Earlier this month, an unfortunate Australian fan was left with an injured faced after being struck by a microphone tossed from the stage by Axl Rose. The fan, Rebecca Howe, claims that she was hit during the end of Guns N' Roses' performance of Paradise City, at their show on November 29 at the Adelaide Oval.
Following the incident, frontman Axl issued a statement declaring his regret over the toss, and that he'll be retiring the move – which offered fans the opportunity to "catch the mic" over a span of 30 years – to ensure public safety at future shows.
He declared: "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.
"Regardless, in the interest of public safety from now on we'll refrain from tossing the mic or anything to the fans during or at [our] performances."
At a recent show on December 8 in Wellington, New Zealand, the singer once again addressed the issue, by this time making a joke of the situation and declaring that he was now attending "tossers anonymous" meetings and that he himself was a "tosser" (For non-British readers: 'tosser' is essentially a slang term for 'jerk', etc).
As Guns N' Roses finished playing Estranged, Axl said: "I'm sure you've heard about this. At the end of the show, I won't be tossing the mic.
"You've heard of AA, right? I have to go to TA: Tossers Anonymous" he continues, as the crowd chuckles in response.
"Yes, it's true. It's a 12-step thing. I don't know what I'm on. I'm only at the beginning. The first step, you know, you've got to admit you have a problem. So, my name is Axl, and yes, I'm a tosser."
Watch Guns N' Roses' performance in Wellington, New Zealand below:
#throwthemic 😊@axlrose @gunsnroses #gnfnr #gunsnroses pic.twitter.com/Aauwh3EyYkDecember 8, 2022
