Lambrini Girls join list of artists boycotting SXSW: “We can’t affiliate ourselves whatsoever”

lambrini-girls-join-list-of-artists-boycotting-sxsw:-“we-can’t-affiliate-ourselves-whatsoever”
Lambrini Girls join list of artists boycotting SXSW: “We can’t affiliate ourselves whatsoever”

The Lambrini Girls are the latest musical act to withdraw from this year’s South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, citing their inability to align themselves with the event. They have joined other artists, including Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom, and Squirrelflower, who have also pulled out of the festival due to its sponsorship ties to the US Army and links to the defence contractor RTX Corporation. Given the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, some musicians have taken issue with RTX’s supply of weapons to Israel. Sponsors of the festival have recently withdrawn, including the Brooklyn vegan restaurant Modern Love, due to the situation.

The band’s statement reads: “We are pulling out of SXSW tomorrow… We won’t be going to Austin whatsoever,” and adds, “For transparency, the reason it’s taken us a few days to pull out the festival is because we received funding from PRS Foundation to play. We were trying to find a way to out of the situation whilst keeping our moral integrity in tact and not having to repay thousands of pounds at the same time. That really just isn’t possible. Money has to be repaid.” Lambrini Girls were considering performing at the festival and “protesting on stage,” but concluded that such a strategy would be “performative or inherently exploitative.”

Lambrini Girls have a history of speaking out in defence of trans rights, going back to their 2023 track “Terf Wars.” Last year, they criticised Graham Linehan, who has become known in recent years for perpetuating anti-trans sentiments. In an interview with NME in 2023, vocalist Phoebe Lunny expressed her frustration with the state of punk music, stating that “If you do not get yourselves into these spaces and actually call people out on this fucking bullshit or just try to teach someone a fucking lesson, then it’s not going to change.”

As of now, South by Southwest has not made any official response to these boycotts. The festival, which features music performances, film screenings and guest speakers, is set to take place from March 12-14

Read the full article on NME here: Read More