Why was David Draiman booed? Possible reasons explored amid vocalist’s strong political views

David Draiman, the frontman of the heavy metal band Disturbed, was booed by the crowd during his performance at Ozzy Osbourne's Back to the Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham on July 5, 2025.

At the event, Draiman was part of Tom Morello's All-Stars supergroup. He sang covers of Black Sabbath’s Sweet Leaf and Osbourne’s Shot in the Dark. The Daily Mail stated that he was backed by Osbourne's guitarists, Jake E.Lee and Adam Wakeman, Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.

However, David Drainman was met with boos from the crowd that is widely attributed to his outspoken political stance, particularly his strong support for Israel, according to Variety. He then asked the crowd:

“We gonna start this?”

All we know about David Draiman’s political views

David Draiman has made numerous statements on social media and in interviews expressing his support for Israel. Recently, Variety reported that Draiman congratulated Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne after she called for Kneecap’s visas to be revoked.

Sharon took to social media to condemn the Irish band’s performance during Coachella 2025, which was reportedly backed by political motives. She wrote:

“Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements. Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech and this band openly support terrorist organizations. This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA.”

David Draiman re-shared her post on his Instagram and wrote a “thank you” in her comments section. Variety also stated that he shared a photo of himself signing artillery shells reportedly intended for use by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during its assault on Gaza.

Speaking to The Pulse of Radio, David Draiman said that he has “issues with everybody.” He added:

“I'm liberal about everything that is issue-based as far as ideology, but I'm also of the opinion of a very small government. I don't agree with the fiscal policies of the Democrats, but I certainly don't agree with the right-wing craziness of the Republicans.”

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A report in Blabbermouth indicated that his maternal grandparents were survivors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and many on his mother’s side were killed by the Nazis.

He reportedly issued a public call for a conversation with Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong after he changed the lyrics of Jesus of Suburbia to Running away from pain like the kids from Palestine, in support of Palestine, a report in LoudWire mentioned.

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