British rock star Richard Ashcroft immediately cancelled a scheduled appearance at a music festival after organisers decided to make the event part of the government's Events Research Programme, meaning only those who have been ‘double jabbed' or tested negative for COVID can attend, and must submit to further government tracking after the event.

Ashcroft withdrew from the Tramlines Festival in Sheffield, England, noting that he refuses to be a part of any “government experiment” or events that impose restrictions.

“Apologies to my fans for any disappointment but the festival was informed over 10 days ago that I wouldn't be playing once it had become part of a government testing programme,” Ashcroft wrote in social media posts.

“I had informed my agent months ago I wouldn't be playing concerts with restrictions The status of the festival was one thing when I signed up for it, but, sadly was forced to become something else,” the singer added.

Ashcroft further explained “It must be an age thing but the words Government Experiment and Festival ”

He also tagged on the hashtags #theydontownme and #naturalrebel.

Ashcroft is one of a few holdouts in British music who is able to voice his opinion on the state of the music industry and the world post-pandemic without being ‘cancelled' because he rose to fame in the 1990's, and has already cemented his career and fanbase.

While he was applauded by many, predictably Ashcroft was also criticised by conformists on social media:

As we previously reported, British rocker Ian Brown has also vocally opposed the introduction of vaccine passports in order to attend music events, and said he will refuse to perform at any that mandate such policies.

Brown himself applauded Ashcroft for standing firm on the matter:

After previously making his feelings clear, Brown was attacked on social media by dopamine starved trendies desperate to get back to their beloved festivals and take four million pictures of themselves rolling in mud, with calls to ban the singer from performing or for him to be “pelted with vaccines”.

The legendary Eric Clapton and Van Morrison have also been relentlessly attacked for speaking up against lockdowns and socially enforced vaccinations.

Another British rock star to have taken a stance is former Oasis icon Noel Gallagher, who recently declared that the combination of woke culture and COVID lockdowns means young people now will have less freedom than previous generations for the first time in modern history.