A foul-mouthed demand for a bottle of beer can be revealed as the incident that sparked the now world-famous “flying chair” knockout.
News.com.au can reveal that the man who knocked out his own mate with a hurled chair intended for a security guard was ejected from Melbourne’s Bar 20 on Friday night after telling a barmaid to “Open the f-f–king beer.”
In an exclusive interview, Bar 20 co-owner Michael Trimble has lifted the lid on the “crazy” eight-minute ejection that led to the incident now seen by over 27 million people worldwide.
It began with a bottle of VB and four words.
“My bar manager pulled a bottle out of the fridge,” Trimble said. “She was about to twist the top off when he looked at her and said something inappropriate. I’m not sure what he said, but it made her stop and think, ‘Maybe I don’t actually want to serve this guy.’”
As the barmaid hesitated, the patron snapped.
“He screamed, ‘Just open the f–king beer,’” Trimble recounted.
According to Trimble, the trouble began the moment the two men walked into the King Street venue at 9:20 p.m. They were immediately aggressive toward staff, raising red flags before a drink was even poured.
But the outburst over the bottle was the final straw.
Security was called immediately, but the pair refused to go quietly.
What should have been a standard 30-second removal turned into a staggering eight-minute ordeal.
“The whole incident went for about eight minutes,” Trimble said. “It was a crazy long time for an ejection. Most people are out the door 30 seconds after being asked to leave. But this whole thing just went on for ages. They just refuse to leave.”
Melbourne man and friend try to fight a ‘gentlemen’s club’ bouncer after getting kicked out. Spoiler: They lost… and the bouncers didn’t even touch them 😹😹🥴💪 pic.twitter.com/uE3IEtqzCV
— The Instigator (@Am_Blujay) January 31, 2026
Once forced onto the street, the drama escalated. One of the men briefly brandished a bollard as a weapon before rethinking his strategy.
But the true twist in this viral saga came moments later.
According to Trimble, the man who would eventually become the victim had actually returned to the door to apologize.
“He had actually changed his tune and was apologetic,” Trimble said. “He was standing there apologizing for his mate’s behavior.”
While he was saying sorry, his friend was busy raiding a neighboring Korean restaurant. Footage shows the man snatching a wooden chair – despite a staff member protesting it was their “top chair” – and launching it toward the club.
He missed the bouncers entirely. Instead, the furniture smashed into the back of his apologetic friend’s head, knocking him out cold as security guards watched on in disbelief.
The CCTV footage has since clocked up more than 27 million views in 24 hours, turning a King St tussle into a worldwide sensation.
“I’ve seen plenty of instances of people making clowns of themselves in my 12 years in this industry,” Trimble said. “But nothing with the potential to go viral like that.”
Trimble was gifted the chair in the aftermath of the incident and now has it on display in his popular Melbourne nightspot.
“It is a piece of memorabilia now,” Trimble said. “We have dressed it up in a Bar 20 shirt and put it on display”
The identity of the two men remains unknown.
