On May 29, 2024, Taylor Momsen, the main singer of The Pretty Reckless, was bitten by a bat that flew onto the stage and stuck to her leg. The incident occurred as the band was performing “Witches Burn” as the opener for AC/DC’s “Power Up” tour. The audience’s emotions informed Momsen, who was first ignorant of the bat’s existence. After observing the bat, she remarked,
“There is a [expletive] flying bat on my leg right now. Could someone please help me?” Crew members quickly helped to remove the bat, but not before it bit her. Following the incident, Momsen announced on social media that she would be getting rabies vaccinations for the next two weeks and praised the medical personnel for nicknaming her “batgirl” after watching the story on local news.
In response to the event, the AC/DC tour crew instituted new safety procedures, including a “no bats allowed” policy, which was comically represented by a hand-drawn sign portraying a bat beneath a stop sign. Momsen thanked the crew for their support, posting an image of the banner on social media and saying, “Ok… so @acdc has the best crew ever.” “I love you guys!!!”
The incident was compared to Ozzy Osbourne’s infamous 1982 concert, when he bit the head off a bat, which has become legendary in rock history. Fans and media outlets noticed the resemblance, with some even joking that Osbourne would be proud of Momsen’s meeting.
Despite the unforeseen tragedy, The Pretty Reckless resumed their tour with AC/DC, with shows set until August 2024, culminating in Dublin, Ireland. The band’s most recent album, titled “Other Worlds,” was published in 2022.