Fontaines D.C. axe Zorlu show in solidarity with Palestine
Fontaines D.C. have cancelled their upcoming concert at Zorlu PSM in Turkey in solidarity with Palestinian people.
The Irish band were due to perform at the 3,500-capacity Istanbul venue on 20 August but have dropped out as part of ongoing calls for companies to divest in Israel, amid the war in Gaza.
The venue’s naming rights sponsor, Zorlu, is a Turkish multinational conglomerate that reportedly part-owns the Dorad power plant in Israel which supplies 5-8% of the country’s energy.
“The global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement led by the largest Palestinian coalition, has called on artists to refuse to play Zorlu PSM until Zorlu fully divests from the supply of energy to Israel while it carries out what the International Court of Justice now agrees is plausibly a genocide,” read a statement from Fontaines D.C. posted on Instagram last Thursday (1 August).
“We were really looking forward to visiting and playing Istanbul, however in this instance, we must be clear in our convictions and put solidarity with the people of Palestine first. We promise to play in Turkey as soon as we can make it possible.”
The band, which is represented by Alex Bruford at ATC Live, has pledged full refunds to ticket holders.
“We must be clear in our convictions and put solidarity with the people of Palestine first”
In a statement posted last week, BDS called on international artists booked for the venue to cancel and “for all others to refuse offers, as a meaningful contribution to ending complicity in Israel’s regime of oppression”.
The movement noted that a campaign from BDS Turkey has already compelled Zorlu Energy to partially divest from the Israeli energy market.
“But until it fully divests from the Dorad plant, Zorlu Holdings and all its subsidiaries should be held accountable.”
Elsewhere, a number of acts that were scheduled to perform at Manchester Pride Festival in the UK have pulled out over the event’s headline sponsor, Booking.com, which has been accused of profiteering from the occupation of Palestine.
Drag Race UK’s Bimini Bon Boulash is the latest act to drop out, following in the footsteps of BollyWitch, Felix Mufti and Dan Chan.
Bimini, who had a headline slot last year, wrote on Instagram that it was a “tough decision” not to be involved.
“This choice is not taken lightly; I deeply value the Manchester community and the celebration of love and diversity that Pride represents,” the artist wrote on social media.
“As an artist and activist, I stand for justice and accountability”
“However, after learning of allegations against one of the event’s sponsors, Booking.com, I have decided I cannot in good conscience perform at this year’s event.”
“Booking.com list vacation homes in disputed territories and has been blacklisted by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a company that has human rights violations concerns. As an artist and activist, I stand for justice and accountability.”
Manchester Pride has said it “respects and understands” the decision, adding that they would continue to “engage in meaningful dialogue” with Booking.com.
Meanwhile, Brighton Pride is reviewing its sponsors ahead of next year’s event, after protestors blocked the Coca-Cola float during Saturday’s parade.
Protesters, and Brighton Pavilion MP Sian Berry, say Coca-Cola is an unsuitable sponsor for the city’s Pride.
Green Party literature posted to Ms Berry’s X account states: “For several years, Coca-Cola has faced calls to remove its factory from illegally occupied land in Palestine, but has refused to do so.”
Coca-Cola said it supports the right to peacefully protest and that it decided the float could not continue due to safety concerns over its staff and other attendees.
In the past few months alone, Barclays suspended its sponsorship of Live Nation UK’s remaining 2024 festivals following a raft of artist withdrawals over the bank’s ties to Israel, and South By Southwest (SXSW) discontinued its partnership with the US Army and the defense contractor RTX Corporation after more than 80 artists pulled out of this year’s event in Austin, Texas, in protest of the military’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza.
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SXSW ends US Army partnership after backlash
South By Southwest (SXSW) has discontinued its partnership with the US Army and the defense contractor RTX Corporation, the festival announced on Wednesday (26 June).
The announcement comes after more than 80 artists pulled out of this year’s event in Austin, Texas, in protest of the military’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza.
