Ted Nugent’s scheduled show at a native American casino in Worley, Idaho, was recently canceled when the venue received numerous complaints about the crotch-rocker’s long history of hateful racism and right wing extremism, and tonight he’s lashing out at critics who are calling for his show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to be canceled as well — calling them “unclean vermin” who don’t “qualify as people.”

Which is probably not going to convince anyone that he’s not a hateful cretin.

Ted Nugent, who performs Saturday at the Leach Amphitheater in Oshkosh, has a few words for critics calling for Waterfest organizers to cancel his show.

“I take it as a badge of honor that such unclean vermin are upset by me and my positive energy,” Nugent said in a recent interview with Gannett Wisconsin Media. “Put your heart and soul into everything you do and nobody can stop you. Sometimes you give the world the best you got and you get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you got anyway.”

The outspoken rocker took some time to respond to a few questions via email while on the SHUTUP & JAM! tour. He said he’s always had critics.

“By all indicators, I don’t think they actually qualify as people, but there has always been a lunatic fringe of hateful, rotten, dishonest people that hate happy, successful people,” Nugent said.