Massive Attack condemn Manchester’s Co-op Live ahead of show due to recent Barclays sponsorship
Massive Attack performed at Manchester’s Co-op Live on June 5th. However, hours before the show, they condemned the venue for recently aligning itself with Barclays.
Last month, Barclays became a Founding Partner of Co-op Live and a Principal Partner of The O2 in London. This partnership allows Barclays customers to access specially reserved tickets at both venues and premium lounges and hospitality suites.
However, Massive Attack, who agreed to play the venue many months before the partnership was announced, have now said in a statement: “15 days ago, without any advance warning or notification, the arena ownership announced a new corporate sponsorship with Barclays: a commercial identity synonymous with the large-scale financing of new fossil fuel extraction.”
The Bristol group also stated that Barclays have “billions of dollars of investments in arms companies that supply Israel in its genocidal onslaught of Gaza, and war crimes in the West Bank.”
They went on to describe Barclays as “a profoundly unethical corporate identity” which “has no place in any of our cultural or sporting arenas”. Massive Attack then claimed they learned “with disbelief” of the Co-op Live’s partnership with the bank due to a local news story rather than directly from the venue.
Massive Attack then explained they didn’t cancel the show at late notice because they “do not want to disappoint fans who have spent their hard-earned money”. However, the Co-op Live did agree to remove “all physical and digital Barclays livery and logos” from the arena and the show page on the venue’s website. Barclays were also not permitted to tickets.
The group added: “At a time when the world works to tackle climate emergency, and watches on in despair and horror at the scenes of civilian slaughter in Gaza, we’re stunned that the arena ownership took this decision to partner with Barclays – especially in a progressive city like Manchester.”
Massive Attack have a history of cancelling performances on moral grounds. Last year, they refused to play the Black Sea Arena in Tbilisi, Georgia, amid police violence at peaceful protests in the city. They explained: “At this moment, performing at the state-owned Black Sea Arena could be seen as an endorsement of their violent crackdown against peaceful protests and civil society.”
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