A music venue in Italy cancelled an American metal band’s concert after the lead guitarist asked for a Palestinian flag to be removed from the stage.
Dylan Carlson of the historic Seattle-based drone metal band Earth reportedly asked if the Bologna venue TPO could take down a Palestinian flag from its stage just minutes before Earth’s scheduled concert there on Tuesday, which prompted the venue to call off the performance altogether.
According to the music blog Stereogum, the flag had been on display at the multi-purpose social centre since it hosted a cultural event for activist groups the previous weekend. Explaining the cancellation of Earth’s performance on Instagram, TPO Bologa wrote: “We've been asked to remove the Palestinian flag from the stage. It wasn’t a possibility for us. So we decided to cancel the concert.”
Organisers announced the cancellation on stage immediately before Earth was set to perform. TPO assured the audience that they would refund their tickets, but according to translations from Italian, they added: “It is a decisive political choice for spaces like ours, which just a few days ago hosted more than 700 people to discuss how to send this government we’re facing home, and all the kings of the world who make war in this damn world.” They concluded the announcement by leading the audience in chanting: “Free, free Palestine.”
Carlson, who founded Earth in 1989 and remains its only permanent member, apologised to the Bologna audience on Instagram and said TPO “put politics above music and have cancelled the show tonight”, adding that the decision “has nothing to do with us”.
Following the cancellation, TPO launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs lost from the concert.
Titled “Entering the TPO is always a political gesture”, the description on the crowdfunder reads: “For over two years we have been in the streets against the genocide of the Palestinian people, in demonstrations, in assemblies and in public mobilisations. At the TPO, symbolic and political choices are born from its community and history. To defend these choices is to defend the very meaning of this space.”
Fans of Earth and Carlson expressed disappointment over the band’s refusal to perform beside the Palestinian flag, with one writing in the comments of TPO’s post: “I’ve been a huge @earthseattle fan for like 20 years and this is so totally pathetic. America is descending into fascism and you are worried about putting ‘politics before music’”.
Another wrote supporting TPO’s decision, calling their disappointment with Earth “beyond words” and writing “Music is ALWAYS political and now it is more than ever.”
Earth, whose current lineup includes Carlson and drummer Adrienne Davies, appears to have continued its European tour without further disruption.
The JC has approached both Earth and TPO for comment.
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