Stryper’s Michael Sweet recently shared a bizarre and unfortunate incident from the band’s touring days. He recounted how he accidentally threw a fan’s glass eye into the crowd during a performance in Australia. The story was shared on Michael Sweet’s Instagram.
Sweet described the incident, which occurred during a late 1980s concert while the band was performing their song “Free.”
“The infamous ‘glass eye’ story. True story. We were performing in Australia back in the late eighties and we had just started the song ‘Free.’ A guy with a red bandana, silver earrings, missing teeth and beard stubble kept yelling at me and pointing at my feet. So much so that I was distracted and not able to focus on performing,” Sweet said.
The confusion escalated when Sweet noticed what he believed to be gum on the stage floor.
“I looked down at my feet and saw what I thought was a wad/ball of gum that someone (maybe him) had spit out. I thought he was warning me so I wouldn’t step on it. When I got the power ‘D’ chord on verse 2, I stopped singing for a brief moment, bent down and flicked the ‘gum’ into the crowd. It hurt like hell and felt like I was flicking a marble into the crowd. Close – it was this guys glass eye!!!” he continued.
The aftermath of the mistake made for an uncomfortable remainder of the show.
“He proceeded to tell expletives at me for the rest of the night and I can still hear his voice yelling ‘that was my f*cking eye mate!’ Obviously, it made for quite an awkward evening. Sold out arena in Australia and unfortunately, the glass eye was never retrieved. If you’re out there (and you’re the original owner of that glass eye), I’m so sorry,” Sweet concluded.
This unusual mishap occurred during one of Stryper’s most successful periods. It added an unexpected chapter to the band’s touring history.
The song “Free” that was playing during the incident holds special significance in Stryper’s catalog. YouTube documented that the track was the fourth song from their breakthrough album “To Hell With The Devil,” released on October 24, 1986. The album marked a pivotal moment for the Christian metal band. It established them as major players in the rock scene.
The lyrics of “Free” carry themes of personal choice and spiritual freedom. They include lines like “Free to turn away (say goodbye). Free to walk away (and deny). The gift waiting for you. Whispers the still small voice. It’s your choice,” as noted by Spotify. The irony of performing a song about freedom while accidentally depriving a fan of his prosthetic eye was not lost on the situation’s absurdity.
Stryper’s Australian tours during the late 1980s were part of their international expansion following domestic success. Christian Sunite reported that the band had built their reputation through albums like “Soldiers Under Command” (1985) and “The Yellow And Black Attack” (1984) before achieving platinum status with “To Hell With The Devil.”
The incident remains one of the more unusual mishaps in rock concert history. It demonstrates how even the most unexpected moments can become lasting memories for both performers and fans. Sweet’s willingness to share the story decades later shows the lasting impact of that awkward evening in Australia. A simple misunderstanding led to one of rock’s most bizarre stage incidents.
