Photo: Guilherme Nunes Cunha Neto
Axl Roseis making a change to his onstage habits.
TheGuns N' Rosesfrontman, 60, will no longer throw his microphone into the crowd after he and his bandmates perform the final song on their set list at concerts.
The move comes about after a woman, Rebecca Howe, alleged she got hurt during one of the band’s concerts in Australia. Howe told Australian outlet ABC News, “I was just putting out a warning for people, if Axl sings ‘Paradise City,‘get ready to duck for cover.”
Howe, who suffered bruises on her face after the alleged incident, added to the newspaperAdelaide Now, “What if it was a couple of inches to the right or left? Icould 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.”
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Guilherme Nunes Cunha Neto
Reacting to Howe’s allegation, Rose shared astatement on Twitterlast week that he will no longer perform the microphone-throwing act at concert performances going forward.
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“If true obviously we don’t want anyone getting hurt or to somehow in anyway hurt anyone at any of r shows anywhere,” Rose continued. “Having tossed the mic at the end of r show for over 30 years we always felt it was a known part of the very end of r performance that fans wanted and were aware of to have an opportunity to catch the mic.”
He added: “Regardless in the interest of public safety from now on we’ll refrain from tossing the mic or anything to the fans during or at r performances.”
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Rose also called out media outlets that “chose to frame their reporting regarding this subject in a more negative n’ irresponsible out of nowhere light,” stating it “couldn’t b farther from reality.”
“We hope the public and of course r fans get that sometimes happens,” he concluded. “A BIG THANKS to everyone for understanding.”
The band — which alongside Rose is composed of other members including Slash, Duff McKagan, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer and Melissa Reese — is scheduled to make two concert stops in New Zealand later this month.
Guns N’ Roses will then end its ongoing tour — which was meant to be held in 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic — in London at Hyde Park on June 30, 2023.
source: people.com
