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Ronnie Radke, the lead singer of the rock band Falling In Reverse, has received support from the heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold’s lead vocalist, M. Shadows, amidst the Spiritbox controversy. Falling In Reverse is set to embark on their 2023 summer tour, the Popular Monstour in June.
The band was supposed to have Spiritbox, the Canadian heavy metal band, as guest performers on one of their tour dates. However, Spiritbox confirmed last week that they had canceled their performances at the Popular Monstour that were scheduled for six dates.
However, M. Shadows defended his band, Avenged Sevenfold’s decision to invite Falling In Reverse to join them at their upcoming shows at Madison Square Garden (NYC) and Kia Forum (Los Angeles). Shadows said they have more shows apart from these two that they will be doing with Ronnie. He added:
"If you don't like him, don't show up - or show up later. But we're keeping them on the shows.”
M. Shadows says there is no proof to the accusations against Ronnie Radke
No official reason or explanation regarding Spiritibox’s decision to cancel their performance at the Popular Monstour was given. However, it was rumored that the band decided to drop out of the tour due to the backlash they received for performing alongside Ronnie, who has a controversial past and holds problematic views.
In a recent interview where M. Shadows spoke to YouTuber Finn McKenty from the music podcast The Punk Rock MBA, Shadows said that Ronnie Radke is allowed to have his opinion. He continued:
"And his opinion ruffles feathers and then he digs his heels in and goes hard on some of these people that are attacking him. I've looked at all of his accusations. There's been no proof on these things. He did time for the one thing he did do.”
Speaking about inviting Ronnie Radke’s band to their shows, Shadows said that Ronnie can be his own person and others will be their own people. Even though they might not agree on everything, Shadows said they advocate for a person to be able to speak their mind.
M. Shadows compared the situation with people wanting rock and roll music to be dangerous. However, at the same time, they don’t. He went on:
“But what happens is, rock and roll will take a new form, and it will be something different. And right now it's kind of hip-hop. It's emo rap, whatever it is.”
The Avenged Sevenfold frontman said that he knows Ronnie Radke and likes him. He spoke about how people have had problems with their shows and them in general. However, M. Shadows stated that they were not going to give in to that pressure because it’s not who they are.
Previously, M. Shadows has sung in praise of Ronnie and said that he is the next rockstar people should watch out for. He commended the Falling In Reverse vocalist for releasing important and well-thought-out singles which also engage his fan base.
Past allegations against Ronnie Radke
When Spiritbox announced their withdrawal from the Popular Monstour tour, one fan tweeted that Ronnie Radke was probably going to pass negative remarks about the band for dropping off the tour.
However, Ronnie responded and said that he could never speak ill. He then mentioned Spiritbox’s lead vocalist Courtney LaPlante and said that she and the rest of the members are "sweet" and that he felt sorry for the band as some of their fans have been "awful" to them.
Twitter page Loudwire made a tweet about Ronnie Radke's comments on cancel culture that the singer shared on TikTok. However, a woman retweeted their post and asked whether she should hold Ronnie accountable for throwing her against a van and strangling her eight years ago, or if it was too long ago to report.
Ronnie Radke shared a screenshot of the woman’s tweet and denied the allegations. He wrote that the woman seemed to be looking 8 feet in height in her picture. So, there was no way he could throw her against a van. Ronnie then accused her of lying and asked why she needed this kind of attention. However, the tweet was later deleted.
In 2015, a 25-year-old woman accused the singer of r**e but Ronnie denied the allegations and sued the woman for defamation. In 2012, he was also arrested on charges of domestic abuse against Sally Watts, his then-girlfriend, but the charge was later dismissed.
Back in 2006, he received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for his engagement in a fight that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old boy. Ronnie was found possessing brass knuckles during the fatal scuffle. He may have pleaded guilty to battery with substantial bodily harm. Though Ronnie was initially sent to probation, he later violated those terms which led to his eventual prison sentence.
Following Spiritbox’s withdrawal from the tour, Ronnie made a tweet on March 20, 2023, that American post-hardcore band Our Last Night will replace Spiritbox’s performance in a second Vegas show.
Apart from Our Last Night, the Popular Monstour tour will feature Ice Nine Kills, Slaughter To Prevail, Catch Your Breath, Underoath, and Crown The Empire as guest performers.
