Concert etiquette and conventions are always changing, but a good rule of thumb is to never hurl objects at an artist while they are performing.
Unfortunately, one Harry Styles fan took it upon themselves to throw an unidentified object at the English superstar during a show in Vienna on Saturday, apparently striking him with some force around his left eye.
The moment was caught on video by a fan — the former One Direction singer can be seen wincing in pain and rubbing the impacted area.
The incident is the latest in an alarming trend that has seen several artists struck or nearly struck by flying objects during their performances.
In June, pop singer Bebe Rexha was hit in the face and injured by a cellphone hurled from the audience at a show in New York City, leading to one man’s arrest. Shortly after, country singer Kelsea Ballerini was struck by a bracelet thrown at her face in Boise, Idaho. Last week, a sex toy was lobbed toward Lil Nas X in Stockholm, and a fan threw a cellphone at Drake, hitting him on the wrist, during a concert in Chicago.
In fact, it wasn’t even the first time Styles had been the victim of this trend — last fall, he was struck in the crotch by a UFO at the United Center in Chicago.
“STOP this” rapper Flavor Flav chimed in on Twitter following the incident in Vienna. “(H)omeboy just tryin to make y’all happy.”
“This object throwing culture is about to kill how we experience concerts & festivals moving forward,” one Twitter user wrote. “They’re about to get more expensive and more exclusive.”
It’s all quite concerning, though no incident was quite as disturbing as when a fan shocked the singer Pink appearing to throw their family member’s ashes on stage at her concert in London, U.K.
In February, Styles took home two Grammy Awards — including Album of the Year — for his 2022 album “Harry’s House.”
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