Needles & Grooves

"we believe art exists above and beyond politics" brother you literally made Hail to the Thief

Impossible to respect Radiohead when he and Thom are so obtuse about this. All art is political and it's incredible that they of all bands don't know that.

I think that’s an unfair quote of Johnny. He also talks about Kneecap and says it is sad that the same movement wanting freedom being protected for Kneecap is preventing freedom for his current project.

I haven’t read up on what Johnny and Thom have said about Israel but it seems things are being taken out of context by both sides at this point. Pro-Palestinians are all bad to the right and you become a pariah to the left if you don’t support in just the right way. This is what johnny’s argument sounds like to me.

@Nee Lewman I would suggest reading a bit about it, then, before commenting. Jonny and Thom aren't "not supporting in just the right way"; they are actively hostile to the Palestinian cause.

His event was cancelled because it was boycotted, not because people in power want to silence it (in Kneecap's case). It's punching up vs punching down. Also he literally played a Tibetan freedom concert series, but nowadays art isn't political? Okay.

Jonny's wife (who is Israeli) has posted some genuinely sick stuff about Palestinians and college protesters on Twitter. And Thom notoriously flipped off a Palestinian flag at a show. I love Radiohead's music, but they unfortunately suck in this regard.

@BjorgenFjorgen i commented because it doesn’t seem that he is being apolitical in his comment and I called the quote unfair out of context. I think emotions get high in this stuff and this particular issue.

It would better suit the conversation to educate each other than to silence which is mostly what I got out of Johnny’s statement. I also don’t actively seek to ruin the enjoyment of art I love… so it’s not like I’m seeking this out, just reading what I see.

I've enjoyed plenty of art by questionable people, so that's not a problem.

I just think a kumbaya statement like that while at the same time having the views he has and supporting the regime he does is lame as hell. Can't be surprised when people don't want to hear it.

There's a long history of Radiohead being on the wrong side of this. It's a choice to ignore that.

@Nee Lewman Jonny isn't looking to be educated, dude. He and his super-Zionist wife know where they stand on the issue.

I was talking about me, but sure.

@Nee Lewman That isn't clear at all.