The Pixies, Gorillaz and some band I've never heard of but now have called the Klaxons have refused to play "Tel Aviv's Pic.Nic festival" due to the action in the Gaza area.On May 31st, a flotilla of ships trying to break the Israel and Egypt blockade of the Gaza strip to bring supplies and humanitarian aid was boarded by Israeli troops. The result: 9 dead and 30 wounded.
Its nice to see bands not only paying attention, but responding to current world affairs. Music can be an esoteric bubble sometimes. Folk songs reaching beyond just one country's boarders. Even if it is just the artists trying to take their hand off a hot stove, it still says something.
Elvis Costello actually pulled out some time before the raid. He wrote a pretty insightful note on his website, "One lives in hope that music is more than mere noise, filling up idle time, whether intending to elate or lament...There are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent."
But hey, if you're in Israel, at least you can still catch Elton John and Rod Stewart...
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