Garbage join artists opposing pro-Palestine censorship
Alongside Garbage, other acts signed up to the initiative include Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, Brian Eno and a number of other musicians and producers who have voiced solidarity with Palestine.
READ MORE: 55 arrested in Westminster as protests grow over Palestine Action ban
The announcement comes in the wake of a new documentary released by campaigning group Led By Donkeys, which exposes the activities of UK Lawyers for Israel Ltd (UKLFI).
According to the film, the group has used legal and institutional pressure to silence pro-Palestine activism, particularly in the arts and cultural sectors.
Led By Donkeys stated: 'UK Lawyers for Israel Ltd has tried to silence various voices supporting Palestine. Their charitable wing has made public statements rejecting international law.'
In a statement shared on Instagram, Massive Attack wrote: 'Because of our expressions of conscience, we've been subject to various intimidations from within our industry ... and legally via organised bodies such as UKLFI.'
They described the situation in Gaza as having 'moved beyond description,' and called on the wider music community to support younger, more vulnerable artists who may feel unable to speak out.
The group urged those impacted to contact the Ethical Syndicate Palestine directly.
Led By Donkeys added: 'The weaponisation of antisemitism ... not only hurts civil liberties and human rights, it also damages the real fight against antisemitism.'
The crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in UK music has escalated in recent months.
Bob Vylan were dropped by their agents and investigated by police after chanting 'death to the IDF' at Glastonbury.
READ MORE: RECAP: Activists defy Labour with illegal pro-Palestine T-shirts at Edinburgh demo
Meanwhile, Kneecap member Liam Ó hAnnaidh, AKA Mo Chara, is facing prosecution under the Terrorism Act after allegedly holding a Hezbollah flag on stage.
Despite mounting pressures, more musicians – many previously seen as apolitical – are breaking their silence.
In May, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds raised a Palestinian flag during a concert in Milan, joining a chorus of international dissent.
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Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I spent months trolling influencers in Reddit hate forums – now I feel ashamed'
After Irish YouTuber Adam MacIntyre was reported to ICE by his snark subreddit while touring the US, Reddit shut them down. But his story is just the very tip of the iceberg. Hiding in plain sight are some of Reddit's most toxic communities, created with one sole and explicit purpose: to spread hate. Known as 'snark', these forums range in size from hundreds to literally thousands of members, all anonymous, who congregate to make derogatory posts. The subjects in question? They range from minor influencers to full-blown pop stars, with some of the better-known names including TikTok beauty star Mikaela Noguiera, singer Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. Currently, r/travisandtaylor, aka "The Snark Sub', is one of the largest, with over 158K members. Their raison d'etre, according to the description, is to 'roast and criticize Taylor Swift's PR stunts (looking at you, Travis), her questionable ethics, and the never-ending antics she wants fans to (literally) buy.' They even have an ominous warning in place for any stray Swifties: 'If you're here to defend Mother, you've come to the wrong place.' 'I gambled away thousands from my student loan before I started university' Some of the top-voted posts over the past month have run down her fashion, her choreography and, in particular, the star's relationship with Travis Kelce, which they commonly believe is a calculated PR move. And while some topics could be considered worthwhile discussions, like Taylor Swift's political stances, others are a little more petty. For example, a recent post shows a clip of Taylor Swift dancing with Travis at the US Open Final with a drink in her hand. Comments claim Taylor is "spiralling" or claim she's an "alcoholic", all of which she's never confirmed. But who are the contributors? And why do they do it? A 'snarker', who wishes to remain anonymous, tells The Mirror that they have posted previously on the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce snark subreddit. They also used to visit another influencer's snark. They first came across it about two years ago, but admit they've been reading more lately over the past six or seven months. 