Squirrel Flower, Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Sprints, Proper, Eliza McLamb, Mamalarky, Scowl, Gel and Okay Shalom cancelled sets at the 8–16 March festival.
SXSW responded to the cancellations in a statement: “We are an organisation that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.”
Explaining its sponsorship with the US Army, SXSW wrote: “The defence industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.”
“After careful consideration of our offerings, we are revising our sponsorship model”
Now, the festival has shared a statement announcing that they have cut ties with the US Army and defense contractor RTX Corporation. “After careful consideration of our offerings, we are revising our sponsorship model. As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”
The festival has also ceased its partnership with Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer RTX Corporation (formerly known as Raytheon). Next year’s edition of SXSW is set to take place on March 7-15 2025 in downtown Austin.
Barclays also recently suspended its sponsorship of Live Nation UK’s remaining 2024 festivals following a raft of artist withdrawals over the bank’s ties to Israel.
In other news, SXSW recently confirmed that a London festival edition will take place in 2025 and announced a raft of hires.
Katy Arnander has been appointed director of programming for SXSW London, having previously worked for organisations including Ambassadors Theatre Group (ATG), Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre and the Barbican.
Adem Holness has joins as head of music following a spell at the Southbank Centre, Elliot Willis joins as the European commercial director and Alex Poots will serve as creative advisor while continuing his work full-time at The Shed in New York.
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Latitude 2024 loses more acts over Barclays links
Mui Zyu and Georgia Ruth are the latest artists to pull out of this year’s edition of Latitude festival over its sponsorship with Barclays and the bank’s ties to Israel.
The pair follow in the footsteps of Pillow Queens, who became the first band to boycott Latitude 2024, and CMAT, who dropped out last week.
Zyu shared a statement on her official Instagram account explaining her decision to boycott the Suffolk Music Festival.
“The festival is sponsored by Barclays who are continuing to profit from the genocide in Palestine,” began her statement.
She continued: “Barclays are on the BDS Movement’s boycott list. Throughout the last six months they have continued to increase their financing to companies making weapons that are then used on Gaza where at this moment over 37,000 people have been killed and over 82,000 people injured (many of whom are children).
“As a small artist this may not have much impact on the festival, but if others join it can. If you are planning to attend the festival please consider using your voice as a customer to speak out against your money going towards a genocide.
“As a small artist this may not have much impact on the festival, but if others join it can”
Her statement concluded with “Follow Bands Boycott Barclays who are leading this movement. Familiarise yourself with the BDS Movement, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.”
Zyu was also one of over 100 acts that dropped out of The Great Escape in Brighton last month in solidarity with Palestine and as part of the Bands Boycott Barclays. The campaign group listed Isle of Wight and Latitude festivals – both of which are presented by Barclaycard – and Download as their “next festival targets”.
Ruth also took to Instagram account to share her own statement explaining her decision to boycott Latitude and highlight the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s (PSC) latest report which revealed that Barclays “now invests over £2 billion in, and provides loans and underwriting worth £6.1 billion, to nine companies whose weapons, components and military technology are used in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians”.
“I was inspired by the effective boycott of Hay Festival this week by participating authors, which led directly to Baillie Gifford being dropped as main sponsor,” she wrote. “We can make a difference; festivals can make meaningful change. I urge Latitude to cut financial ties with Barclaycard.”
In response to the boycotts, Barclays have repeatedly pointed to their online Q&A which states: “We have been asked why we invest in nine defence companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we do. We trade in shares of listed companies in response to client instruction or demand and that may result in us holding shares. We are not making investments for Barclays and Barclays is not a ‘shareholder’ or ‘investor’ in that sense in relation to these companies.”
Last week, IQ spoke to industry figures to find out how the business is dealing with artist boycotts.
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Israel protests shroud Eurovision final build-up
The build-up to the 68th Eurovision Song Contest has been marred by protests over Israel’s inclusion in the event.
Israeli singer Eden Golan qualified for tomorrow’s (11 May) grand final at Sweden’s Malmö Arena after a public vote. The 20-year-old received a mixed reaction from the audience during last night’s semi-final and had been booed during rehearsals the previous evening.
