Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke isn’t one to shy away from controversy, and his latest comments on his visa denial into the U.K., leading to their tour cancellation, have fans talking once again.
After being denied a visa to tour the country—a decision tied to his 2008 prison sentence—Radke said in TikTok videos that the economic fallout of the shows, which he called “a literal Taylor Swift-sized concert worth of tickets,” will be felt far and wide.
The band’s canceled U.K. tour had reportedly sold 75,000 tickets, leaving fans disappointed and Radke evidently frustrated. In a string of videos, the vocalist didn’t hold back: “You’re celebrating the kids in my DMs with cancer that were excited to see me now they can’t. That’s what you’re celebrating.”
“You’re celebrating the giant economic hit that’s gonna have on the U.K. for a little second—like the flights, the hotels, the tickets and all that stuff,” he said, addressing critics who appeared to cheer the tour’s cancellation. “That’s what you’re celebrating.”
Radke compared his situation to artists like Lil Wayne, Ja Rule, and Snoop Dogg, who have also faced visa issues in the U.K. due to legal histories. “You probably go and assume that it’s a politically charged reason, but it’s not. It’s just the fact that they changed the law,” he said. “I was allowed to get in after 10 years, after getting out of prison, they changed the law.”
“It’s not a personal attack, guys. I know you guys are really upset it’s postponed.”
Despite the disappointment, Radke is turning lemons into lemonade. He announced a new merch item—a “God Save the King of the Music Scene” t-shirt—with all proceeds going to the U.K. Prison Reform charity.
“I’m so honored to know that I could sell 75,000 tickets in the United Kingdom,” he said, adding, “This t-shirt is for you guys… 100% is going to that charity.” You can find the t-shirt here.
Radke also called out Austria’s Nova Rock festival for dropping Falling In Reverse from its lineup, blaming it on his “personality”. “Fans were mad, so I told them to chill out and have a ‘Vienna sausage,’” he joked, accusing organizers of overreacting and labelling them “spineless pieces of s—.”
The canceled U.K. tour is the latest hurdle for the band, whose European run has otherwise been a success. While Radke vows to return to the U.K., visa restrictions remain a significant obstacle for him and the band’s devoted fans. At the time of writing, Falling In Reverse’s ‘Popular Mons(Tour)’ is still set to head to Australia in March 2025, hitting arenas in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Earlier this year, Falling In Reverse’s latest album Popular Monster secured the top spot on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums for the first time and marked the band’s first release since 2017. The band charted four prior entries on Top Hard Rock Albums, all of which debuted and peaked at No. 2: The Drug in Me Is You (2011), Fashionably Late (2013), Just Like You (2015) and Coming Home (2017).
