History Made: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, St James

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform at the St James in Auckland in 2006. Photo / Milana Radojcic

Opinion

James Lowe was hit by falling plaster when Mint Chicks and Yeah Yeah Yeahs played the St James in Auckland on 12 July 2006.

I was first year at Elam studying Fine Arts and I was taking a few photos for Cheese On Toast and regularly going to gigs.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs were coming to town and I really wanted to see them. I wasn't actually of age at the time, but I got in anyway because I got a fake ID for the show - that's how much I wanted to go.

Lots of people showed up and everyone I knew was out. I was with a bunch of other people who were also underage, so we were all pretty nervous on our way in.

We got in and went down to the front on the left-hand-side, watching Mint Chicks and waiting for Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

I saw maybe three or four songs from Mint Chicks, and then I felt like I had been bottled - it was while Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! was playing.

I had no idea what happened - I touched my forehead and I was covered in blood. I found myself on the ground, and I think a security guard picked me up and carried me outside.

I was sitting outside in the foyer for a while, and then I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and stitched up there. I had no idea what happened - it was only when I was at the hospital that I found out part of the ceiling had come loose and hit me.

The promoter came and visited me a couple of days later - he reimbursed me for my ticket and he also had a signed poster from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a couple of stickers and things like that, which was really cool.

The story made it to the newspapers and then, later on, I go an email from Mint Chicks, which was cool - it was just saying 'sorry you got hit on the head!'.

It was a kind of a crazy, crazy night.

What: Yeah Yeah Yeahs & The Mint Chicks
Where: St James, Auckland
When: July 12, 2006

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