Bands Boycotting Download Festival Organize Benefit Show for Palestine
Following the recent wave of bands dropping out of Download Festival in protest of Barclays Bank’s sponsorship of the festival—a company with ties to Israel—which started with British crossover thrash band Pest Control, several of the bands that have dropped out of the fest have put together their own benefit show for Palestine opposite the festival.
The show will feature Pest Control, Speed, Scowl, Zulu, all of which dropped off of the festival in the past few days. Additionally, Ikhras, Cauldron and Transistrrr, who were never part of the Download Festival lineup to begin with, will also be part of the benefit concert. The concert will be held at the Centrala Art Gallery in Birmingham and is presented by Birmingham Hardcore Shows and Outcast Stomp.
Meanwhile, one of the bands announced as a last-minute replacement for the canceled bands at Download, emo/grunge/nu-metal act Split Chain, announced that, while they will go through with playing the festival, they’ll be donating their entire artist’s fee to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and Medical Aid for Palestinians. Split Chain made the following statement on their Instagram:
“As individuals and as a collective, Split Chain condemn the ongoing atrocities committed in Gaza and the genocide of the Palestinian people.
“We praise all those who use their voice for those in need, and we wholeheartedly respect and stand with every band, individual and organisation that are using their platforms in any way to further raise awareness of this crisis.
“We will be donating our entire artists fee from Download Festival to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and Medical Aid For Palestinians.
“PCRF provides medical and humanitarian relief collectively and individually to children throughout Gaza.
“MAP provides immediate aid to those in need as well as creating a future where Palestinians can access sustainable and locally led systems of healthcare.
“In our bio and stories are links to MAP and PCRF, and ways you can contact your local MP/Representative to use your voices further.”
So far, it’s been mostly the younger hardcore bands pulling out of the festival, while none of the bigger names have joined the boycott yet. My prediction that Tom Morello would join the boycott yesterday didn’t come true, but I’d be shocked if he does nothing to support the boycott at all. Now Download faces a mounting PR problem as the boycott has become the biggest story about the festival, with even the BBC covering the boycott. Maybe it’s time to drop Barclays as a sponsor instead of just picking up replacement bands.
