Rob Thomas has a powerful microphone stand swing, literally.
The Matchbox Twenty frontman came close to seriously injuring bandmate Paul Doucette during the band’s performance at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 16. A video posted to social media shows Thomas twirling a microphone stand over his head before accidentally striking Doucette and smashing his in-ear monitors in the process. Doucette could be seen quickly exiting stage left.
Thomas addressed the incident in the set, telling the audience he felt "really bad" about "almost killing" Doucette.
"Every night I'm over here and I'm throwing this god--mn thing around," Thomas told the crowd as he mimicked the swinging motion onstage. "It nailed him. Yeah, we nailed him hard. My best friend in the world
and I think I almost killed him and I feel really bad about this."
He added: "By the way, it felt like a really good idea right up until now. Throwing that sh-- around. I feel like an ass."
Doucette was all smiles upon returning to the stage, holding a glass of wine as he explained his POV to the crowd.
"I don't know how many times I've told you not to throw that (expletive) thing. I knew it was only a matter of time. It's been 30 years. Now, admittedly, I've been in the back for the first half of that, and maybe I gotta go back there cause it's obviously safer." Doucette said.
"Can I just say it's the way you came out like are you saying that you're in the danger zone?" Thomas said. "The way you came out like Dean Martin... I think I know one thing I'm gonna stop doing."
Doucette replied: "There’s one thing that’s gonna help me right now. It’s gonna be this."
Rob Thomas: 'I'm gonna keep apologizing'
Thomas continued to apologize throughout the show.
"I’m so sorry, I’m gonna keep apologizing to you, like, all month," Thomas said in another clip posted to social media, according to People. In an Aug. 17 Instagram video posted after the performance, Doucette is seen sitting on the band's tour bus as multiple people examined his ear.
"So, here’s what’s happening right now: Rob took me the (expletive) out with his swinging the (expletive) mic stand during that show, and I have bits of my in-ears – which he (expletive) smashed – in my ear," Doucette said.
"Oh, I (expletive) feel that. That is not fun. That is not fun," Doucette said as someone removed the fragment from his ear. "Please don’t move the bus. (Expletive) Rob!"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rob Thomas says he 'almost killed' Paul Doucette with microphone stand
