Country star Luke Bryan has spoken out after he was struck in the face by an object thrown onstage during a recent concert.
The US singer was performing his hit single “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” in North Dakota when someone in the audience appeared to hurl the item in his direction.
At the time, Bryan paused briefly before continuing to perform the song without commenting.
Speaking to Taste of Country, he described the atmosphere during the song as “a big ole fun party” where “one person just took it too far”.
“We see it,” he continued. “Every other entertainer out there is getting stuff – you get stuff thrown at ya… you hope that you can see who did it.”
He claimed that if he’d been able to see who was responsible, “I could have gone right to him… I probably would have jumped right off in there.” But he acknowledged that likely would have caused more issues.
“At that point, if I’d even stopped it and pointed somebody out, it kills the vibe of the show,” he said.
In recent years, a number of musicians have been forced to speak out against fans throwing objects during their sets.
Pop stars including Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini, Harry Styles, Nick Jonas and Billie Eilish have all been hit with various items mid-performance.
In December last year, Eilish was almost hit in the eye after an audience member threw a necklace at her as she sang the heartfelt song “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie soundtrack.
In 2023, country-pop star Ballerini was hit in the eye by a bracelet that was launched by a fan during her concert in Idaho, forcing her to exit the stage.
Speaking to The Associated Press in a Q&A, Ballerini recalled a recent clip she had seen of Clarkson warning concertgoers at her Las Vegas residency that “if you’re going to throw anything on stage, it better be diamonds”.
“I think she says it best,” Ballerini commended. “I think there has to just be like a mutual want to keep everyone safe. That’s kind of my biggest thing. Live shows are meant to be a place of escapism and connection and safety. And so that’s my job.”
She continued: “My job is to do a show for sure. But it’s also my job to make sure everyone’s safe and feels safe in that moment. So, yeah, I think it’s important for all of us to kind of have our conversations and figure out how to make that work; being mindful when you go to shows I think is really important. And if you’re gonna throw something, throw diamonds.”
Bryan’s tour continues tonight (Thursday 31 July) in St Louis before further stops in cities including Cincinnati, Hartford, Charleston and Dallas.
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