7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Liverpool music festival halted after Sting's support suffers 'cardiac arrest' live on stage
Sting said the musician is 'in his prayers' as he took to the stage for the final night of 2025 On The Waterfront festival.
Sting's support group The Christians had a gig in Liverpool halted mid-performance when the drummer collapsed and suffered a 'cardiac arrest'. Garry Christian had been fronting the band at a gig when he stopped and called for medical help for his bandmate.
A privacy screen was then erected on the stage, as emergency responders raced to the scene.
The musician was then treated at the venue before being raced to hospital. A woman who is believed to be the band's manager, Emma Bridget, announced an emotional update to the shocked crowd. She said: 'We're really hoping he is going to make it. He didn't have a pulse, he's got one now, we think. Thank you so much."
The band had been performing at Liverpool's Pier Head when the drama unfolded. Emma went on: 'I'm just so sorry because Garry loves Liverpool and he wanted to put on the show of his life and we're really devastated but thank you so much.'
A message was then displayed to fans after the ordeal, which read: 'We appreciate your patience and understanding. Medical staff are with the performer, and we will provide an update as soon as we can.'
The group had been performing at the final night of the 2025 On The Waterfront festival. Thousands of people flocked to the English city as a host of musicians appeared.
The Mirror reports the crowd was at capacity and the venue was silent as events took place on stage. There are no further updates on the drummer's condition at the moment but Sting provided information when he took to the stage to close the festival tonight. He said: 'The drummer in the band before is OK. He's in hospital. All of us are praying he's going to be fine. Our thoughts are with him.'
Sting is the headliner for the concert, making his long-awaited return to Liverpool as part of his STING 3.0 World Tour.
The Christians, from Liverpool, had the highest selling debut album of any artist at Island Records and international chart hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s after forming in 1985.
The Christians are made up of Garry Christian (lead vocals), Roger Christian (vocals and instrumentalist), Russell Christian (keyboards, saxophone, vocals), and Henry Priestman (keyboards, guitars, vocals). Priestman, although not a relative, shared the Christian name by coincidence. Early members also included Paul Barlow on drums, Mike Bulger on guitar and vocals, and Tony Jones on bass.
Roger Christian stepped away from the group in 1987 and announced he didn't want to tour, focusing on a solo album instead. He passed away in 1998 after a battle with a brain tumour.
In 1995, Garry Christian moved to Paris to record his own solo album, Your Cool Mystery, effectively breaking up the band, although no formal announcement was made. The group have since reformed and have been performing again.
