In a social media world where hyperbolic outrage has become the norm to express distaste over certain issues, Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael has become tired of the increasingly standard statement of threatening to leave the U.S. as a form of vocal protest. In fact, he’s called out those who have made those claims.
Writing via Twitter, the bassist stated, “No one cares about anything enough to pack up and move out of the country. It’s easy to say onstage, on TV and on social media; but, when’s the last time you actually packed your bags for anything longer than a brief vacation and a quick return home? Stop bullshittin’.” He then tagged the tweet with the hashtag #USA.
Though not naming Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong directly, the tweet did come after the musician made headlines while touring in the U.K. telling an audience that he was prepared to renounce his U.S. citizenship and adding, “There’s too much fucking stupid in the world to go back to that miserable fucking excuse for a country.”
The comments came after the overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion by the Supreme Court last Friday that yielded strong sentiments from many. Telling the crowd, “Fuck America,” he later suggested he was serious in his comments about renouncing his citizenship, adding, “Oh, I’m not kidding, you’re going to get a lot of me in the coming days.”
Armstrong is far from the first celeb or musician to use the “leave America” threat to voice their disgust over a political issue. Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, Suicide Silence’s Mark Heylmun and Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee were among those vocalizing a similar sentiment in the past in regard to a Donald Trump presidency.
Five Finger Death Punch will be on tour in the U.S. later this summer. The band is hitting the road with Megadeth, The Hu and Fire From the Gods on dates that start Aug. 19 in Portland, Oregon. The shows come as the band will be supporting their new album Afterlife, which is currently available to pre-order here. You can get your tickets to Five Finger Death Punch’s tour right here.
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