'I don't check it often,' they say. 'It just sometimes appears on my algorithm and I read it. Sometimes I even comment about it.' They tell us that they have posted once before but 'it wasn't a healthy move to do it', adding: 'I know everyone makes mistakes and the most we can do is learn from it. I know not everyone who does it has thought about how it can be truly damaging.' For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Although, there are some bad players who are aware of the impact of their actions. They say: 'I think that snark can do harm when it's intended to do so. Some people have their own pain and want these people to hurt themselves.' A second former snarker, who has also remained anonymous, agrees that this behaviour often comes from a place of hurt. Now 29, they say they used to be an avid reader of a snark subreddit dedicated to YouTuber Trisha Paytas: the now-banned r/Trishyland. The subreddit became known for coming up with wild conspiracies about the YouTuber and mother-of-two, who formerly co-starred on the 'Frenemies on the H3 Podcast' YouTube channel. A popular theory spread on the subreddit was that she was faking her pregnancy. 'I would read it daily, sometimes multiple times a day,' the snarker says. 'Honestly, I had no real motivation. I started watching H3 when Frenemies was going on and the downfall of the show was obviously very interesting with lots of updates. From there it was interesting to keep up with negative updates about her.' They fell further down the rabbit hole, explaining: 'I was really into hard drugs at the time and my life started falling apart and my interest was fizzling out. Then she had her first baby and I think that made me step away 100%. I honestly was on the 'she's faking her pregnancy' train but once I learned that wasn't the case, I couldn't 'enjoy' hating a mother.' However, they share that they haven't fully lost the compulsion to check on hate-centric subreddits. 'Now the 'r/weddingshaming' subreddit comes across my Reddit home page fairly often and I read the posts when I see them." 'Part of the appeal comes from reading a group consensus that someone is in the way it makes you feel like a morally superior person. One, because you're not doing the 'shameful' thing. Two, you are doing the work' of 'educating' yourself on what 'society' things is right/wrong.' Though, they add that it's difficult to fully explain the appeal of snark because 'snark is nonsensical'. What happens when it goes too far? Irish content creator Adam MacIntyre recently spoke out online about his experience with his own now-banned snark subreddit (r/AdamMacIntyreSnark) – after they reported him to ICE. The incident happened after the Derry-born YouTuber began his Chronically Online Tour in the US. Prior to its beginning, he posted a picture of his O-1 visa to X, expressing his excitement. O-1 Visas are temporary work visas granted to those who have demonstrated extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or have a record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry. However, in late June a member of r/AdamMcIntyreSnark reposted the image on the subreddit with the caption 'Someone Posted About Visas'. Users then appeared to misread the 'R' on the image as indicating an R-1 visa, which is intended for those conducting religious work. This led to accusations that he had received the visa fraudulently – with a commenter even sharing a screenshot of a report they had sent to ICE asking for Adam to be deported. Adam came onto his YouTube channel to discuss the situation. He said: 'When it comes to snark I will usually put my hands up and allow people to do what they're doing, because I don't want to criticise how people talk about people – even if that person is me… But there's something truly disgusting about weaponising ICE against people.' A statement was also released across Adam's social media channels on Monday July 7 explaining that he had 'initiated a formal legal investigation' in response to the activities related to the snark page. The subreddit has since been taken down. A Reddit spokesperson told The Mirror that harassment and bullying have no place on Reddit and that their rules explicitly prohibit this behaviour. This includes real-world harassment and actions that would threaten a person's safety. They said that, from their investigation, it appears that the behavior was limited to one user account that has since been deleted. The spokesperson added that they will continue to monitor their platform for violating behavior and take action where appropriate.
