Shinedown announced their decision to withdraw from Kid Rock’s Rock The Country Festival, just one month after their drummer Barry Kerch dismissed concerns about the collaboration. The announcement was shared on Shinedown’s Instagram.
The band’s announcement emphasized their commitment to unity and bringing people together through music.
“Shinedown is everyone’s band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song,” the band stated. “We have one BOSS, and it is everyone in the audience. Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide.”
The statement continued to explain their reasoning for the withdrawal.
“With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock The Country Festival,” they said. “We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”
The band also addressed their fans directly in the announcement.
“And to our fans, thank you for supporting and believing in us. We love and appreciate you always,” they concluded.
This decision comes after drummer Barry Kerch had previously dismissed criticism about the festival appearance last month. He stated he didn’t care about the backlash and wanted to keep politics separate from music.
Drummer Barry Kerch said about the criticism last month, “I don’t care. I’m just gonna go play a show. I really, really don’t care. You can keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music. This is about music.”
The controversy surrounding Shinedown’s participation in the festival has deeper roots than initially apparent. The band members were reportedly unaware of the event’s political associations when they first accepted the offer.
Music Mayhem Magazine reported that Kerch revealed in a podcast interview that the band was initially unaware of the festival’s political leanings. “I had no idea this was Kid Rock’s thing. It was just, ‘Hey, here’s an offer. It looks like a cool lineup, and it’s a mix of country and rock,'” he explained.
The drummer’s stance became more controversial when he criticized other artists who had withdrawn from the festival. MetalSucks noted that Kerch called rapper Ludacris a “coward” for withdrawing from the festival. He stated “If he’s not tough enough to stick it out, that’s just silly.”
“I know at least one person that’s got their foot planted wayyy deep in their own mouth,” was how one outlet described Kerch’s position after his public criticism of Ludacris. This was reported by MetalSucks.
Shinedown’s withdrawal adds to the growing list of artists who have distanced themselves from Kid Rock’s controversial festival. AOL reported that the rock band has become “the latest act to drop out” following backlash from fans angered by their initial participation.
