Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Play Israel To ‘Take A Stand’ Against Bullies And Censors Of Musicians


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Nothing has been easy for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds over the last few years. After finishing their latest album Skeleton Tree just months after the tragic death of Nick Cave’s son, Cave released the gripping and dark documentary One More Time With Feeling in an effort to process his loss and head off any redundant media questions about the album. Now they will end their tour for Skeleton Tree in Tel Aviv, Israel amidst backlash from fellow artists and some fans.

Fellow musicians such as Roger Waters have attempted to pressure artists not to play Israel due to the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, known as BDS. The BDS, “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.” Israel considers this an attempt to delegitimize the Jewish state.

Earlier this year, Radiohead and Waters publicly traded spats through the press and social media, and Cave echoed Radiohead’s statements in a press conference, saying: “If you do come [to Israel], you have to go through public humiliation from Roger Waters and his partners and no one wants to embarrass themselves publicly.”

Cave continued to explain that Israel has been on his mind for decades, and ultimately, it was BDS that made him want to bring the Bad Seeds to Israel.

“For 20 years, I said, ‘let’s give it up. A few years ago, Brian Eno sent me a letter and asked me to sign it to shut out Israel, and I sent a letter back that said I wouldn’t sign. I understood that I wouldn’t sign but I also wouldn’t perform in Israel — and that seemed like I was acting scared. So I called my people and asked that we perform in Israel.”

“It suddenly became very important to make a stand, to me, against those people who are trying to shut down musicians, to bully musicians, to censor musicians and to silence musicians.”

“I love Israel and I love Israeli people. So really, you could say, in a way, that the BDS made me play Israel.”

The Bad Seeds have already played one show which was reviewed by Jerusalem Post writer Sarah Levi, who said “The whole experience felt almost religious. I can’t remember the last time I have seen such a captivated audience like this crowd. Nick Cave and his bad seeds proves that if you give love, you get love, and that was the secret behind their seemingly magical performance.”

For anyone who has seen the power and majesty of Nick Cave live, this is an apt summary, and an experience people shouldn’t be deprived of.

(Via The Jerusalem Post/Brooklyn Vegan)

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