Ronnie Radke Calls Out Rock Fest Crowd, Fans Fire Back

Over the weekend, Falling in Reverse took the stage at this year’s Rock Fest gathering, and according to frontman Ronnie Radke, the crowd was less than energetic during their performance. Unsurprisingly, his opinion has subsequently upset several social media users, leading to back-and-forth arguments between him and his followers.

To be specific, Falling in Reverse played a lengthy set this past Friday night (July 14) – after Ice Nine Kills and before Slipknot – that (per setlist.fm) included singles “I’m Not a Vampire,” “Losing My Mind” and “Popular Monster.” They put their spin on Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” too.

Yesterday (July 15), Radke tweeted that “fans are always allowed to criticize bands, their music and performance”; consequently, “it’s time for bands to criticize crowds, cadot Wisconsin was boring as hell. LOL. what are some cities you band dudes hate playing cause you know the crowds are lame?”

Expectedly, he received a ton of mixed reactions, with one person declaring, “Standing in the rain & thunderstorm & you bitch that there was a huge crowd waiting for you. Maybe you need to bring your game up & learn to put a show on instead of being a little diva. Very pathetic! Get out the business if you can’t work a crowd & bring their energy up.”

Minutes later, Radke replied: “No, the crowd FUCKING sucked. Even for slipknot. just admit it. HAHAHAHA.”

Interestingly, when someone said, “[M]y dad said you didn’t seem to enjoy the show last night when he went lmfao” – to which Radke confirmed that his “dad is correct” – someone else added: “He gave that attitude from the moment he stepped on stage. If the singer makes the crowd feel like he's inconvenienced then they won't get into it.”

Similarly, one attendee pointed out: “You called the crowd lazy pieces of shit then went on to sing All Star by smash mouth. Sit the fuck down. No wonder why the crowd didn’t fucking like you.”

Radke was quick to clarify: “I do that at every show, that’s a part of the show. Cadot Wisconsin must’ve been full of cheese curds last night, I’ll go back to my arena tour where they go the fuck off keeo the cheese curds and hay stacks.”

On the other hand, another person seemed to empathize with Radke: “I refuse to go to Cadot Wisconsin…and live in Wisconsin! Each time I have seen you in Madison or Milwaukee the crowds were more into it! Why they would even have a fest in Cadot is beyond me!”

Radke agreed: “Madison Wisconsin they go the fuck off.”

Likewise, a fan admitted: “If you’re energy & slipknots energy didn’t get that crowd going it must’ve been baaaaaddd!! Even on my worst day the second either of you two bands start I can’t help but feel that shit and MOVE!!”

In response, Radke said: “Slipknot was awesome but crowd just stood there looking at them no emotion laughable crowd honestly.”

Obviously, there are way more posts to dig into if you’re so inclined (including Radke promising that his “YouTube apology video [is] incoming”), and you can find most – if not all – of them below.

It’s also worth noting that Radke later tweeted that he's "just messing around a little bit." Plus, Falling in Reverse played Upheaval last night (July 15), and it also sparked a debate between Radke and at least one fan.

So, did you see Falling in Reverse at Rock Fest? If so, what did you think of their performance and/or the crowd’s reaction? Let us know!

In related news, the group recently released a commendable cover of Papa Roach’s “Last Resort” that really impressed singer Jacoby Shaddix. Loudwire also included three Falling in Reverse tracks – “It’s Over When It’s Over,” “Game Over” and “Chemical Prisoner” – in our breakdown of the Most Streamed Deep Cuts on Spotify by 50 Rock Bands.

Of course, Falling in Reverse are currently on tour with Ice Nine Kills (and a variety of other guests depending on the date). You can see all of the remaining tour dates here and grab your tickets here.