Once again, Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown has caused a stir with his opinions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He's even dropped out of Warrington's Neighbourhood Weekender festival over alleged requirements that attendees must be vaccinated. And yet, he's still set to headline TRNSMT...

Ian Brown performing live in Glasgow (2017) / Photo credit: Stuart Westwood/Rmv/Zuma Press/PA ImagesIan Brown performing live in Glasgow (2017) / Photo credit: Stuart Westwood/Rmv/Zuma Press/PA Images

Back in October 2020, Brown outed himself as a COVID sceptic with a series of nonsensical rants on Twitter essentially claiming that the whole pandemic is a pack of lies dreamed up by governments and billionaires. It's no surprise, then, that as well as refusing to wear a mask, he's also refusing to get a vaccination for the virus.

"All major festival promoters have held talks with SAGE/GOVT since early December planning vaccine proof as condition of entry", he wrote on Twitter last week. "Money is their God. Any musician going along with this is a collaborator and a disgrace!"

This week he followed up with a similar sentiment: "My May tour of Ireland is cancelled as both our islands are currently medical experimental prison camps and we are being held hostage by GOVT for big pharma".

The idea of a "vaccine passport" to be required for events and even pubs has been up in the air in the UK, though the government is yet to make any decisions regarding conditions that will come with the lifting of lockdown. So it seems strange that the prospect is already enough to make Brown pull out of performances.

Not that festival goers care; the vast majority of the internet are glad that they don't have to listen to the anti-vaccine vitriol that will no doubt pour out of him between songs. He also seems to have been dropped from the Victorious Festival line-up, though Glasgow's TRNSMT Festival still seem to be promoting him as a headliner as they prepare to move their event from June to September. Good luck with that crowd, Ian!

"The scenes when Ian Brown walks on stage at @TRNSMTfest and gets booed off", said one Twitter user.

Another added: "I hope they make Trnsmt a vaccine passport event to absolutely rattle Ian Brown."

Many are comparing him to fellow Manchester singer Tim Burgess, who recently announced that he was getting vaccinated, and expressed their relief that COVID-denial wasn't a Britpop-wide situation. Others joked about the chants during last week's anti-lockdown protests, likening them to Ian Brown lyrics: namely, "Stick your f*cking vaccines up your a*se, you can stick your f*cking vaccines up your a*se..."

Meanwhile, Ian's rants have left many wondering whether his boycotting of events requiring a vaccine passport would extend to his visiting pubs. If it does, it looks like his lockdown may extend a very long time. 

Read more about Ian Brown's thoughts on COVID-19 here (if you dare).