Singer's gigs axed over link with US far-right group

A singer has had all his upcoming shows in Wales cancelled due to his links with US far-right movement The Proud Boys.

Michale Graves, a former lead vocalist of notorious New Jersey punk band The Misfits, was meant to play The Bunkhouse in Swansea, Fuel in Cardiff and Jacs in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, at the end of this month.

According to the tour's promoters, Deadwave Records, the gigs are among a number of his to have been shelved around the UK "to avoid trouble" after "a group of people protested against them".

Meanwhile, Graves has denied supporting "hate, racism, violence or the exclusion of anyone based on race, religion, gender or identity".

The Bunkhouse and Fuel have been contacted for comment, while Jacs posted online that they had "listened to the concerns raised" and "considered carefully the potential impact on the venue, our staff, customers and the wider community".

"In light of everything, we believe cancelling the event is the right course of action," they added.

The cancellations in Wales follow others in London, Reading, Oxford, Bradford, Glasgow, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Portsmouth and Bournemouth.

Among those who have spoken out against the tour are five-piece group The Skate Punx, who pulled out after initially being booked as one of Graves' support acts.

"We're here for the music, but we're here for the community first," they said.

"Punk is about inclusivity and giving everyone at gigs a safe space - so we can't, in good conscience, share a stage with someone whose public affiliations and values stand in direct opposition to our own ethos.

"We don't consider ourselves a particularly political band but we do believe in human decency."

Graves, who was a member of The Misfits between 1995 and 2000, endorsed The Proud Boys - a neo-fascist movement designated a terrorist body in both Canada and New Zealand - on social media in 2020.

He also testified in defence of several members when they were tried over the part they played in the storming of Washington's Capitol building on 6 January 2021.

Four were convicted of offences regarding the organisation of that attempt to overturn US President Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 election - sentences which were pardoned or commuted by Trump in 2025.

In a statement, Graves said some groups can get "broadly labelled" as a result of certain "actions and events", and that might cause "understandable alarm".

"But those portrayals do not reflect my personal beliefs or values.

"My shows have always been about music, connection and shared experience, with audiences from all cultures and walks of life who are welcomed and respected," he added.

Deadwave Records said: "A group of people protested against the tour and some of the venues decided to cancel to avoid trouble.

"We don't support sides and we don't support hate - it's all about the music for us."