Nathan Aspinall’s walk-on to Mr Brightside by The Killers is deeply ingrained in darts culture, but that tradition may be facing change.
Since 2019, fans have become accustomed to associating the song with the current PDC World No. 20, and the crowd frequently serenades him when he takes to the stage.
However, speaking on Sky Sports’ Love the Darts podcast, Aspinall revealed he was considering a change after trying out new music on a European tour, but joked it would affect his career.
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Speaking about Love The Darts, Aspinall revealed there could be tweaks to Darts’ Grand Slam walk-on song.
“Eminem is my idol and I really love his music, but I can’t change that,” Aspinall said.
“I was practicing in the dance room and “Lose Yourself” came to my ears, and I heard the opening beat and thought, “This might be good.”
“So I had it edited and to be fair I think it sounds great, but it’s not on Sky yet. I don’t know if they approved it or not, but it sounded great at the weekend and it sounded great on the Euro Tour.”
“Yes, that will remain, but so will Mr. Brightside.
“I can’t change Mr. Brightside, because I won’t be invited to anything. (Without it) no one will call me to go to the exhibition!”
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Aspinall hit two perfect nine darts in one day at Players Championship 31.
But one change Aspinall is sure will stick around is his interest in fitness, often running 5kms and building a “mini gym” at home.
Being physically active has helped Aspinall maintain a clear mind, detailing how easy it is to fall into unhealthy habits, especially while on tour.
“Running is a big thing for me. It’s very stressful and puts a lot of pressure on me when I’m doing this job,” he said.
“When things don’t go your way, the pressure is even greater. For me, I think getting back into running helps clear my head. So if things aren’t going my way, just forget about it and move on.
“I’ve talked to a lot of sports psychologists, we’ve got experts in hypnotherapy, and I think a lot of factors have combined to make me the player I am.
“As darts players, we’re always on the go, so we can get into a rut where it’s very easy to arrive at the hotel late at night and just lie in bed all day, like most darts players do.
“There’s a lot of people who just lay there, pick up a delivery, go downstairs to the hotel, pick it up, go back to bed and eat.”
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Luke Humphries and Aspinall placed in same group at Darts Grand Slam
He explained that earlier this year, he started feeling pain in his shoulders and elbows again, so he started doing some light strength training.
Aspinall at Grand Slam of Darts
Aspinall is in Group A alongside world No. 1 and 2024 world champion Luke Humphries, 2023 world champion Michael Smith and impressive debutant Alex Spellman.
He will begin his campaign in the evening session on November 8th, live on Sky Sports+ and in the main event against Smith.
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