Worst drummer injuries with All Time Low, August Burns Red, The Word Alive and more

pictured: Rian Dawson, All Time Low. photo credit: Adam Elmakias

When people think of dangerous jobs, they don’t usually think of musicians. But, you’d be surprised how often injuries happen both on and off the stage. Drummers are usually out of the way enough from accidents like falling off stages or slamming into other band members—but that doesn’t save them from the dangers of their own instruments. From bloody knuckles to temporarily blinding themselves, we asked a few drummers what their worst injuries were…and got some grusome answers.

BRANDON MULLINS, BEARTOOTH: I got food poisoning once and had to play a show with a bucket next to me and I puked between each song. After the show, I had to go to the hospital.

AARON GILLESPIE, PARAMORE/UNDEROATH: I got blood poisoning from an infected blister once and had to have emergency surgery—in Vegas, of all places! 

JP “ROOK” CAPPELLETTY, MACHINE GUN KELLY: I'm known for my showmanship and I was practicing some tricks and my stick struck me in my eye which caused a scratch on my cornea and I had to wear an eye patch for like, four days.

MATT GREINER, AUGUST BURNS RED: In 2006, August Burns Red were playing in Corona, California, at the Showcase Theater. I was skateboarding outside in the parking lot right before the show and broke my ankle. I put ice on it, tested my ability to still play double bass, and then got on stage and played the entire show (and three more like it) on the way back to Pennsylvania. Fortunately, the ankle break was on the tail end of the tour and I was headed in the direction of home anyway. Unfortunately, the trouble didn't stop there. A doctor told me that I would be out of commission for six months due to surgery and pins in my ankle. I left that doctor and went to another one for a second opinion, eventually getting a hard shell cast on it and leaving for tour a week later. I slowed down the tempos of a few songs and played double bass as normal, cast and all!

LUKE HOLLAND, THE WORD ALIVE: Back before my endorsements, I had all cracked cymbals. I was practicing with one of my first bands and I went to do a cymbal choke. The jagged edge of the cymbal went directly under my fingernail and yanked on it; blood shot all over the wall next to me. Brutal. 

RIAN DAWSON, ALL TIME LOW: I didn't necessarily injure myself while on stage, but directly after. We were on the House Party Tour with A Day To Remember, Pierce The Veil and the Wonder Years, and had just finished playing in South Carolina. I walked off stage down some metal stairs and saw that it was raining and there was no light on the staircase. I turned around to find a light so the band wouldn't slip and fall on the stairs. While turning around, my left foot found a gap in between the metal stairs and the stage level, and I slipped through until I was caught by a piece of steel driving into my leg, just to the right of my knee. I went to the hospital and got 22 stitches and am left with a gnarly scar. I have a picture of the injury if you really wanted it, but I doubt you, or anyone, wants to see that, By the way, I didn't miss a show!

BEN GORDON, PARKWAY DRIVE: Being a drummer, I’m usually fairly safe from the chaos on stage but I’ve copped multiple bloody knuckles from whacking my hand with my sticks–probably the worst was hitting myself in the eye and being blind in one eye for half a show.

EVAN AMBROSIO, STATE CHAMPS: I haven't had anything too bad, but the worst is, sometimes, I'll do a cymbal catch, and the cymbal will get caught between my fingernail. It bleeds a lot, and is always annoying to play with.

If you want to read more about your favorite drummers, check out our most recent issue—on newsstands now! Don't know where to get your AP fix? We have a whole list of where to buy.