Eurovision has faced boycott calls over Israel’s participation in the 2024 contest, amid the ongoing war and escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered in the streets of Malmö yesterday. The Guardian reports that further protests, and an alternative concert, which organisers have billed as “a song contest without genocide”, are planned for Saturday.
A smaller demonstration in support of Israel also reportedly took place.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the competition, allowed Israel to compete after it changed the lyrics to its song, originally titled October Rain, which was understood to reference the 7 October attacks by Hamas, breaching Eurovision’s rules on political neutrality. It has since been renamed Hurricane and features amended lyrics.
“It is truly such an honour to be here on stage, representing [Israel] with pride,” said Golan, as per the BBC. “I’m so grateful for everyone who voted and took part in supporting us, and me.”
“The European Broadcasting Union acknowledges the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked”
According to Al Jezeera, About 1,139 people were killed in the coordinated 7 October attacks according to Israeli authorities – including more than 360 in the Supernova festival massacre – while over 34,904 people have since been killed in Gaza, and 78,514 wounded.
The EBU released a statement last month regarding the “abuse and harassment” of Eurovision artists.
“The European Broadcasting Union acknowledges the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked,” says Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director general of the EBU. “We understand that people will want to engage in debate and express their deeply held views on this matter. We have all been affected by the images, stories and the unquestionable pain suffered by those in Israel and in Gaza.
“However, we wish to address the concerns and discussions surrounding this situation, especially the targeted social media campaigns against some of our participating artists.”
De Tender continues: “The decision to include any broadcaster, including the Israeli’ broadcaster Kan, in the Eurovision Song Contest is the sole responsibility of the EBU’s governing bodies and not that of the individual artists. These artists come to Eurovision to share their music, culture, and the universal message of unity through the language of music.
“The EBU has previously explained the reasoning for the inclusion of KAN and the differences between them as an independent broadcaster and previous participants who were excluded. Constructive debate is a positive consequence of such decisions.
“However, while we strongly support freedom of speech and the right to express opinions in a democratic society, we firmly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech, or harassment directed at our artists or any individuals associated with the contest. This is unacceptable and totally unfair, given the artists have no role in this decision.”
“We urge everyone to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue and support the artists who are working tirelessly – on what is a music and entertainment show”
He adds: “The EBU is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants, staff, and fans of the Eurovision Song Contest. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to promote the values of respect, inclusivity, and understanding, both online and offline.
“We urge everyone to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue and support the artists who are working tirelessly – on what is a music and entertainment show – to share their music with the world.”
Meanwhile, Sky News reports that the Netherlands’ Eurovision entry Joost Klein is under EBU investigation due to an “incident”.
“We are currently investigating an incident that was reported to us involving the Dutch artist,” says an EBU statmement. “He will not be rehearsing until further notice. We have no further comment at this time and will update in due course.”
Malmö Arena, owned by Parkfast Arena, can host up to 15,000 people for music events depending on the position of the stage, according to the venue’s website. It will be the seventh time Sweden will host to Eurovision and coincides with the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s first triumph. Former winners Charlotte Perrelli, Carola and Conchita Wurst are set to perform an homage to the legendary Swedish band during Saturday’s ceremony.
Latvia, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia and Armenia also qualified for tomorrow’s final. Last year’s trophy was taken home by Sweden’s contestant, Loreen, who won the competition, hosted by Liverpool, UK, on behalf of Ukraine, for the second time. Croatia are the current favourites to win the 2024 contest.
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MTV EMAs cancelled out of ‘abundance of caution’
The 2023 MTV EMAs have been cancelled “out of an abundance of caution” amid the escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
First held in Berlin, Germany in 1994, the annual awards show was due to take place in France at Paris Nord Villepinte on Sunday 5 November and broadcast live in more than 150 countries.
Around a dozen acts had been lined up to perform including Anne-Marie, David Guetta, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jung Kook, Rema, Sabrina Carpenter and The Kid Laroi. Paris last hosted the awards in 1995.
“Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life,” says a statement from awards organiser Paramount.
“As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration”
As per the BBC, Palestinian health officials say more than 3,700 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing more than 1,400 people. At least 260 people were killed after Hamas stormed trance music festival Supernova Sokkot as part of the coordinated offensive.
“The MTV EMAs are an annual celebration of global music,” adds the statement. “As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, it is a moment of mourning. Voting is continuing and the winning artists will receive their MTV EMA Awards.”
Paramount adds that it is looking forward to hosting the MTV EMAs again in November 2024.
France has been on its highest security alert since the fatal stabbing of a schoolteacher in the town of Arras last week.
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At least 260 killed in attack on Israel festival
At least 260 people have been killed and others abducted in an attack by Hamas militants on Israel’s Supernova festival in what is believed to be the deadliest-ever assault on a music event.
Held under the Universo Paralello brand launched in Brazil 23 years ago, The Tribe of Nova presents Supernova was staged in Israel for the first time from 6-7 October – coinciding with the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
The trance music festival was being attended by around 3,000 people in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im, not far from the Gaza Strip, when Palestinian militants stormed the gathering on Saturday morning and opened fire as part of a surprise coordinated attack on Israel.
Eyewitnesses told Israel’s Channel 12 that a siren went off at the event around dawn, warning of rockets attacks. Rockets were then quickly followed by gunshots, as festival-goers attempted to flee in their cars.
“Suddenly out of nowhere they came inside with gunfire, opening fire in every direction”
“In the middle of the party, which was big and at high volume, a red alarm started,” said one witness. “They turned off the music and we all gathered our things. They turned off the electricity and suddenly out of nowhere they came inside with gunfire, opening fire in every direction. I took the car keys and we started moving forward to escape the gunfire. At some point they overtook us, they shot at our vehicles and we got out of them.
“Fifty terrorists arrived in vans, dressed in military uniforms. They fired bursts, and we reached a point where everyone parked their vehicles and started running. I [hid in a bush] and they just started spraying people.
“There were several vehicles that started driving and their wheels were also shot at. I was in the bush for almost an hour, I didn’t move and everything passed before my eyes.”
Supernova, which had three stages, a camping area and a bar, had reportedly been switched to the Re’im site at short notice when a deal to hold it at another location collapsed.
Israeli producer Artifex was performing on the main stage when the attack started, with the festival’s international line-up also including Aladin, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.
“People were hiding in ditches, hiding in bushes, hiding in the woods, hiding wherever you can think of”
Artist manager Raz Gaster, who represented several of the artists at the event, tells Billboard: “Around 6:30 in the morning we started hearing explosions. We went out of the backstage and we saw a full bombardment everywhere. It was hundreds of rockets and mortars flying from everywhere and explosions all around us.
“People were hiding in ditches, hiding in bushes, hiding in the woods, hiding wherever you can think of.”
An emergency medic who was called to the event tells public broadcaster Kan News: “It was a massacre. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It was a planned ambush. As people came out of the emergency exits, squads of terrorists were waiting for them there and just started picking them off.
“There were 3,000 people at the event, so they probably knew it. They had intelligence information.”
The death toll is expected to rise while teams continue to clear the area.
“We stand with the residents of Israel, IDF fighters and the security forces in these difficult moments”
The BBC reports at least 700 people have been killed in Israel since the attacks began, including 44 soldiers, while more than 500 people have died in Gaza after Israel launched retaliatory air strikes. In a televised address, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We are at war. Not an operation, not a round [of fighting,] at war.”
Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), described the events of Saturday as “a 9/11 and a Pearl Harbor wrapped into one”. “It is by far the worst day in Israeli history,” he said. “Never before have so many Israelis been killed by one single thing on one day.”
A 60,000-cap Bruno Mars concert scheduled for Saturday (7 October) Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park was cancelled amid the escalation of the conflict. The US star had played his first ever show in Israel just three days earlier. Hayarkon Park has hosted recent shows by acts including Guns N’ Roses and Maroon 5, as well as the Summer in the City festival, which featured the likes of Sam Smith, Robbie Williams, Martin Garrix and Papa Roach.
