Derry punk band Cherym recently announced their decision to pull out of The Great Escape music festival due to the event’s connection to Barclays bank. The band cited the bank’s financial investments in companies that supply arms to Israel, claiming that it is responsible for arming the IDF and enabling ongoing atrocities against Palestinians. The decision to pull out of The Great Escape is in line with a petition started by promoter How to Catch a Pig and The Menstrual Cramps, which has garnered support from other artists.
Cherym’s statement mentions that while The Great Escape Festival claims to have no direct affiliation with Barclays or Barclaycard this year, the refusal to remove the bank as a sponsor from advertising has led to the band’s decision to withdraw. Along with Cherym, The Menstrual Cramps, Orchards, and Other Half, and the labels Alcopop! Records and Big Scary Monsters have also pulled out of the festival.
This move by Cherym comes just a month after numerous artists refused to play Austin’s SXSW Festival over its connections to the US Army and weapons companies amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. Many of the artists expressed their solidarity with the people of Palestine as the reason for their decision to withdraw from the festival. In light of these withdrawals, SXSW released a statement that respected the artists’ rights to exercise their freedom of speech.
Cherym’s debut album ‘Take It Or Leave It’ was released in February this year to great reviews. The band’s decision to pull out of The Great Escape Festival highlights their commitment to their mission of joy and unity as they stand up against corporate greed at the heart of the atrocities in Gaza
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