Guns N’ Roses front man Axl Rose has said he will no longer throw his microphone into the crowd at the end of concerts after a woman was struck, leaving her bloodied and bruised.
The rock star said he would stop performing his trademark finale act “in the interest of public safety”, following the incident in Adelaide, Australia.
Fan Rebecca Howe was hit by the mic on the bridge of her nose following the band’s final song, Take Me Down To Paradise City.
Footage from the concert shows the moment the 60-year-old singer threw the microphone into the audience before throwing his arms in the air.
Another video does not capture the moment Ms Howe was hit, but shows fans scrambling to get the memento.
Writing on social media, Rose said: “It’s come to my attention that a fan may have been hurt at our show in Adelaide, Australia, possibly being hit by the microphone at the end of the show when I traditionally toss the mic to the fans.
“If true, obviously we don’t want anyone getting hurt or to somehow, in anyway, hurt anyone at any of our show anywhere.
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“Having tossed the mic at the end of our show for over 30 years, we always felt it was a known part of the very end of our performance that fans wanted and were aware of, to have an opportunity to catch the mic.
“Regardless, in the interest of public safety from now on we’ll refrain from tossing the mic or anything to fans during, or at, our performances.”
He added: “Unfortunately there are those that for their own reasons chose to frame their reporting regarding this subject in a more negative n’ irresponsible out of nowhere light which couldn’t be farther from reality. We hope the public and of course fans get that sometimes happens.
“A BIG THANKS to everyone for understanding.”
Ms Howe, who suffered two black eyes and cuts to her nose, told Australian media: “He took a bow and then he launched the microphone out to the crowd … and then bang, right on the bridge of my nose.”
“My mind went, ‘Oh my God, my face is caved in.
“I had blood dripping down the front of me.
She added: “What if it was a couple of inches to the right or left? I could have lost an eye… what if it hit me in the mouth and I broke my teeth?
“If my head was turned and it hit me in the temple, it could have killed me.”
Ms Howe also felt shocked by the behaviour of others fans despite her injury.
She sad: “There was this huge kerfuffle as this man tried to get the microphone… he held it up like a victory, ‘I got it, I got it’, while I was trying to keep my composure.”
