Radiohead, arguably one of the most important rock bands in the world right now, played in Israel last night – at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.
Radiohead, arguably one of the most important rock bands in the world right now, played in Israel last night – at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv. Interestingly, it was their longest live performance in 11 years, with a total of 27 songs over their set which included two encores.
"A lot of stuff has been said about this, but in the end, we just played some music." Thom Yorke told the crowd
The show, which had been controversial from the get-go, followed months of debate and social media too'ing and froing which included high profile interventions from the pro-boycott musicians Roger Waters and Brian Eno and film director Mike Leigh.
Pro-performance musicians such as Michael Stipe of R.E.M. (a personal friend of Thom Yorke, Radiohead's lead singer), came out in support of the band's decision to play the show with a post on Instagram which read, “Let’s hope a dialogue continues, helping to bring the occupation to an end and lead to a peaceful solution. Sincerely, Michael Stipe.”
In the end though, after all the protests, all the Palestinian flag-waving at the band's headline set at Glastonbury last month, after everything had been said, the band who have been on the right side of so many political flashpoints and campaigns during their career, broke the BDS boycott of Israel, and played Tel Aviv.
Artists for Palestine UK – the group who organised the petition against Radiohead’s concert, released a follow-up statement, saying that Yorke, “once again fails to make any mention of the Palestinians who suffer under Israel’s regime.”
Film director Mike Leigh later released his own personal statement in a critique of Yorke’s defensiveness. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) also took a shot at the band, accusing them of “professing to know better than [Palestinian people], in a classic colonial attitude.”
There have been many responses to the show overnight – one that particularly resonated with us at Amos was this...
Phil Antigua writes:
Yeah, that's right, you just played music in a stolen land, where you've been asked, politely, repeatedly by a gentle, yet invisible people with a huge, military boot on their necks, to recognise their forgotten, lonely and often desperate plight...
You just played some music to those wearing the boots that stamp down in repeated, racist, apartheid vigour – condescending, demeaning and for the few, not for the many...
You just played some music for the gatekeepers, the Wall maintainers and the water/electricity deniers; for the besiegers, not the besieged. The privilege that requires, the entitlement and the lack of acknowledgement of the history, the present and the lack of future...
Of all the people who should ever understand the word 'Just'... Yes, you just played some music.
“White supremacy is not only found in extreme acts of horrific violence such as the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor or Tony McDade in the USA. Racism is insidious, and the reality is that we all operate within the structures of white supremacy.” Amos Trust’s Karin Joseph writes about the Black Lives Matter movement.
“As a group of UK-based humanitarian, development, human rights and faith organisations working to support the rights and welfare of the Palestinian people, we are gravely concerned by the Israeli Government’s threat to annex more Palestinian land.” A joint statement from UK charities.
“On 18th June we received the desperately sad news that our good friend, partner and inspiration Gilberto Aguirre (El Profe), had passed away. He had been rushed into hospital for emergency throat cancer surgery in the middle of May and unfortunately, complications arose after this.” Garth Hewitt writes of the life of Gilberto Aguirre from CEPAD in Nicaragua.
“Thousands of artists worldwide have publicly endorsed BDS and many thousands more quietly refuse offers from Israeli music venues, theatres, festivals and production companies. Any artist who does cross the peaceful Palestinian picket line, regardless of intentions, is used by Israel’s far-right apartheid regime to whitewash, or ‘artwash’, and therefore perpetuate its system of oppression against Palestinians.” Palestinian musician Samir Eskanda writes about why the cultural boycott of Israel is vital for the peaceful struggle against Israeli apartheid.
“It was only after the performance that I found out something that made Amies even more extraordinary — each member of the choir was a modern slavery survivor who had been trafficked to the UK, to be forced into either prostitution or domestic servitude. To have the confidence to stand up and sing in front of a large crowd having been through such traumatic experiences is truly awe-inspiring.” Guardian journalist Jessie McDonald writes about a moving performance.
“In what seems like a whole lifetime away now, a group of nineteen of us travelled to Nicaragua to catch up with some of the communities that Amos has been supporting these past 5 years through the work of our partner CEPAD. Some of us had been before and had seen what life was like at the start of their 5-year programme and then 3 years in — and others were new to the country.” Caroline Bone writes.
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