The mic-throwing has lived and should be left to die.
Gun N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose pledged to end the 30-year-old tradition of tossing his microphone to the crowd after hitting an Australian woman in the face on Tuesday.
In a statement released on Friday, Rose acknowledged the incident and said he never intended to injure anyone during the band’s show at the Adelaide Oval.
“Obviously we don’t want anyone getting hurt or to somehow in anyway hurt anyone at any of (our) shows anymore,” Rose said before adding he always thought it was common knowledge for a Guns N’ Roses concert.
“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,” Rose added.
Rose said it was in the interest of public safety to end the gesture, which has become a highly anticipated part of the band’s concerts.
Rebecca Howe, the woman hit at the end of Tuesday’s concert, claims she suffered two black eyes and a busted nose as the band prepared to play its final song of the night, “Take Me Down To Paradise City.”
“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?” Howe said via the Adelaide Advertiser. “If my head was turned and it hit me in the temple, it could have killed me.”
Rose didn’t directly apologize to Howe for the injury, but called out reporters for the coverage of the incident.
“Unfortunately there r 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 further from reality. We hope the public and of course r fans get that sometimes happens.”
Rose ended the statement with a “BIG THANKS” to everyone for understanding.
Guns N’ Roses is finishing up performances in Australia with two shows in New Zealand next week. The band is on hiatus following their New Zealand tour dates until June 2023, where they’ll play in Hyde Park London.”