The Murder Capital cancel another show over Palestinian flag, deem it “not a political statement”
On May 10th, Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital refused to play a show in Berlin after the venue did not allow the band to display a Palestine flag. The band have now revealed that they are cancelling another show in Cologne due to disputes over the flag.
The five-piece band, who formed in 2018, are currently on a world tour following the release of their latest album, Blindness. In Berlin, they played an acoustic set outside after the night club, Gretchen, responded that they have the “no national flag” policy. “We deeply believe that national flags are not helpful at all,” the venue said on Instagram.
Frontman James McGovern records from Cologne and speaks directly into the camera as he delivers the new update in the Instagram post. He details that they had hoped “what happened in Berlin yesterday was an isolated incident.” However, the Cologne venue, Gebäude 9, also refused to let them have the Palestinian flag on the stage during their set.
He explains that, though the band have tried to find an alternative venue for their show, they are forced to put an acoustic show again, outdoors in a park. “The Palestinian flag itself needs to be on our stage and needs to be as visible everywhere in the world as possible,” he stressed.
He turned then to the conflict in the Middle East, describing how the Israeli state is committing “war crimes and genocide”, which is being “funded and supported by governments around the world.”
This stance is one upheld by fellow Irish musicians Kneecap, who are now subjects of a counter-terrorist investigation due to their vocal pro-Palestine stance recorded in re-emerged concert footage.
In the previous video, McGovern stated that in an ideal world, “music and arts and theatre could be free of political discussion, but with the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. ” He then discussed the sentiment again, saying, “Having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement. It is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation.”
The venue has yet to comment on the cancelled show.
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