concert mistake and is strongly discouraged.

Concertgoers throwing things at performers has been happening since the beginning of rock music, but it’s never okay, according to Paul Wertheimer, a concert security expert. He explained to The Times in 2023 that the traditional boundary between the stage and the audience, and the expected respectful behavior, has become blurred.

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2026-05-14 22:01