“We stand with the residents of Israel, IDF fighters and the security forces in these difficult moments,” says a statement, translated from Hebrew, by Live Nation Israel.
Tel Aviv emerging music showcase InDNegev, set for 12-14 October, has also been called off.
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Pride & prejudice: Promoting behind enemy lines
Palestinian artist Bashar Murad is used to risking his life to perform. As a queer Arab and a resident of East Jerusalem, Murad has learned to live with oppression and the threat of violence, both onstage and on his doorstep. Neither, however, has deterred him from openly addressing loaded issues such as the Israeli occupation and LGBTIQ+ rights in the Middle East. “But the more vocal I become about these issues, the greater the danger is,” he tells IQ.
In 2019, Murad took one of his most daring steps when he performed in a wedding dress at an event in Ramallah, a Palestinian city located in the central West Bank. While the West Bank’s biggest draw for promoters is that it’s the only place where Palestinians from both sides of the barrier can meet, Murad says that the mixed demographic is also where the danger lies.
“Probably the biggest risk is if someone in the audience doesn’t like what I’m doing. Audience members could be from anywhere, from all over the country. There are different kinds of mentalities, people who are extremely open-minded but also people who are uneducated and attached to the traditions and the customs that we are taught in this quite patriarchal society,” he says.
Murad explains that each city in the Palestinian territories has different variations of laws relating to queer people. Jerusalem, where he lives, is under Israeli law but the West Bank is under Israeli military law as well as Palestinian civil law, which presents varying degrees of discrimination and legal challenges for queer people. To make matters more complicated, Murad says, some of the laws aren’t representative of the reality on the ground.
This minefield of laws across the territory means Murad is forced to make a risk assessment before booking a gig. While agents and promoters in liberal nations may book shows based on venue capacities, fees and convenience, Murad has to weigh up how dangerous each city is, the make-up of the audience, and how provocative his show should be. However, Murad has found refuge within the realms of the music industry, “the safe place,” having built relationships and established trust with promoters and record executives.
The international showcase at which Murad performed in the wedding dress, the Palestine Music Expo (PMX), is one such stronghold. Though Murad would not generally view Ramallah as 100% safe for queer artists like himself, PMX is something of a haven “free of oppression, for all human beings.”
PMX co-founder Rami Younis has been something of an outspoken ally for oppressed artists and is eager to give queer artists like Murad “a free and fair platform to do the show they want.” When IQ asks what he thought of Murad’s 2019 performance, Younis says: “I absolutely loved it. In general, we encourage our artists to be as creative and free as they can and to not be afraid to experiment. Murad’s show was a big success and a great example for that.”
Murad says he depends on support from alternative organisations like PMX, as the culture ministries are “too scared” to back queer artists like himself – though his talent has been verified by international press including CBC, The Guardian and the BBC. “They don’t show any support towards me because they’re worried about me being gay,” he says. “They fund music videos and productions for artists who have taken part in competitions like Arab Idol but forget about other artists who are carving their own paths and doing things their own way.”
Not only has PMX provided Murad with a safe space in which to deliver his most thought-provoking show, it has also given him a rare gateway to the international live music business and a world outside of conflict-ridden Palestine.
But establishing a platform like this, which has invited 150+ international music industry professionals each year since 2017, is no mean feat in a state where promoters, agents – and even performance venues are few and far between. “People must understand that we never had a chance to develop a proper industry simply because we never had the proper infrastructure,” says Younis. “Developing art industries organically in war zones is near impossible. So, what we do is push back against that and lay foundations for a proper and healthy infrastructure in the future.”
While agents and promoters in liberal nations may book shows based on venue capacities, fees and convenience, Murad has to weigh up how dangerous each city is
From the ground up
“I can’t believe that any queer person who is living in Poland and looking at the news doesn’t feel personally attacked,” says Kajetan Łukomski, a queer Polish artist, promoter and Keychange ambassador who goes by the name of Avtomat.
