Former Misfits vocalist Michale Graves recently opened up about his current standing in the punk and heavy music communities. During an interview on the “Rock Talks” podcast, the singer was asked if he plans to reschedule his previously canceled United Kingdom tour dates. The shows were originally called off following public backlash regarding his alleged ties to far-right political groups.
Confirming that he has no intention of returning to the U.K. under the current circumstances, Michale Graves explained his decision and his overall shift away from the traditional rock world.
“No, there’s no plans to do that. It’s too much of a hostile environment, which is one of the reasons that I have pivoted the way that I am. I’ve signed with this label and I’m doing these things that I’m doing — not because I don’t love that world, but I no longer exist in the punk world, in the rock world, in that heavy world. I’m hated. I can’t exist there,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
He continued: “I’m gonna do something. I’ll get back there to Europe. I’m not saying that I’m not gonna go back there and play, but I’m gonna do it a different way. I can’t have my physical — anybody’s — physical safety in jeopardy. I can’t have these businesses and the people that are working in them and running them subjected to what the people have been subjected to, these businesses. It has just been awful. And I don’t want any part of it. I’m trying to build things and bring people together, and there’s nothing but destruction and chaos and violence and awful, awful things that I won’t be a part of.”
He further elaborated on his current life path, emphasizing his Christian faith and his dedication to directly connecting with his audience.
“I love people. And I’ve devoted my life and my talent and my energies in the service and duty of other people, spreading God’s kingdom, certainly helping to bring God’s kingdom to this world. Well, how do you do that? By doing exactly what I’m doing. Talk to anybody that’s come to a meet-and-greet or a Michale Graves show. I love talking to people. I love ministering to them, whether that’s just playing them a song or talking to them. Some people wanna pray, some people just wanna ask me questions. But in that three minutes of time sometimes that I spend with people, it’s life changing, and they hold those moments forever.”
When the interviewer brought up the intense online criticism he receives from former fans regarding his public alignment with the Proud Boys and his vocal Christian beliefs, Michale Graves dismissed the online malice and defended his character.
“My reply to them is encapsulated in the way that I live my life and the things that I do in the real world. Most of these people, they just kind of live online, in that matrix. But I go out into the real world. And when I go out into the real world, I do real things and I reach people and I touch people.”
“My integrity has been questioned, but I live my life with integrity,” he stated. “The reason that I have so much confidence is because I’m unreproachable, and that means that I haven’t done anything that I need to hide. And so I’m very open, I’m very truthful. And what’s happening is this evidence that they’ve gathered against me, it’s interpretive in nature. There’s no fact to it. There’s no foundation to it. It’s not based in truth. So in many ways it doesn’t matter what I say because it’s never gonna change those people’s minds because they’ve already made up their mind, they’ve already prosecuted me. They already judged me, when they hear Michale Graves. It’s not Michale Graves, the human being who I am. They don’t understand. They don’t know the way that I’ve lived. They know what’s in the news. They know what they’ve heard. They know what these organizations are telling them. They know what maybe other artists have said or are just conditioned to respond a certain way. And so, again, it becomes hateful and it becomes destructive in a way that it has affected my life in profound ways. And that’s the point. Those people, it’s a punitive thing. So they believe that I’ve done something so horrendous that I’m in that insurrection ecosystem — Proud Boys, January 6th, Alex Jones, Christians, Infowars, Trump, all these things. And when they hear, they just freak out. ‘Ah, you’re a N*zi. You’re a racist.’ And everybody just kind of short circuits. And so no amount of words, no amount of statements, nothing is gonna change these people’s mind. I don’t wanna debate with them and I don’t wanna fight them. I would rather them just come and listen to some music and rock out.”
Moving forward outside of the traditional punk scene, the singer recently signed a new record deal with Epochal Artists Records, an imprint under the TLG family distributed by Virgin Music Group. Michale Graves is scheduled to hit the road this spring for his domestic “God Bless America Tour 2026.”
“God Bless America Tour 2026” Dates:
- April 3 — Online Acoustic Performance
- April 18 — Corona, CA — Rockafellas
- April 19 — Los Angeles, CA — Whisky A Go Go
- April 20 — Sonora, CA — Sonora Game Room
- May 7 — Lafayette, LA — Daiquiri Leaf
- May 8 — St. Charles, LA — Freetown Boom Boom
- May 10 — Daytona, FL — Bam Bams
- May 11 — Ocala, FL — O’Malley’s
- May 17 — Panama City Beach, FL — The Kraken
Earlier in February this year, Michale Graves‘ several UK shows were called off following backlash over his past far-right comments and activities.
In 2020, Graves aligned himself with the Proud Boys and was present in Washington, D.C. on January 6th, 2021, where he was scheduled to perform at a private event for the group. He also later appeared as a character witness in defense of some individuals involved in the Capitol riot.
Amid the controversy, a city councillor in the UK labeled the punk singer a “fas*ist” and called on The Marrs Bar in Worcester, England, to cancel his performance which was scheduled for February 20th.
Councillor Neil Laurenson said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that the Marrs Bar has made the decision not to cancel the gig. Michale Graves has been cancelled across the UK, and I find it embarrassing that Worcester is still on the gig list. I think The Marrs Bar should cancel the Michale Graves gig, as other venues have done in Bradford, Glasgow, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Swansea, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Camden, Reading and Oxford.”
Laurenson further intensified his criticism, pointing to Graves’ past support of the Proud Boys as well as a 2024 performance in Israel as additional reasons for concern.
“Michale Graves is a fas*ist. He supports the Proud Boys and performed in Israel, a g*nocidal state, in July 2024. I think it would send a powerful message that fas*ists are not welcome in Worcester if the gig was cancelled.”
In response, Graves shared an extensive statement on Instagram, defending his remaining European tour dates and addressing the recent cancellations.
“Over the past days, I’ve become aware of an aggressive online campaign of organizations and individuals focused on my upcoming shows in Europe.”
“I respect that people may hold different opinions or choose not to attend these shows. I am very concerned that venues, staff members, and people simply doing their jobs are now being placed under significant pressure and distress and in some instances being threatened to simply show up at there [sic] job.”
“I want to be very clear: my shows are about music, community, and shared passion. I do not promote violence, hatred, or harm, and those who have attended my performances know that my focus has always been bringing people together through music. All are welcome. The live music scene should remain a safe and inclusive space for everyone — artists, fans, venue staff, and local communities alike. No one should feel unsafe or intimidated for participating in or supporting live music events.”
“If my music is not for you, I fully respect your choice not to attend. However, I respectfully ask that disagreements remain peaceful and that the hardworking people behind these venues are treated with respect. I look forward to performing for those who wish to be there and sharing music in a positive, safe and respectful environment.”
Graves fronted the Misfits from 1995 to 2000, performing on the albums American Psycho (1997) and Famous Monsters (1999).
