Registration costs €3,50, but you get that amount back in drink tokens. This talk will be held in English.
Since it became known that major festival investors also have interests in Israel and on the West Bank, many artists are faced with a difficult dilemma: can we even play there anymore? Protesting against the establishment is deeply ingrained in the DNA of musicians, but how freely can you oppose something when you depend on those money flows that you criticise?
During performances at Glastonbury and Paradiso, the duo Bob Vylan shouted “Death, death to the IDF” and “Free, free Palestine” – statements that cost them performances, bookings and their agent. Their story doesn’t stand alone: more and more artists are refusing festival deals or calling for boycotts due to ties with investment fund KKR.
In this conversation, we explore the tension between artistic freedom, economic dependence and moral boundaries. Where is the line between engagement and survival? What does solidarity even still mean in an industry that is all about capital?
FYI: Bob Vylan is playing in our Main Hall on this night, so check out the talk first and then go mosh with Bob Vylan.