Poland is one of just a handful of countries in Europe that is yet to legalise same-sex marriage, and already bans same-sex couples from adopting children. As of June 2020, some 100 municipalities, encompassing around one-third of the majority Catholic country, have adopted resolutions declaring themselves “LGBT ideology-free.”
In a campaign speech when he stood for re-election, President Andrzej Duda called the promotion of LGBT rights an ideology “even more destructive” than communism. Elsewhere, the Archbishop of Kraków recently warned of a neo-Marxist “rainbow plague.”
“We just don’t feel safe in our own country anymore,” says Łukomski. “I started carrying tear gas with me on the street, and every time I go out with my boyfriend and we hold hands, we have to keep looking over our shoulder because there have been occurrences of queer people getting knifed in the street. This is why we need to work so hard to change the status quo.”
According to Łukomski, a shift in paradigm is also needed in the mainstream music scene, which has eschewed queer artists like himself. This segregation has forced queer artists to adopt a do-it-yourself mentality and promote their own shows and establish their own performance spaces. Back in 2017, Łukomski co-founded the Warsaw-based Oramics collective, which acts as a promoter, in a bid to “level the playing field for under- represented groups.”
“No one had really thought of that. All of the line-ups were male and there was no real push towards making women and queer people and so on visible in the scene, so it had to happen as a grassroots movement,” he says. “We’ve had to carve out our own space in the music industry.” Developing their own queer underground scene has also been a means of protecting the artists and fans within it because, like Murad in Palestine, Łukomski has to be selective about where he performs.
“It would be easy to go ‘I’m playing in this huge prestigious club’ but then my community may be in greater danger of, say, harassment. I make it a point to play in spaces that I deem safe for my community,” he says. Łukomski says that as Oramics’ reputation has grown, they have had greater bargaining power to talk to clubs about their safe-space policies and line-up balances. The collective has even brought workshops to smaller, less tolerant cities to show queer people how to organise their own spaces – though Łukomski says they had to organise their own security for these visits.
While the queer community in Poland may be safer existing on the fringes, their exclusion from mainstream culture creates a glass ceiling for artists, which prevents them from performing at larger capacity venues, earning bigger fees or securing representation. On a broader scale, if queer people and creatives aren’t able to assimilate with the rest of society, the oppression will likely perpetuate.
Warsaw-based promoter Follow The Step (FTS), however, is sensing some progression in the acceptance of queer people, which is allowing them to expand their portfolio of queer artists. Next year, the company will promote its first-ever show by a queer artist – American drag star Sasha Velour at Warsaw’s Palladium (1,500-cap.) – which FTS’s Tamara Przystasz says has been a long time coming. “We’ve been trying very hard to promote queer artists, but a lot of agents were saying Poland is not ready for it. But finally, people are much more open-minded than they were before,” says Przystasz. “To do something for the first time, after so many hard months, was a huge risk, but we thought let’s just do it, and it’s going well already. We didn’t expect such amazing feedback,” she adds.
Przystasz says FTS are keen to use Warsaw as a litmus test before promoting queer artists in more rural cities. “We are so lucky because we are living in Warsaw and it always works differently with capital cities, but in the smaller cities, it is hard; we have to fight for their rights. Education via music; I think that is the best option for us.”
Kostrzyn-based festival Pol’and’Rock, which has been running for more than 25 years and typically attracts an audience of almost half a million people, has had a little more time to establish a portfolio of queer artists, and hopes to lead by example. Originally inspired by Woodstock, the community- based festival deems itself an outlier in creating a refuge within the country’s conservative society.
Over the past three decades, the festival has played host to performances by queer artists such as Skunk Anansie and Polish children’s artist Majka Je owska, as well as Polish singers Ralph Kaminski and Krzysztof Zalewski – some of which have incorporated demonstrations for queer rights into their shows.
“We want to show Poland as an open place, a place where people can be themselves, which becomes more and more difficult each year,” says Olga Zawada from Pol’and’Rock. Zawada says that the festival has encountered many challenges since the recent government came into power, including reportedly being saddled with “high-risk” status four times since 2016.
