Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell says 'f*** that COVID s***' as he performs to large crowd

Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell told a packed crowd "f*** that COVID s***" as the band played an event in South Dakota at the weekend.

The 10-day Sturgis Rally, an annual gathering of motorcycle fans, saw big crowds come together amid the pandemic as witnessed in a video from the event.

Footage posted by news reporter Connor Matteson shows revellers, many who seemed not to be wearing masks, cheering Harwell's comments.

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"We're all here together now and we’re being human once again," the singer could be heard saying at the event which is estimated to attract 250,000 motorcycle enthusiasts.

The band's manager Robert Hayes told Billboard the Smash Mouth team spent "endless hours" ensuring the rally was safe to perform at and were "very happy" with the outcome.

He added that "most" attendees were on their motorcycles which "eliminated a lot of physical contact between attendees and actually created a forced social distance".

"The Smash Mouth organization is taking this pandemic very seriously and has taken measures to keep our band, crew and fans as safe as possible during this time," Hayes went on.

The event's website states that safety measures would include signs reminding guests to remain socially distant, hand sanitiser stations and an increase in the cleaning of public spaces.

A number of artists scheduled to perform at the rally, including Willie Nelson and Lynyrd Skynyrd, pulled out due to the ongoing pandemic.

ZZ Top was also among the names who withdrew, however, tribute band ZZ3 played instead.

The United States is the worst affected country with over five million people infected with the coronavirus in the US while more than 160,000 people have died.