Snubbing JD Vance Was The Best Career Move This Up-And-Coming Singer Ever Made

Vice President J.D. Vance has an interesting reputation, to say the least. Getting involved in politics alone is a good way to court controversy, especially when you align yourself with a divisive figure like his boss, President Donald Trump. Not only that, but Vance has become something of a punchline among netizens — from viral memes about him being intimate with a couch to unflattering edits of his face absolutely taking over social media (and even seeping out into the real world too). With that in mind, it's no wonder Vance's cringey attempt to play along by putting his face on a Leonardo DiCaprio meme backfired, and he became an easy target for the "South Park" writers. Even Trump himself has taken some shady digs at Vance. 

So, while playing a concert for the Vice President of the United States would be considered an honor under normal circumstances, it's not difficult to understand why refusing to perform for Vance could end up being the best decision one up-and-coming British singer ever made. It all went down in August of 2025, when the "Hillbilly Elegy" author and his family toured the Cotswolds region, which includes the county of Oxfordshire (that'll be important later). The Vances didn't exactly get the warmest reception, due in large part to the VP's massive motorcade. As one resident told the BBC,  "I don't think the locals are too happy about the roads being closed." A local pub even reportedly turned Vance away during his English vacation. 

But the biggest snub was yet to come as folk singer Dolly Mavies, and her band, upon arriving to perform at a venue in nearby Gloucestershire, simply packed up and left once they learned that Vance would effectively be the guest of honor (they allegedly hadn't been told beforehand).

Dolly Mavies (real name Molly Davies) is a folk rock singer hailing from Oxfordshire. She and her band had been booked to play a show in the village of Daylesford, which is technically in Gloucestershire (also part of the Cotswolds), but is just a stone's throw from Oxfordshire. However, they made the decision to leave and not play the gig due to JD Vance's attendance. And this act of silent protest got the band far more attention than they would have received had they simply gone ahead with the concert as planned.

After it became public that Mavies and her band had walked, numerous outlets picked up the story, and their social media profiles enjoyed a major influx of activity. Many onlookers praised and supported her decision, though Mavies herself noted in a blog post on her official website that there was quite a bit of hate too. Still, the fact remains that the singer had a lot more eyes on her — and her music — than ever before. Mavies also claimed that CNN had even booked her for an interview, only for the White House to torpedo the story. 

"Honestly, don't they have more important things to worry about?" she quipped in her post. An anonymous source with knowledge of the Vance family's itinerary clarified to the BBC that the vice president never intended to attend to concert. However, the outlet also pointed out that multiple reports put Vance at the venue on the day of the show. We should also mention that a source from his staff denied that the had been turned away from a pub, and that it was actually his choice not to eat there. We're noticing a pattern here.