Rob Thomas Thought He ‘Almost Killed’ Matchbox Twenty Bandmate Paul Doucette in Scary Onstage Accident

Jack IrvinMon, August 17, 2026 at 9:30 PM UTC

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Rob Thomas and Paul Doucette in March 2011Credit: Scott Kirkland/WireImage -

Rob Thomas accidentally hit bandmate Paul Doucette with a mic stand during a Matchbox Twenty concert in Illinois

Doucette’s in-ear monitors were smashed, and he needed assistance to remove fragments from his ear after the show

The band joked about the mishap on stage, with Thomas apologizing repeatedly and Doucette humorously addressing the incident

Matchbox Twenty’s Paul Doucette felt a bit “Unwell” after lead singer Rob Thomas recently had an onstage mishap.

During the band’s performance at the Illinois State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 16, Thomas swung his microphone stand around and accidentally hit Doucette in the head — smashing his in-ear monitors in the process.

A video from the concert on social media shows Thomas swinging his mic stand around a few times before hitting guitarist Paul Doucette in the head with the object.

After the band member left the stage to seek assistance, the “Smooth” singer told the crowd, “Every night I’m over here, and I’m throwing this Goddamn thing around. It nailed him. It nailed him hard. My best friend in the world, and I think I almost killed him, and I feel really bad about this. Will you give us one second?”

“By the way, it felt like a really good idea right up until now,” added Thomas. “I feel like an ass.”

Doucette then returned to the stage, smiling with a glass of what appeared to be alcohol, and told the crowd, “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you about swinging that f---ing thing. I knew it was only a matter of time. It’s been 30 years. Now, admittedly I’ve been in the back for the first half of that, and maybe I’ve gotta go back there because obviously it’s safer.”

Thomas declared, “I think I know one thing I’m gonna stop doing.”

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Doucette held up his glass and said, “There’s one thing that’s gonna help me right now. It’s gonna be this.”

Another clip from the concert features Thomas apologizing to Doucette. “I’m so sorry. I’m gonna keep apologizing to you, like, all month.”

In a video posted to Instagram after the performance, Doucette sits on the band’s tour bus as multiple people examine his ear with tweezers and a phone flashlight.

“So here’s what’s happening right now, Rob took me the f--- out with his swinging the f---ing mic stand during that show, and I have bits of my in-ears — which he f---in’ smashed — in my ear,” Doucette said as someone removed the fragment from his ear. “Oh, I f---ing feel that. That is not fun. That is not fun. Please don’t move the bus.”

After the piece was removed from his ear, Doucette shouted to the camera, “F---in’ Rob!”

Doucette’s video was posted alongside the caption, “After 30 years of mic swinging, Rob claimed his first victim: @repairmethod of course.”

Matchbox Twenty is scheduled to perform two North American shows in September. The band will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, this fall.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”