The Word Alive singer breaks back stagediving

The Word Alive frontman Telle Smith is recovering after suffering multiple injuries in a stagediving incident during a recent show in Pomona, California.

The November 14 stop on the Apollo X tour – featuring co-headliners The Devil Wears Prada and Motionless In White – saw Smith leap into the crowd at the city’s Fox Theater. And the singer shared the first news of the injury on Twitter after the concert.

He says: “Never hurt myself at a show worse than I did tonight, but it was worth it for you Pomona! Love our fans!”

He revealed the full extent of the damage a few days later in an Instagram update.

Smith says: “I had heard stories of injuries from stage diving, but you never think it will happen to you until it does. I have a broken rib, a fractured rib and broke transverse process which is one of the protruding bones near the bottom of my spine.

“Honestly the pain is pretty bad but knowing I could have hurt someone else like this sort of numbs that from a psychological standpoint. I think in the future I will just stick to going hard on stage not off it.”

Smith continues: “Luckily we don’t have any shows scheduled until February where I can hopefully be at or near 100%. I am thankful I can, and will, be able to walk, which is something I never thought about deeply until now. This whole thing has put so much into perspective and I’m just thankful I will be healthy again in a few months. It could always be worse.”

Smith’s injury came with four shows left in the North American tour and, while the issue slowed him down, The Word Alive completed the run while keeping a long-standing promise to fans.

The band says: “We told you that if TWA ever has missed a show it was because we absolutely couldn’t play and this should prove that.”

The Word Alive’s third and latest album is 2014’s Real.