Marilyn Manson hasn't earned his reputation as a 'shock rocker' for no reason, but many people have denounced his latest stunt as going a step too far.
The rocker played the first gig since his recent injury at a festival in San Bernardino, California the other night, and although he was wheelchair-bound he still managed to ruffle a few feathers by pointing a fake rifle at the crowd, which had a microphone attached to it.
As TMZ pointed out, it took place just hours after the horrific latest mass shooting in Texas, and in a city that itself suffered a mass shooting in December 2015.
Manson later released a statement to Variety defending the stunt and denying that he was disrespectful.
It read:
"In an era where mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence, this was an act of theater in an attempt to make a statement about how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are and how seeing them has become normalized. My art has always been a reaction to popular culture and my way to make people think about the horrible things that happen in this world. My performance was not meant to be disrespectful or show any insensitivity. The prop microphone I used on stage was handed to me with the approval of a police officer. My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of REAL guns.”
