Kid Rock is known for being unapologetic in his beliefs. He is not one known to be shy in speaking his mind. And this latest event is just another example of how he is not afraid to do what he wants.
The singer does not suffer any behavior he does not find pleasant. Even if it might seem unreasonable to someone else.
Keep reading to learn more about what happened.
Kid Rock is no stranger to controversial headlines. The singer is known for speaking his mind, even if the comment he wants to make is in the middle of his performance.
The singer of “All Summer Long” joined Bon Jovi’s David Bryan in a celebration for a celebration of the latter’s birthday on February 8, 2025, in Nashville. However, Kid Rock left the song before he even finished his song!
The reason? He did not think the crowd was clapping enough for him. Even during his performance, he reportedly chastised the crowd for not clapping but apparently it had gotten enough for him because he stormed off stage before he even finished the song.
The 54-year-old singer was outraged. According to videos that have emerged from the event, he dropped several expletives, saying, “F— them. F— them. Hey, hey, stop,” he said, according to the video. “If you ain’t gonna clap, we ain’t gonna sing. That’s how it’s gonna go.”
The party was in honor of Bon Jovi’s keyboardist, turning 63 on February 7, 2025. The performance was at Nashville’s JBJ venue, which is owned by Jon Bon Jovi.
Kid Rock made a surprise appearance and was initially warmly welcomed with applause as he belted out ‘Proud Mary’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival, according to fan videos posted online.
Everything seemed fine until two minutes into performing when Rock stopped singing and asked his band to stop playing as well. He asked the crowd to clap and demonstrated how he wanted them to clap.
“F— them. F— them. Hey, hey, stop,” he said, according to videos of the incident. “If you ain’t gonna clap, we ain’t gonna sing. That’s how it’s gonna go.”
People began to clap as he had requested but after a minute he stopped again.
“You know what, f— y’all. You ain’t gonna clap, I’m gone,” he said before he left the stage abruptly.
In the video, Bryan can be seen with confused hand gestures before he speaks to another bandmate while Kid Rock is storming off.
It did not seem to have ruined the night for David Bryan, who posted a video for the event on Instagram with the caption, THANK YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES! Rocking at @jbjsnash last night with @bigkennytv!”
Kid Rock recently performed at the Make America Great Again Victory Rally that celebrated President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Other performers at the event included Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, the Village People, and Billy Ray Cyrus.
In an interview he did, he said he felt he and Donald Trump were similar in how they just wanted what was best for the country. He once joked how Trump had appointed him as the “Head of the Liquor Cabinet.”
“I’m a person that likes to win. I don’t sugarcoat things,” he said in the interview. “I call it like I see it. Sometimes I might not get it absolutely correct. I’m a man with forgiveness in my heart.”
The singer starts his tour next month for his album Bad Reputation that came out in 2022.
