CKY’s Chad I Ginsburg Says Punching Alien Ant Farm’s Singer Was ‘Self-Defense’

The drama surrounding CKY's abrupt removal from their joint U.K. tour with Alien Ant Farm has taken center stage, as CKY’s guitarist Chad I Ginsburg and Alien Ant Farm’s frontman Dryden Mitchell clash over an alleged altercation. Just hours before the tour was set to kick off at Margate’s Dreamland on November 9, Mitchell announced via social media that CKY would no longer be part of the lineup due to an incident in which Ginsburg allegedly punched him.

Mitchell took to Instagram, claiming, "Chad from CKY hasn’t figured out how to cohabitate with others after all these years." He alleged that Ginsburg's behavior had been consistently disrespectful towards crew and band members, culminating in a physical confrontation. “Chad punched me in the face earlier today,” he added, stating that Ginsburg’s actions were the last straw after what he described as a series of disruptive behaviors, including reportedly leaving messes for others to clean and causing "general drama."

Mitchell went on to express regret over the situation, apologizing to CKY’s fans and praising CKY members Jess Margera and Elvis Baskette, clarifying that his issues were specifically with Ginsburg. He expressed hope that Ginsburg might seek therapy and that, “maybe in 25 years… we can shake hands.”

In response, Ginsburg initially urged U.K. fans to request refunds, stating, “I had NO choice and GOOD reason for what happened. I will always defend myself.” Later, he shared more details on his side of the story through Instagram stories, describing the altercation as an act of “self-defense” against a perceived threat from Mitchell. According to Ginsburg, he felt physically threatened when Mitchell, "a very angry guy muttering then yelling" at him, charged toward him. He claimed he reacted instinctively to avoid what he felt was an imminent attack.

Despite the incident, CKY’s Australian tour scheduled for February appears to remain intact. The Phoenix, the tour’s promoter, issued a statement on November 10, acknowledging the altercation and expressing their intent to keep the tour on track, adding humorously, “In the words of The Offspring, we may have to keep them separated…”

For now, Alien Ant Farm continues their U.K. tour with replacement acts filling in for CKY, while fans of both bands are left hoping for a resolution. CKY and Alien Ant Farm are both slated to perform at Download 2025, though whether they’ll share the same stage is yet to be confirmed.