Kid Rock Won't Perform at Venues with COVID-19 Vaccine and Mask Mandates
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Kid Rock
Days after announcing his "Bad Reputation" tour, Kid Rock revealed he won't be performing at venues with COVID-19 vaccine or mask mandates.
In a video shared to his Facebook page last Thursday, the 51-year-old "Don't Tell Me How to Live" singer said he's already chosen to eliminate certain stops — including Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Canada — due to venue policies regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
"There's been a lot of talk about vaccine mandates and venues. People saying, 'I'm not going to that venue because the vaccine mandate' and this, that and the other. Trust me. We've done all our research on this and the consensus says that all this is gonna be done — if there are any of these venues — I'm not aware of any, but if there are any, they're gonna be gone by the time we get to your city," Kid Rock said.
"If they're not, trust me, you don't have to worry. You'll be getting your money back because I won't be showing up, either."
The Grammy-nominated musician added, "If you think I'm gonna sit out there and sing, 'Don't Tell Me How to Live' and 'We the People' while people are holding up their f---ing vaccine cards and wearing masks, that s--- ain't happening."
RELATED: Kid Rock Repeats Homophobic Slur as He Claims He Has a 'Lot of Love' for Gay Friends in Tweet
The artist has been no stranger to controversy in the past.
In 2021, Kid Rock — whose real name is Bob Ritchie — found himself in hot water after he was captured using a homophobic slur during a performance at FishLipz Bar & Grill in Smithville, Tennessee. TMZ shared the video at the time.
"F--- your iPhone, yeah," he said in the video while flipping off the patron and pointing at his crotch. "You can post this. You can post this d--- right now. F---ing f---s with your phones out."
RELATED: Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Closes After Initially Refusing to Do So Over Coronavirus Concerns
Back in 2019, he was removed from the stage during a performance at the Honky Tonk bar for berating Oprah Winfrey and Joy Behar. At the time, he was captured saying they could "suck a d--- sideways."
In 2020, his Nashville bar Big Honky Tonk & Steakhouse was hit with a permit suspension for violating coronavirus protocols.
According to his website, the "Bad Reputation" tour will kick off April 6 in Evansville, Indiana, followed by stops in Omaha, Nebraska and St. Paul, Minnesota. It's set to wrap up Sept. 17 in Clarkston, Michigan.
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