Two bands, Scowl and Gel, have cancelled their appearances at SXSW due to the festival’s association with the US Army and defence contractors accused of supplying arms during Palestine conflict. In separate statements, both bands cited the involvement of the US army, as well as Collins Aerospace, BAE Systems, and the RTX Corporation in the festival as reasons for their withdrawal. “We refuse to be complicit in the face of genocide in Palestine. We refuse to participate in the war machine”, Scowl said in their statement. Meanwhile, Gel tweeted, “There’s no reason for SXSW to involve the music of our peers and music at large with the US Army and defense companies that are actively committing and/or complicit in genocide. Free Palestine.” Eliza McLamb, Okay Shalom and Squirrelflower have also previously cancelled their appearances at the festival due to the same reasons.
SXSW is set to host numerous artists from 12-14 March in Austin, Texas, but the festival’s ties to the US Army have led to a number of Palestine-supporting artists to call off their appearances. Last year’s SXSW festival saw Anderson .Paak, Bartees Strange, Blondshell, Bellah, Venbee, Genesis Owusu, Boygenius, and 070 Shake, among others, take the stage at the festival. The line-up for 2022 is yet to be announced.
Scowl will still be performing at an unofficial showcase organised by their label, Flatspot Records, despite not participating at their previously scheduled ‘official’ SXSW showcases. Artists have taken to social media in support of Palestine, with Scowl posting a graphic to Twitter with the message “Free Palestine.” In 2020, a number of artists pulled out of the event for other reasons, with the spread of Covid-19 forcing the festival to be cancelled altogether
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