Recent fan dissatisfaction with Asking Alexandria‘s live performances has escalated following a June 15th livestreamed set at the ‘Vans Warped Tour‘ in Washington, DC. Critics pointed to a perceived “lackluster” delivery from vocalist Danny Worsnop, alleging heavy reliance on backing tracks and an overall uninspired show. The widespread online backlash prompted an indirect apology from bassist Sam Bettley, hinting at underlying issues.
The Washington, DC concert appears to have served as a flashpoint for long-standing concerns among Asking Alexandria‘s fanbase, with some claiming Worsnop‘s unenthusiastic performance was not an isolated incident. The band itself later shared a clip from the controversial set on their social media, overlaying the video with flashing text that read, “it’s never f**ing good enough” and “it’s never f**ing enough,” seemingly in response to the criticism. Despite the growing controversy, Worsnop has not publicly addressed the matter, and his social media activity remains predominantly focused on his country-styled solo projects.
Adding a significant new dimension to the unfolding drama, former Asking Alexandria vocalist Denis Stoff has publicly weighed in. Stoff, who briefly fronted the band from 2015 to 2016 (during which time Worsnop himself accused Stoff of lip-syncing), posted a statement and video clips on Instagram. Stoff‘s tenure with the band ended amidst its own set of controversies, and his recent post has seen a renewed surge of calls for his return to the band.
In his new statement, Stoff directly challenged Worsnop‘s current performance and referenced past accusations: “Hey fam. I don’t even know where to start here. I simply couldn’t ignore the AA situation that’s circling around the internet right now. First of all, I’d like to say thank you for the amount of love that you all showed me in the comments. I appreciate you all.”
He continued: “I’ve seen the videos, I laughed my t*ts off, and I loved it. Like hundreds of people mentioned in the comments, this is what they always sounded like live since the beginning of their career. I was rolling on the floor laughing years ago when Danny said that I was performing to his backing tracks which was an awful and a 100% fake statement. As you can see in their Warped Tour 2025 show, Danny is clearly having tons of backing tracks in their live set and is clearly incapable of giving a good performance to the people who paid money for their tickets and simply wanted to see a good show. Here’s a few video performance comparisons that show a drastic difference in skill and effort showed on stage.”
While acknowledging the support for his potential return, Stoff then shifted focus to a long-standing financial dispute with Asking Alexandria. He alleged that the band has “failed to pay out an estimated $5,000,000 of my profit share,” stemming from contracts signed during his time in the group. This substantial sum, according to Stoff, includes “revenue from song authorship, sales, streams, deals, show tickets, performance guarantees, and worldwide merchandise sales.” He claims to have sent numerous unanswered emails regarding the situation over nearly nine years.
“To say the least, back in 2015—2016, I was misled into believing that the business side was transparent and that I would receive all of my royalties in full and on time,” Stoff’s statement read. He concluded by explaining his decision to break his silence: “For almost a decade, I stayed silent and ignored all the witty comments that were meant to cover up my departure from AA back in 2016, sweep my money under the rug, and help the band move forward without any public drama. But now, considering everything that has happened over time, I simply can’t help but share the truth with you. Thank you so much for your continuous support. I love you all dearly.”
The band has yet to issue a direct response to Stoff‘s specific financial allegations.
