This incident can be categorized as a classic case of “seemed like a good idea at the time.” Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, likely owes his longtime bandmate and best friend Paul Doucette a nice meal after accidentally hitting the band’s drummer/rhythm guitarist with a microphone stand during a performance at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield on Sunday (Aug. 16).

In a video shared by a fan, Thomas is seen enjoying himself while swinging his mic stand around his head when the metal pole unexpectedly breaks loose and flies across the stage. Thomas continues to perform energetically while Doucette can be seen in the background, bending over as if in pain before quickly retreating backstage.

During the performance of the band’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit from 2000, “Bent,” Doucette is noticeably missing. Thomas later comments on the incident, addressing the audience, “Every night I’m over there and I’m throwing this goddamn thing around … oh I went, it nailed him,” referring to his long-standing mic twirling routine that went awry.

“Yeah, it nailed him hard,” the 54-year-old singer continued as he glanced towards the side stage area, clearly concerned for his friend of nearly three decades. “My best friend in the world and I think I almost killed him and I feel really bad about this.” He then asked the audience for a moment to assess the situation, saying, “By the way, it felt like a really good idea right up until now. I feel like an ass.”

According to People, after replacing the in-ear monitors that were damaged in the incident, Doucette, 53, returned to the stage and told the audience, “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you about swinging that f–king 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 then vowed that he knows “one thing I’m gonna stop doing” as Doucette raised what appeared to be a glass of alcohol and said, “there’s one thing that’s gonna help me right now. It’s gotta be this.”

In another video, an apologetic Thomas pleaded for forgiveness again and stated, “I’m going to be apologizing to you all month” while Doucette smiled and said he’d accept it.

After the show, Doucette shared an Instagram video showing him having broken pieces of his old in-ear monitor removed while jokingly saying, “So, here’s what’s happening right now. Rob took me the f–k out with his swinging mic stand during that show and I have bits of my inner ear that he f–kin’ smashed, which are now in my ear … that is not fun.” After the last pieces were taken out, Doucette humorously snarled, “F–kin’ Rob!”

The caption of Doucette’s post summed it up: “After 30 years of mic swinging, Rob claimed his first victim: @repairmethod of course.” Matchbox Twenty has upcoming performances scheduled for September at the Utah State Fair on Sept. 18 and at the Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Md. on Sept. 27.