Josh PykeJosh Pyke is already one of the country’s most loved singer-songwriters, but after baring all with his fans on stage last night and on social media today, we’re pretty sure his fans will only adore him more.
Last night (16 April), the Middle of the Hill singer had a panic attack on stage at the Frankston Arts Centre. Today, Pyke has opened up about the experience, explaining that the panic attack itself was debilitating, but he was proud of himself for finishing the show.
He also thanked fans for their understanding and support and expressed the importance of discussing anxiety in an open forum, because “we shouldn’t feel shame or embarrassment about it.”
“I just wanted to talk about what happened last night at the Frankston show,” Pyke wrote on Instagram today (17 April). “I’ve had issues with anxiety and panic attacks for a number of years and unfortunately, I had a panic attack on stage about 3/4 the way thru the show last night.”
Adding that he had to temporarily leave the stage and gather himself before returning to perform a few more songs and finish the set, Pyke explained that he didn’t want the show to be defined by the panic attack, nor did he want it to define his experience or capacity to perform.
“I’m glad and quite proud I went back on, but it was really tough,” he admitted. “I felt very vulnerable and shaken up.”
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Pyke continued his post by thanking last night’s audience for their patience and empathy, as what was already a “full-on situation” for him, playing solo to a sold-out crowd, could have been even worse. He then highlighted that he believes it’s essential for us to be open about anxiety and panic attacks.
“I think it’s important to be open about this stuff because tonnes of people get panic attacks and we shouldn’t feel shame or embarrassment about it, but we should also allow ourselves to acknowledge that they’re really fucking horrible and incapacitating at times and it’s worth being honest about that fact in the moment, because it helps diffuse the situation a fair bit,” Pyke wrote.
Explaining that his brain had gone into “fight or flight” mode and “essentially switched off” mid-performance, Pyke reiterated that he was proud to finish the set and doesn’t feel embarrassed, but he did express disappointment as it wasn’t the way he wanted the show to unfold.
“It’s all a work in progress,” he continued. “So, thanks again for being a beautiful and supportive audience .... AND for anyone out there who has these issues at times, I REALLY want to say that being honest and open about it can help alleviate the situation in the moment.”
Pyke concluded the post by encouraging anyone with similar struggles to speak up. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, so talk to someone out loud if you’re struggling. People are kind. People are compassionate. Let’s all remember that.”
This month, Pyke is concluding his in-demand Feeding the Wolves regional tour, a celebration of his debut EP.
The Feeding The Wolves and Other Stories tour finds Pyke performing songs from the EP in an intimate, stripped-back fashion and recalls the stories from that early period in his career.
Upon its release in November 2005, Feeding the Wolves debuted on the ARIA Charts, and Pyke was nominated for Best Pop Release at the 2006 ARIA Awards. It’s an EP that ended up changing his life.
To find tickets to the remaining dates, head to Pyke’s website.
On Friday, 12 June, Josh Pyke releases his highly anticipated eighth album, Kingdom Within, where he will explore “humanity’s shifting moral compass.”
In a rapidly developing technological landscape, Pyke aims to examine how society presently values human creativity, love, loss, and family. Album #8 was produced by ARIA Award-winning producer Chris Collins (Matt Corby, Teenage Dads). Throughout the record, Pyke puts forward a bold, artistic statement that fans will want to reach for, over and over again.
You can pre-order/pre-save the album here.
