Kid Rock cancels shows after “superspreader” Sturgis rally performance: “Half the band has f****** covid”
The singer was scheduled to perform at Billy Bob’s Texas on 27 and 28 August
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kid Rock on Twitter has been forced to cancel two shows in Fort Worth, Texas, because “over half the band has f****** covid”, he has said.
The controversial US singer, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, was scheduled to perform at Billy Bob’s on 27 and 28 August.
As the United States reels from a resurgence in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, the entertainer addressed “s*** for brains bloggers and media trolls”, saying many of the band members who have tested positive were vaccinated against Covid-19.
This comes after Kid Rock played to a “packed house” at the 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota on 8 August, which health officials are calling a “superspreader event”.
Following his performance at Sturgis, Kid Rock gloated that “there is nothing the mainstream media or internet and social media trolls can do but look at this pic and weep, knowing they will never beat us”.
South Dakota reported a 456 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases from before the start of the rally, on August 4, till two weeks after, on August 25. The state’s weekly positivity rate climbed to nearly 40 per cent about 14 days after the rally started, from 10.38 per cent in the week of 30 July to 6 August.
Addressing his fans — “the real ones” — the American rapper said he would never cancel a show if he had his way, adding: “I was gonna come and rock the house anyway, play acoustic, DJ, juggle…”
He concluded with an additional tweet that expressed his sorrow over the deaths of US soldiers in the 27 August attacks on Kabul’s airport by the Taliban.
“I am way more upset about that than some stupid virus and missing a couple shows,” he wrote.