Flogging Molly frontman Dave King has opened up about the near-fatal brain injury he suffered back in January — a hemorrhage that forced him to have multiple brain surgeries and spend months in a coma.
Speaking on the BrooklynVegan Interview Podcast, King revealed that he suffered the hemorrhage after he fainted while on a staircase and fell, fracturing his skull. Thankfully his wife/bandmate Bridget Regan was nearby to call an ambulance, which rushed him to a hospital in Wexford, Ireland, before he was then taken to Dublin due to the severity of his injury.
“They told my wife she may never see me again,” said King, who underwent three brain surgeries and spent three weeks in a coma. “[They said] if I did in fact survive, I would probably be a vegetable for the rest of my life. But I’m a talking vegetable!”
King said the doctors called him a “miracle” when he finally left the hospital. He’s since begun writing new songs and has set his sights on returning to the stage in October for the 2026 edition of Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise. There are also plans to potentially play Warped Tour next year.
“It’s a great thing to be able to do, to pick up a guitar and play and even create something new from that experience,” King said. “I’m getting excited about getting into a room again with my darling wife and my bandmates and working together again.”
Meanwhile, Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise is set for October 25th through the 30th and features Bad Religion, Frank Turner, The Adicts, Lucero, Spiritual Cramp, The Rumjacks, Catbite, and more. More information can be found at this location.
You can listen to the full interview with Dave King below.
