Oli Sykes Struck by Phone at St. Louis Concert; Confirms Mild Concussion
Incident Details
The lead vocalist of Bring Me the Horizon, Oli Sykes, was hit in the head by a mobile phone thrown from the audience during a performance at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The incident occurred near the conclusion of the song "Happy Song."
Following the impact, Sykes appeared to struggle with his vocals and was observed repeatedly touching his forehead for the remainder of the set. He continued the show, though one song and a planned fan interaction segment were reportedly cut.
Statement from Oli Sykes
In a statement posted to his Instagram Story, Sykes confirmed the details of the injury.
"The phone to the head definitely smarted and I ended up with a mild concussion, but the swelling's gone down a decent amount already."
He added that performing after the incident was difficult, explaining, "Last night I was struggling a bit on stage afterwards because singing was putting a lot of pressure on the wound and making things feel a bit disorienting while performing."
Sykes apologized for what he described as a potentially "half hearted performance" and indicated he expected to recover in time for the next scheduled performance.
Context of Similar Incidents
The incident involving Sykes is part of a series of events in recent years in which performers have been struck by objects thrown by audience members.
- On May 7, 2024, musician Eric Clapton was struck in the chest by a vinyl record sleeve during a concert in Madrid. Clapton ended the performance without an expected encore but performed as scheduled the following day in Barcelona.
- In March 2024, country singer Riley Green received five stitches after being struck by a phone thrown from an audience.
- Multiple sources indicate that throwing objects at performers has become more common in recent years, citing numerous incidents in 2023 and 2024 involving artists such as Bebe Rexha, Harry Styles, Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Kelsea Ballerini, Steve Lacy, Ava Max, Pink, Billie Eilish, Adele, Zach Bryan, Azealia Banks, Sabrina Carpenter, and Riley Green.