Rock and roll is a dangerous game. Now, there are apparent reasons why the industry is dangerous. However, some very unexpected ones make it so. One unexpected location that entails a lot of danger is on the stage, where freak accidents happen on occasion.
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One might believe that the stage is a safe space, given the numerous safeguards in place and the presence of security. However, even the most unexpected things can get past these precautionary measures, as freak accidents nearly took the lives of these three musicians while they were on stage.
A Flare Gun and Frank Zappa
During a performance at a casino’s theater in Montreux, Switzerland, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention nearly lost their lives due to a fire. The fire was started after a fan fired a flare gun on stage. Consequently, Zappa, his band, and the folks in attendance were all escorted out of the venue as the theater went up in flames.
Luckily, nobody died in the fire. However, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention’s equipment was burned to a crisp. Fans can be crazy, don’t get us wrong, but who in the world could have ever predicted something like this?
A Wall of Fire and James Hetfield
It seems the most common on stage near-death experiences come from fire. However, unlike Frank Zappa’s experience, James Hetfield‘s near-death experience came from an onstage mistake, not a rambunctious fan. During a 1992 show in Montreal, Hetfield was unaware of his stage marker and accidentally walked straight into a wall of fire included in the pyrotechnics show.
Hetfield clearly did not die from this accident. However, the Metallica frontman did suffer second and third-degree burns from the freak accident. Despite the injury, Hetfield returned to the stage just 17 days later, and fully recovered four months after the near-death experience.
Ariana Grande and a Snapped Elevator Chord
Elevators and rising stages have become a quintessential part of live concert theatrics. In addition to adding another level of entertainment to the show, it also adds another level of danger. An artist who has experienced this firsthand is pop star Ariana Grande.
In 2015, while on her Honeymoon Tour, Ariana Grande was nearly killed after an elevator cable snapped and left her susceptible to being crushed against the stage. Luckily, Grande’s guitarists rescued her from this death trap and saved Grande from both death and major injury.
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
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