The high-risk label, according to Polish law, applies to events where acts of violence or public disorder are expected to take place, though Pol’and’Rock has never encountered anything of the sort. Zawada believes that this is the government’s way of indirectly jeopardising the festival: “I don’t want to speculate on the government’s motivations, but we’re quite unpopular with the very conservative ruling party.”
The high-risk status means that Pol’and’Rock has been required to introduce different safety measures such as a fence around the perimeter, which Zawada says tarnished the festival’s aesthetic as a free and open festival and proved to be a “massive expense.” Does she think that the government was taking aim at the festival’s Achilles heel – its budget? “Yes. The fence was the biggest thing in our budget and from a crowd management point of view it was completely pointless. But the guests respected the fences and even used them creatively, to dry their laundry and things,” she says.
“We want to show Poland as an open place, a place where people can be themselves, which becomes more and more difficult each year”
Against all odds
“Turkey is a place where two times two doesn’t make four,” says queer senior talent buyer Bura Davaslıgil of Istanbul-based booking agency/promoter Charmenko. “On paper, it hasn’t been illegal to be homosexual since 1858, the Ottoman Empire, but it’s still a taboo.”
Taboo is a light way of putting it. Hate speech, violence, and discrimination have already put Turkey second to last on the advocacy group ILGA-Europe’s ranking of LGBTQ equality – no surprise considering that there is no solid law against discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. Gay Pride has been banned in Istanbul for several years, on pretexts of public order. “Even if a municipality is pro-LGBTQ rights and they want to, say, put on a festival, they wouldn’t dare to do it because of the current political climate,” says Davaslıgil.
According to Davaslıgil, the conservative party, which has been in power for the last two decades, tends to “look the other way” about queer culture, as long as it’s kept relatively quiet. “The discrimination against queer people is not systematic. If Morrissey, Pet Shop Boys or Elton John performed, it wouldn’t be a problem; if an artist’s queerness is not too overt then it’s fine.”
The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC), however, was one artist the government could not ignore. In 2015, the Chorus found themselves at the centre of a political storm ahead of their concert at Zorlu Performing Arts Center in Istanbul. Conservative Islamist papers described the group as “perverts” and thousands of people signed a Change.org petition calling on Zorlu’s owners to cancel the show because it would take place on the tenth day of Ramadan. The venue, reportedly owned by a close confidant to Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan who, at the time, was running for re-election and campaigning to get the conservative vote, had reportedly asked the chorus to take the “Gay” out of their name but the group refused. “We weren’t going to let prejudice win… visibility saves lives,” says Craig Coogan, executive director of the BGMC, adding that the group has had the same name since 1982.
The government withdrew their previously issued permit allowing BGMC to perform at Zorlu and no other government agency would issue one. In an admirable display of allyship, the LGBTQ student group at Bosphorus University – a privately held institution, which didn’t need a permit for performances – stepped in and offered the Chorus their outdoor space. In order to keep the group safe, the buses were unidentifiable and the routes that each bus took to the same destinations were varied. Members were encouraged to be cautious on social media, not posting location information in real-time. According to Coogan, the group even collaborated with the US secret service on security issues, and a diplomatic note was sent to the government underlining the importance of the group’s safety to US relations. On the day of the concert, sharp-shooters were stationed around the area, drones surveyed the crowd, and audience members had to go through airport-style security to get into the concert.
The media frenzy, the political tension, and the logistical rigmarole would’ve been enough to discourage any artist from going ahead with the concert but the group found allies in the most unexpected of places. According to Coogan, The Nederlander Organization, which manages Zorlu, were “mortified” that political considerations forced them to cancel their contract. “In fact, to prevent an expensive lawsuit, they paid for the production costs at Bosphorus,” says Coogan. It was not difficult to find supportive professionals to work with. The issues we ran into were political, not with the professionals.”
