The Ghost Inside Frontman Expresses Frustration He’s Not Able to Perform
In April it’ll be two and a half years since The Ghost Inside’s tragic bus accident that claimed the lives of two drivers, with some of the band members still undergoing medical treatment as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
The road for Jonathan Vigil has been particularly rough: the band’s vocalist has had more than a dozen surgeries, the most recent of which (that we know of) was a September, 2017 procedure to fuse the bones in a crushed ankle that’s already been subject to a number of operations. At the time we marveled at Vigil’s positive energy in spite of all he’s undergone, but we’re sure Vigil has plenty of dark moments… and judging by his Instagram post over the weekend, yesterday was certainly one of them.
Vigil attended a live show over the weekend and felt some resentment over not being physically able to perform, which is completely understandable. Here’s what he offered on the experience:
“Being completely honest and transparent, going to shows is HARD. And I don’t mean hard in the physical sense because most venues, staff, security, patrons and show goers are very accommodating to handicapped or injured people. What I mean is it’s just hard… being here. It’s hard to know what we were and what we could be. I admit, I don’t go to shows as often as I should. As often as I want to. As often as I need to. But there’s a reason for it.
“It stings me. It hurts me. It’s bittersweet being here. I feel cheated. I feel wronged. I feel obsolete. Seeing a band play and knowing we had it. Knowing what we had. I had it. Watching a band play with a feeling of jealousy that I shouldn’t have but just can’t shake. It eats at me. I think to myself, “I did everything I could. I was that kid in the crowd singing along, aspiring to be up there. I worked hard and I did it. I got there. Like everyone else up there did. So how come they get to run around on stage when I won’t ever be able to run again? I can’t even walk on my own.”
“I’ve experienced loss before. Loss of innocence. Loss of youth. Loss of a loved one. But this loss is something I can’t seem to do anything to cope with. It’s a hole that won’t close. It’s like sitting around and watching a movie about your life, knowing how it’s going to play out and screaming for it to be different but you’re not the one with the mic anymore. No one can hear you.
“They’ll be lots of extremely kind sentiments, comments, wishes and thoughts on here. They always hit me and the words do help. The support is there absolutely, but it doesn’t end what I feel. That’s the honesty and transparency of this all. It’s like, would you go into something knowing the only outcome is heartbreak?”
Hang in there, Jonathan. You’ll be back up on stage soon. I know it.
Meanwhile, The Ghost Inside’s drummer Andrew Tkaczyk is fighting his own battle for recovery. Despite losing a leg as the result of the accident, he just released a solo instrumental EP which you can stream right here.
[via The PRP]
