Music event stopped due to band member collapsing on stage in front of shocked audience

A music festival had to be halted tonight after a band member collapsed on stage in front of thousands of horrified fans. 

During the final night of the On The Waterfront Festival in Liverpool, the British band The Christians were in the middle of their performance when the drummer, 58-year-old Lionel Duke, experienced a cardiac arrest.

As the situation unfolded, medics swiftly responded by rushing onto the stage at Liverpool Pier Head. Lead singer Garry Christian urgently called for help, prompting the medical team to perform four rounds of CPR.

To allow for privacy and focus on the emergency at hand, a screen was set up on stage. A message displayed on a large LED screen informed the audience: ‘We appreciate your patience and understanding. Medical staff are with the performer, and we will provide an update as soon as we can.’

Mr Duke, who has been with the band for 17 years, was stretchered out of the arena and placed in an ambulance before being blue-lighted to Broadgreen hospital in the city.

The band’s manager, Emma Roberts, and wife of lead singer Garry, told MailOnline Mr Duke had had a lifesaving operation and was now in an induced coma. 

The Christians earlier posted on their Facebook page that they were still ‘awaiting news’ as the band thanked the ‘phenomenal team of medics’ at the festival that rushed to ‘help our poor Lionel’. 

The Christians drummer Lionel Duke (pictured) suffered a cardiac arrest just two songs into the band’s set at the On The Waterfront Festival in Liverpool 

A privacy screen was put up on stage with a message on a large LED screen reading: ‘We appreciate your patience and understanding. Medical staff are with the performer, and we will provide an update as soon as we can’

The Christians were performing ahead of Grammy-winning Sting’s Sunday night headline set which closes out the four-day event. 

The former Police frontman was given the band’s blessing to perform where he said he was ‘praying’ Mr Duke was ‘going to be fine’ before dedicating his last song – How Fragile We Are – to the drummer.

‘Our thoughts are with him,’ the Englishman in New York hitmaker said, according to The Mirror. 

Ms Roberts told MailOnline she had been chatting to Mr Duke before the show and he had seemed absolutely fine. 

‘He goes swimming every day, and he used to be a bouncer so he does loads of exercise… we are all just really shocked and very upset,’ she said. 

Mr Duke’s 21-year-old son is currently by his bedside as Ms Roberts said she is ‘amazed [Mr Duke] has made it’. 

‘He’s just a lovely guy and we are all really sad,’ she said. 

‘We are devastated for Lionel. It’s horrible for him, but we are just thrilled that he is ok at the moment. We just hope he is ok tomorrow.

‘The team [at the festival]… I couldn’t believe how good they were. There were so many medics on stage really quickly.’  

Ms Roberts had earlier given an update over the speakers where she said it is believed Mr Duke had suffered a cardiac arrest. 

‘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 Liverpool Echo reported her as saying. 

‘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.’

The Christians performing at the Festival of Light in Boimorto in Galicia Spain 14 September 2013

British band The Christians performing at the Festival of Light in Boimorto in Galicia Spain on 14 September 2013

The Christians had hours earlier posted on its Facebook page as the band was carrying out a ‘soundcheck in a grey rainy On The Waterfront Liverpool’. 

‘But we won’t let it dampen our excitement see you [sic],’ they wrote. 

The Christians was formed in the 1980s by Garry Christian and his brothers Roger and Russell. Roger died of a brain tumour in 1998, with Russell leaving the band in 2005. 

Their self-titled debut album reached number two in the UK charts with their biggest hits  

On The Waterfront Festival was founded in 2021 and last year saw 45,000 people attend. 

The Wombats, and The Wolfe Toones were among the headliners to perform this year. 

MailOnline has contacted On The Waterfront and representatives of The Christians for comment.