Will Smith may have unloaded with his bare hand, but Chris Rock says he was wearing kid gloves when he told “that joke.”

Chris and Dave Chappelle launched their European tour at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena in the UK Friday, and Rock squarely addressed his joke and the slap that ensued. … “Did that s**t hurt? Goddam right… the motherf***er hit me over a bulls**t joke, the nicest joke I ever told!”

This is new info … Chris has never really addressed the G.I. Jane joke himself, but he clearly thinks it was harmless, which may be why he never saw it coming when Will jumped on stage.

Chappelle chimed in about his own brush with stage violence. Referring to the guy who jumped on stage and attacked him at the Hollywood Bowl a few months back, he said, “That was some scary sh*t,” and then joking … “Was that Will Smith?”

Chappelle had some biting commentary for Smith, calling the slap “a very strange choice,” and then adding that Will “did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years.” Then he went in for the kill … “I just hope he doesn’t put that mask back on.”