March 20, 2013 13:48

US singer Michelle Shocked tour dates pulled after enraging fans with anti-gay rant

The singer tells fans same-sex marriage will be the 'downfall of civilisation' and that 'God hates faggots'

Photo: PA

A US singer has enraged fans and had her tour dates pulled after launching into a homophonic rant onstage at a gig in San Francisco on Sunday night (March 20).

Singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked had gathered support from left-wingers with her early albums such as 'The Texas Campfire Tapes' and 'Short Sharp Shocked' but is now a born-again Christian, The Guardian reports. Teling the crowd at Yoshi's venue her views on Proposition 8 – California's legal definition of same-sex marriage – she told her fans: "When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilisation, and Jesus will come back." As many fans reportedly walked out, she continued: "You are going to leave here and tell people, 'Michelle Shocked said God hates faggots."

When the club's manager tried to end the gig, Shocked continued carried on playing until staff at the venue pulled the plug on her and turned off the stage lights.

As Billboard reports, Shocked has made homophobic comments before – telling a crowd at a 2011 festival that she is the "world’s greatest homophobe". However, her most recent rant has seen her lose her forthcoming US tour as 10 out of 11 of her upcoming concert dates have been canceled by the venues themselves as she has taken to Twitter to repost the barrage of fans who have taken to the site to criticise her.

Shocked, 51, is originally from Texas and has been a prominent figure on the alternative music and radical politics scene since the late '80s and '90s. In a previous interview with The Dallas Voice she told the interviewer she would be "honoured" to be thought of an an honorary lesbian. Three of Shocked's albums went top 50 in the UK Official Album Charts – 1988's 'Short Sharp Shocked', 1989's 'Captain Swing' and 1992's 'Arkansas Traveler'.

US singer Michelle Shocked says she was 'misinterpreted' over anti-gay rant

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