Photo Credit: Ronald Woan / CC by 2.0
Kid Rock canceled his Friday night concert due to bad weather, triggering an angry backlash from fans who trashed the venue.
Kid Rock canceled his appearance at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot on Friday night due to bad weather. The controversial artist was scheduled to take the stage around 9:30 PM after Night Ranger, his opening act.
A storm reportedly made its way to the outskirts of town with wind and lightning but no rain. Still, Kid Rock continued to delay his performance, and Night Ranger extended their set to more than two-and-a-half hours. By 11 PM, fans were pretty drunk and increasingly agitated as it seemed the storm — or the worst of it, at least — had passed.
Finally, a Ward County Sheriff’s Department officer approached the mic and announced that Kid Rock would not be performing that night. At that point, the crowd went berserk, throwing beer cans on stage and turning the venue upside down. One man climbed on stage in a threatening manner before security intervened, and at least one other was led away in handcuffs by police.
Kid Rock took to Twitter to address the cancellation to his fans, blaming Mother Nature and asking people to be safe.
“SO PISSED OFF we could not play for a sold out crowd tonight in Minot, ND (because of high winds) – I know it sucks but none of us can control mother nature. Please be safe leaving and take care of each other.”
The North Dakota State Fair also released a statement about the cancellation, citing safety concerns and promising refunds for ticket holders.
“Due to the safety concerns of the high winds, lightning, and severe weather in the area, the Kid Rock concert had to be canceled. The North Dakota State Fair will be issuing refunds to all ticket purchasers.”
Earlier this year, Kid Rock released his latest album, Bad Reputation, for which he is currently on tour. The Bad Reputation Tour is due to wrap up in Clarkston, MI, with back-to-back shows on September 16 and 17.