Axl Rose Will No Longer Throw Microphones Into Audience After Accidentally Injuring Fan

Axl Rose has promised Guns N' Roses fans that he will no longer throw microphones into the audience after accidentally injuring Rebecca Howe, a fan who attended the band's Adelaide gig last week.

The Sweet Child O' Mine singer went on social media on the weekend to address the incident for the first time. "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," he wrote.

He added, "If true, obviously we don't want anyone getting hurt or to somehow in anyway hurt anyone at any of our show anywhere. 

"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."

In the interest of public safety, the long-standing Guns N' Roses concert tradition is ending. "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," Rose said.

"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."

pic.twitter.com/GodW6Xa5HH

— Axl Rose (@axlrose) December 2, 2022

Rebecca Howe spoke to the Adelaide Advertiser, telling the story of how she got hit. 

“I was in Diamond Standing, so it wasn’t even right at the front, and it was the very last song, Take Me Down To Paradise City,” Ms Howe said.

“He took a bow, and then he launched the microphone out to the crowd … and then bang, right on the bridge of my nose.”

Another fan scooped up the microphone while Howe went into shock, fearing the impact had broken her nose. 

“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,” she said.

“An off-duty police officer pulled me to the side because I was in shock and hyperventilating, my mind went, ‘Oh my God, my face is caved in’," she said.

Guns N' Roses ended their Australian tour in Melbourne on Saturday night.