BGMC hasn’t returned to Turkey since 2015 – the group has been busy touring elsewhere, including other anti-gay territories such as Poland, the Middle East and South Africa. But IQ wonders: could an incident like the one with the Chorus happen in 2021? “As long as this government stays in power, yes,” says Davaslıgil. And would Charmenko ever book BGMC, in spite of all the political and logistical issues? “I wouldn’t think twice,” he answers, underscoring the importance of allyship in the industry.
“Everywhere that we perform is an opportunity to dismantle prejudice and preconceptions about LGBTQ people”
Music as an act of resistance
Queer artists like Murad, Łukomski and the BGMC put their safety on the line again and again to perform in anti-gay countries, but what’s the pay-off?
“Everywhere that we perform is an opportunity to dismantle prejudice and preconceptions about LGBTQ people,” says BGMC’s Coogan. “Live music as a social activism tool works. It did in Istanbul, as it did in so many other cities around the world. I saw the joy and transformation on the faces of thousands of locals. “Music builds bridges, enhances communication, breaks down stereotypes and humanises the ‘other’ in powerful ways. It has the power to transcend boundaries and create connections among people from different backgrounds, languages, and beliefs, and has long been a central part of social justice movements.”
In all three stories, the live music industry has proved itself to be the antithesis of the political wars waging outside of it, thanks to real allyship from promoters and festivals like PMX, Follow the Step, Pol’and’Rock and Charmenko. But what they want, quite simply, is for their respective countries to be recognised for the budding talent, not the conflict. “I want people to know that Palestine isn’t just war, apartheid, and occupation; it’s also music, cinema, art; it’s life,” says PMX co-founder Younis. “There are actual people living here with hopes, dreams, and culture. There’s talent in Palestine and it is just waiting to be discovered. We don’t want to be seen as victims but as equal people who deserve to have their culture and music represented everywhere.”
Pol’and’Rock’s Zawada has a similar message for the international live music industry: “Poland is more than politics and oppression.
It’s important for us to say: ‘You know what? There is this community of people that has a different opinion. There are people who are tolerant and welcoming and accepting, and they would have your back, and everyone else’s.”
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Lana Del Rey pulls out of Israel’s Meteor Festival
After initially defending her decision to play the inaugural edition of Meteor Festival, stating her performance would “not be a political statement,” Lana Del Rey has pulled out of the Israeli event.
In a statement uploaded to her Twitter, Del Rey explained it was important to her to be able to play both Israel and Palestine so she could “treat all [her] fans equally”. In the run-up to the festival – scheduled for this weekend in Tel Aviv (6-8 September) – a Palestinian show couldn’t be organised in time, and so her performance has been postponed “until a time when [she] can schedule visits for both”.
The statement comes 11 days after Del Rey initially defended her decision to play the festival. A previous series of tweets explained she “understood” why fans were upset, but stated “I’m doing my best to navigate the waters of the constant tumultuous hardships in the war-torn countries all over the world that I travel through monthly.”
“Affiliating us with that is nothing short of absurd – as in fact, we’re pretty much the only festival in the world who’s 100% politics free.”
Much of the pressure to drop out of the festival came from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), which has so far convinced a number of other artists to cancel their performances. Many American, British, South African and Australian acts have all pulled out, including electronic music producer Shlohmo, DJ Volvox, duo Black Motion, DJ Shanti Celeste, DJ Seinfeld and DJ Leon Vynehall.
The news of Del Rey’s decision was met with a cold reception from event organisers. A statement published on the Meteor Festival website shortly after the news broke accused the “no-show” singer of using her performance to “score some press attention” – something that has since been deleted.
Organisers have previously emphasised in the statement that Meteor Festival is “an independent, private project… receiving no support, funds or benefits from any governmental or political entity.” It continues: “Therefore, affiliating us with that is nothing short of absurd – as in fact, we’re pretty much the only festival in the world who’s 100% politics free.”
Del Rey’s decision is not the first high-profile cancellation; last year, New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde cancelled shows in Tel Aviv, prompting heavy backlash from anti-BDS campaigners.
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