The Brutal Injury Marilyn Manson Once Suffered On Stage
Marilyn Manson isn't exactly known for tame, sedate, or quaint stage performances. In fact, at this point fans might be disappointed if they attend a Manson concert and don't behold some crazed shenanigans. And while the rocker has definitely calmed down a bit since the old "Antichrist Superstar" days in the mid-90s — and no longer wears assless chaps like during the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards — he's still got a few tricks up his sleeve, unintentionally or not.
Aside from the intentional chaps affair, there was that time his pants (accidentally) fell down while he was singing — with his back to the crowd, no less. And then there was that time back in 2003 when Manson and guitarist John 5 just about got into an all-out brawl on stage while Manson was sporting Mickey Mouse ears. Entertainment was had by all. And then, lest we forget, there was that time when Manson was crushed by a stage prop.
In 2017 a giant prop shaped like two crisscrossed guns straight up collapsed on Manson while he was singing. Some folks thought he was to blame for trying to climb it, but he said he was trying to hold the thing up before it toppled over. The accident broke his fibula in two places and left him in horrible pain.
Crushed under a giant gun prop
"It was terrifying," Marilyn Manson told Yahoo! Entertainment of being crushed by his giant gun prop, adding that the "pain was excruciating." The prop-toppling incident happened on September 30, 2017 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. It effectively ended the show that evening, although fans got the opportunity to see Manson pinned under a colossal symbol of violence for several minutes while stagehands did their best to free him. They also had the opportunity to record the whole thing.
Reports at the time generally claimed that Manson himself caused the prop to fall. On The Guardian, one concert-goer described it thusly: "It happened in the middle of his song 'Sweet Dreams.' He performed it and all of a sudden he climbed on to the two guns ... At end of the song he bent over holding one of the poles [on the prop] and tipped over." Other outlets like The Sun stated that the incident happened when Manson "tried to climb on the prop mid-set."
Actual footage from the night, however, shows a different story. Manson was kneeling down and singing in front of the giant gun prop, which was connected to a small scaffolding unit. The prop fell forward and onto Manson, he raised a hand to protect himself, and then vanished under the scaffolding as folks on stage raced to the rescue.
Surgery, a metal plate, and some screws
In summarizing his injuries, Marilyn Manson told Yahoo! Entertainment, "I'm not sure what I hit my head on, but it [the gun prop] did fall onto my leg and break the fibula in two places." He also told Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe — "I think that I was very lucky that it was about 6 inches from my skull."
After being carted away on a stretcher, Manson wound up having surgery to repair his fibula — the thinner of the two shin bones — which involved getting a metal plate and 10 titanium screws inserted into his leg. Manson actually refused painkillers following surgery and told Lowe that he "didn't want to fall prey to" old patterns of "recreational [drug] use." Rather, Manson approached the incident with good humor, saying that he had a "full heavy metal" bionic leg that didn't trigger airport metal detectors for some reason.
At the time of the injury, Manson canceled the remaining nine shows on his tour and rescheduled some shows for the following January and February. But as it turns out, he was back on his feet within five weeks and performing on stage. Or rather, he was back in an electric wheelchair that lifted and lowered him, which he incorporated into his shows. "It was not a fun time at all," he told Lowe. Since then, Manson — who is completely unrecognizable in real life — become fully ambulatory again. Hopefully his stage props are all locked, bolted, or strapped into place at this point.
Check out some other musicians who have permanently damaged their bodies performing live.