Rob Thomas Strikes Matchbox Twenty Bandmate With Mic Stand During Illinois State Fair Set

Most onstage hazards come from the room, but at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas created his own. Midway through “Bent,” the band’s only No. 1 hit from 2000’s Mad Season, Thomas swung his mic stand into the side of bandmate Paul Doucette’s head.

Doucette, who plays drums, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals, was on guitar at the time. He left the stage shortly after the impact, though the band kept the song moving without stopping. Thomas addressed it from the stage once the track ended: “I’m so sorry. I’m gonna keep apologizing to you, like, all month.”

Doucette appears not to be holding a grudge. In a video he later shared, someone can be seen working fragments of his smashed in-ear monitor out of his ear. His own summary was blunt and amused: “Rob took me the fuck out with swinging the fuckin’ mic stand during that show.” Thomas reposted the clip on Instagram, writing, “Fucking NAILED Paul with my mic stand tonight!! #sorrypaul.”