Being a rock star is not for the faint of heart. There are many risks involved with a life onstage, and we’re not just talking about the potential to embarrass yourself in front of a crowd of fans.
Over the years, many of the biggest names in music have been bruised, bloodied, battered and broken due to accidents that occurred while they were performing.
In some cases, such as those experienced by James Hetfield of Metallica and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, onstage pyrotechnics were the cause of injury. In other instances, like those of Frank Zappa and Noel Gallagher, overzealous fans were to blame for rockers getting hurt.
Occasionally, friendly fire can be blamed for an injury. Members of Slipknot and a Nine Inch Nails know all to well that fellow bandmates can accidentally bring on pain. Then there are instances where musicians hurt themselves with their own instruments, like the Who‘s Pete Townshend impaling his hand with his guitar, or Keith Emerson breaking his nose with a piano. Still, the biggest culprit with onstage injuries is none other than the stage itself. Dave Grohl, Axl Rose and Steven Tyler are just some of the many rock icons to get hurt after tumbling off of their performance platform.
We’ve collected 24 of Rock’s Worst Onstage Injuries and put them together in the gallery below. Amazingly, in almost every instance, the rocker finished out their performance before seeking medical attention, once again proving the old adage: The show must go on.