Rock band bans Donald Trump supporters from shows as frontman declares: ‘Don’t want you there!’
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus have banned supporters of President Donald Trump from attending their concerts, with frontman Ronnie Winter making the announcement in a recent Instagram video.
The 42-year-old singer of the Florida rock band declared that Trump voters are “not allowed” at their shows, stating they should not attend “forever, not just these four years”.
Winter, who leads the band known for their 2006 platinum hit “Face Down”, offered refunds to any Trump supporters who had already purchased tickets.
The announcement comes as the group tours North America, with upcoming performances at festivals including Warped Tour and When We Were Young.
Winter’s video message represents an unprecedented move in the music industry, marking the first known instance of an artist explicitly banning voters of a specific candidate from their performances.
In the Instagram video, Winter referenced his previous Stay Woke campaign from 2020, noting that he “did not remove any of that stuff” from his social media despite receiving backlash.
“Look, man, the thing about being woke is you’re awake. And once you’re awake, you can never go to sleep,” Winter stated in the video.
The singer specifically addressed Christian Trump supporters, saying: “Hi, I’m Ronnie Winter.
“I sing for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and I actually follow what Jesus says. If you’re a Christian and you’re watching this and you voted for Donald Trump, shame on you.”
Winter explained that his political stance stemmed from his belief that “everything they said was going to happen, the woke people, has happened. You have done nothing but prove them right.”
Winter explicitly told Trump supporters not to attend the band’s performances, stating: “You are not allowed to come to my shows.
I don’t want you there. Don’t come to my shows. It’s awesome that you love Face Down. It’s not for you. It’s not your song. It is not your song.”
He warned potential attendees: “Don’t come to my shows because you’re going to hear a lot of woke propaganda, and you’re going to hear the actual words of Jesus.
“You’re going to see a lot of acceptance from all areas of life and races, and you’re just going to see a lot of harmony. That’s not what you’re about.”
Winter concluded his message by reiterating: “Don’t come. Refunds are available. Forever, don’t come. Goodbye.”
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus formed in 2001 and achieved mainstream success with their debut album Don’t You Fake It in 2006, which featured the five-times platinum single Face Down.
The current lineup includes Winter, his brother Randy Winter on rhythm guitar, bassist Joey Westwood, lead guitarist Josh Burke, and drummer John Espy.
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The band has released five studio albums, with their most recent, “The Awakening”, coming out in 2018.
Winter’s stance follows similar criticism of Trump from other rock acts, including Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, who warned crowds at Download Festival on 13 June that “we are slipping into fascism” and called Trump’s administration “a fascist government”.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ next Warped Tour performance is scheduled for 26 July in Long Beach.