Iron Maiden’s guitarist, Janick Gers, experienced a mishap on stage during the band’s concert on November 20 at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City. A fan-captured video of the fall has since surfaced online.

This isn’t the first time Gers has faced an on-stage incident. Back in September 2019, while performing in San Antonio, Texas, Gers lost his grip on his guitar during a live show, sending the instrument flying into the crowd. It struck a security guard in the back of the head and upper torso.

Known for his energetic and dramatic guitar performances, Gers has often faced criticism for his flashy stage presence, which some fans feel clashes with Iron Maiden’s more traditional performance style. One notable critic, radio personality Eddie Trunk, shared his thoughts in a 2009 blog post after attending a Maiden concert in Florida. He stated: “As much as I love MAIDEN, I must state what has been so obvious to so many for so long. Nobody can figure out why the band tolerates Janick Gers’s performance style. Don’t know the man and I hear he is a nice guy, but he behaves like he is auditioning for ‘Dancing With The Stars’ on stage and not playing guitar in MAIDEN. Not even sure what he is doing. Cannot possibly be turned up in the mix much of the time. I know so many that have said the same thing. It’s just not right for MAIDEN, especially with [other MAIDEN guitarists] Adrian [Smith] and Dave [Murray] in classic mode on stage. I’m sure he’s talented and a good guy, but it’s way over the top and painful to watch that side of the stage. I love some of the things he has written with MAIDEN and I’m not for a minute saying he should be out of the band, but someone dancing and spinning his guitar just seems so out of place in MAIDEN.”

However, Adrian Smith, another member of Iron Maiden, later defended Gers in an interview with Trunk. Smith explained: “Some people enjoy it. I think it’s interesting to have contrasting styles and different personalities [within] the band.” He went on to add, “We actually have to be quite disciplined when we play. I mean, I do, because the songs, some of the arrangements are quite complex and we play ’em very fast, and if I start throwing my guitar around, I just lose the plot, so I don’t. [Janick’s] fine with it, and it’s what he does, and it’s cool.”