Roger Waters shares concert video addressing “Nazi demagogue” costume controversy
Following Roger Waters‘ concert in Berlin on May 17th, local police launched a criminal investigation into the former Pink Floyd singer on “suspicion of incitement of the people” after accusations arose that he wore a Nazi SS-like uniform, fired a fake machine gun, and denigrated the death of Anne Frank.
The former Pink Floyd musician has since released a statement on the matter, claiming that the media response was a “smear” campaign against him. While Waters has been accused of courting anti-semitic controversies since 2010, he claims the latest inciting incident was related to a character who has been part of his act since 1979 and represents a critique of fascism.
Now, at his latest show in Frankfurt, Waters addressed the matter in an oration before the crowd, which he has since shared a video of on social media. “This is a somewhat delicate subject and it means an awful lot to me for all kinds of different reasons, but at the beginning of the second half of this show, we do two songs from The Wall,” he began.
“They are two songs from the bit where back in 1979 when I wrote the bloody thing, I dress up as a demagogue – sort of a Nazi demagogue, if we’re honest, and I am extreme honest. We’ve been doing that all over the world. But if any of you have read a newspaper in the last few days, you’ll see that after the shows we did in Berlin and the one in Prague – Prague was only important because we did a live-streamed video of that show, so finally people were able to get tonnes and tonnes of video.”
“Anyway,” he continued, “they used the fact that I was wearing a leather coat as part of the narrative that explains to anyone who picks up a newspaper anywhere that I’m a raging Jew-hating anti-semite, which, friends, I can tell you this here [indecipherable].”
After a brief digression during which he criticised an “unnerving” protestor who leapt on stage with an Israeli flag before being escorted away by security, Waters said: “So, tonight I’m not going to wear the leather coat. And I’ll tell you why this is special, and why it’s special here tonight is that I’ve read everything I could find that explains the point of view of the people […]”
“So, why is it important? We’re in the Festhalle,” he said. The Frankfurt venue is one of historical significance as it marks the site where hundreds of Jewish citizen were driven to during Kristallnacht beginning the facility’s position as the first mass transport of people to Nazi concentration camps. Prior to Waters’ performance there were several protests that lobbied against him being able to play the venue given the accusations he has faced.
However, he said that the venue’s history is “part of something that I have always been aware of. I am of that age that we know about these things. So, I feel for people who are concerned about desecrating this place; this – if you like – shrine to commemorate the men who were taken from here.”
To a swell of crowd applause, Waters then concluded: “So, that is why I’m making this small but I hope significant gesture tonight. So, when the second half starts, and the banners don’t come down, and I’m not wearing the leather coat, that is why. It is to show that I can’t possibly understand the feelings of the relatives of those men, or what it was like in 1938 in Frankfurt all over the rest of Germany, but I do know the history and my heart is beating hard now.”
This was met with a powerful response from his fans in attendance. Waters then grew emotional and appeared to almost weep on stage.
Meanwhile, the Berlin police have confirmed that they are still investigating the matter from his earlier show. For the full story of the controversy and accusations so far, click here.
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