Dave Mustaine Hit With Rock, Metalfest 2012 Crowd Forces 'Megadeth' Frontman Off Stage
Dave Mustaine was hit with a rock while he was performing along with his band Megadeth in Croatia on Tuesday. The heavy metal band was pelted repeatedly with rocks, bottles, and other debris.
Dave Mustaine, after being hit with a rock in the head, left the stage. While the audience at Metalfest 2012 was initially confused after the Megadeth frontman abandoned the performance, what happened was soon clarified.
"Guys Dave's been hit in the head with a rock," a representative said to the unruly crowd. "I apologize. He's been hit in the head." After walking off the stage, Mustaine decided to cancel the performance altogether.
After the spokesman's announcement, the crowd became unmanageable once again, bombarding him with more rubbish. He, too, was forced to leave the stage and escape from the hail of garbage and stones.
Dave Mustaine being hit by a rock was apparently precluded by an incident between him and another band, W.A.S.P. and their frontman, Blackie Lawless. Swirling around the Metalfest 2012 concert were rumors that Mustaine Lawless had some sort of falling out, and that because of it, Lawless would not perform.
The unconfirmed rumors about Mustaine and Lawless' falling out ignited the crowd, who chanted and called for W.A.S.P. repeatedly throughout Megadeth's set on stage. Eventually, that sentiment boiled over, devolving into bottles and rocks being thrown.
Booing celebrities happens fairly often at large events, whether they be celebrities, musicians, or sports stars- the mob mentality seems to take over. One such case was earlier this year in April, when Tim Tebow, 24-year-old New York Jets quarterback, was booed by fans at Yankee Stadium.
Tebow was accompanied by 30-year-old NBA shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who was in town after his Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks early Sunday. After the pair was shown on the giant board in their Yankees hats, they were initially met with boos from the crowd.