The Offspring are about to head off on a major tour of North America and the UK. Just days ahead of a free show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, drummer Pete Parada says he’s been stood down for saying no to the COVID vaccine.
There’s a medical basis to Parada’s decision, but the band don’t want him around. This is presumably in order to reduce the risk of the virus infiltrating the Offspring’s touring party, which would jeopardise the rest of the tour dates.
Parada broke the news on Instagram, explaining that his doctor advised him “not to get a shot at this time.” This is to mitigate the risks of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a condition that dates back to Parada’s youth. Parada says he contracted COVID-19 in 2020 and experienced only mild symptoms. Despite this, he says, the band have deemed him “unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour.”
He also writes: “I have no negative feelings towards my band.” The fact he calls them his band suggests it mightn’t be the end of the road for Parada and The Offspring. Parada joined The Offspring in 2007 and played drums on the majority of the band’s latest record, Let The Bad Times Roll, which came out in April.
There’s also a broader aim behind Parada’s Instagram post. He writes: “I need to state, unequivocally, that I support informed consent – which necessitates choice unburdened by coercion. I do not find it ethical or wise to allow those with the most power (government, corporations, organizations, employers) to dictate medical procedures to those with the least power.”
