A planned romantic gesture at a live music event turned into a scene of cringe-worthy embarrassment over the weekend, leaving both the hopeful suitor and the performing band utterly red-faced.
The On-Stage Proposal That Backfired
The incident unfolded in Brisbane, Australia, during the opening night of the Bootleg Rascal 'Reasons' tour on Saturday, 10 January 2026. The alternative indie duo, consisting of Carlos Lara and Jimmy Young, had just begun their performance when a fan was invited on stage.
Taking the microphone, the man explained to the crowd that he and his partner had seen Bootleg Rascal years prior and that they were their favourite band. He then called his girlfriend, Jamie, to join him. What followed was a moment of painful public rejection. As the man got down on one knee, the woman was seen shaking her head, grabbing his hands in an attempt to pull him up, and then promptly fleeing the stage, leaving the proposer kneeling alone.
Band's Reaction and Social Media Fallout
The stunned man remained on his knees until an unexpected saviour, hilariously dressed in a full Scooby-Doo costume, rushed on stage to help him to his feet. Bootleg Rascal later shared the awkward video on their social media with the caption 'PDA gone wrong'.
Adding a layer of promotional wit, the clip cut to a title card reading: 'Anyway here’s our break-up song. Stream Reasons x'. The band joked in their post, 'First show off to a great start. Not sure we’ll be helping out with another public proposal for a while…'. They confirmed, however, that their tour would continue with 14 more scheduled shows.
The video sparked a wave of sympathy and disbelief online. Comments ranged from 'Thats so rough' and 'Poor fella' to suspicions that the event was a staged publicity stunt for their new single. Many simply found it too painful to watch.
A Contrast to Other Musical Proposals
This public proposal fail stands in stark contrast to the recent experiences of other artists touring in Australia. Just last month, Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi witnessed at least four successful engagements during his shows Down Under.
Characteristically, Capaldi responded with humour, jokingly shouting at one couple in Brisbane for 'taking the shine off me' during his concert, before offering his congratulations and quipping about a wedding invitation. The differing outcomes highlight the very real gamble of planning such a life-changing question in front of a crowd.