Edinburgh Reporter
5 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Cast return to Edinburgh supporting Oasis
Cast return to Edinburgh to support Oasis for the 'biggest support slot of the year, if not the decade'. John Power discussed his first meeting with Liam Gallagher, before the singer's fame, when Gallagher was just a teenager. Power admits it was a 'strange atmosphere' as he was going to see The La's, the band he had just left. 'This lad came up to me and asked for a smoke, I told him to p**s off, it was Liam Gallagher. A couple of years later, Oasis was doing a gig in Liverpool and had appeared on The Word, playing Supersonic. Liam came over and said: 'I asked you for a smoke and you told me to p**s off, and we just both burst out laughing.' There's been a long history between Oasis and John Power. The 'Scouse-Irish' songwriter and front-man of Cast was a teenager himself when he first joined The La's and mercurial musical magus Lee Mavers back in 1986. 'At the height of it, it was like nourishment,' explains Power of the band's mystical sea shanties, Mersey melodies and spirited flamenco rhythms, 'How can you not be blown away by songs like Son of Gun when you are that age and learning the guitar. There were Biblical highs, there was something eternal within The La's, and with Lee's songwriting, the waters were crystal clear and you could baptise yourself within them. I couldn't play before that, with those songs, they were the first bass lines I played and understood. It all felt very natural, Lee was like a mentor and a massive influence on my songwriting, and it was a beautiful part of my life.' While The La's made only one self-titled album released in 1990 featuring their hit There She Goes, Power would go on to form Cast two years later. During his time in The La's he began to write what would soon be a string of hit singles, among them Alright and Sandstorm would eventually appear on Cast's debut album All Change. Later this year the band will tour the 30th anniversary of the LP but before then they are about to embark on as Power suggests, 'the biggest tour of the year, if not the decade' with Oasis. I suggest to him it's like a gathering of the clans for the last Kings of Ireland. 'I like that,' he laughs, 'we all have those working-class Irish connections so there has to be something in the lineage or the blood, it's too common for it not to be the case.' Noel Gallagher is quoted as saying Oasis came to finish what The La's started. As Power suggests Oasis gave Cast 'a bump' when asking them to play support in May 1994 at The Venue in Newcross. 'I remembered Noel from when he was a roadie with Inspiral Carpets back when The La's played at G-Mex in Manchester, we were always zig-zagging and crossing paths. Cast got a record deal from that gig in Newcross, and then Noel would give us a shout for gigs like Irvine Beach, Loch Lomond and Knebworth.' It's fair to say that Loch Lomond often gets overlooked for Knebworth, but author Simon Spence points to the importance of the band's links with Scotland, even using a shot from one of the gigs for the limited edition version of his book Feeling Supersonic: From Manchester To Britpop. Spence said: 'Oasis have strong and deep links to Scotland, which explains the fervent reception they get here and the sense among fans that Oasis are part of them. Liam and Noel's mum Peggy lived in Glasgow before moving to Manchester and, crucially, the band's big break, the infamous meeting with Alan McGee that led to them being signed to his label Creation in 1993, also took place in Scotland at Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. 'For many, including McGee, their best ever gig during their 90s heyday, and one of the defining moments of Britpop, took place in Scotland, on the shores of Loch Lomond in Balloch Castle Country Park, where they played to 80,000 over two rapturous nights. After Manchester, Scotland is the band's second home. Noel and Liam have both spoken with pride of their Scottish fans who have remained ferociously loyal over the years. Liam described them as 'the f**king bollocks'. 'The band's two previous shows at Murrayfield were epochal, for different reasons, and these three nights are set to reignite joyous memories for both the band and the fans (if not the local council). Remarkably, after a 15-year absence, the bond between the band and their Scottish fans has only strengthened. Expect to party like it's 1999 again; Hogmanay comes early this year.' John Power is only too familiar with what it's like to play alongside Oasis in Scotland. It was another gig here that helped put the band on the map. Inertia had set in for The La's with Lee Mavers halting progress at every stage, partly due to his obsession with the debut album's sound and a refusal to play or record new songs. Cast soon managed to build on a head of steam with a memorable sonic force during performances that buried those previous disappointments. Power said: 'Before it happens, you are working spiritually and physically towards a dream. As a band, we were all connected to it and cutting it live, through that, you are discovering this new ground, it's like heading towards the promised land. We knew we would see it, and we were getting there, which gave us that strength. When you do break, it's all about maintaining it like with Oasis or U2 you go into another stratosphere but for most of us having a top ten record, getting on Top of the Pops and meeting the fans. That's as good as it's ever going to be and that's more than most bands ever get a whiff of. At that time you can feel it happening and no one can get in the way or tell you otherwise.' Cast and The Verve both made an impact on fans as support at the Irvine Beach shows. As Cast walked off stage Noel Gallagher remarked that it was 'like a religious experience'. The line was picked up by a journalist and quoted in the press. 'Fine Time was massive in Scotland before we had a hit with it,' added Power. 'People would go off their nut.' Oasis gifted coveted support slots to both bands at key gigs, it was fitting that both The Verve's frontman Richard Ashcroft and Cast are both invited thirty years later as support for the long-awaited reunion. Power said: 'I think we are all really looking forward to seeing Noel and Liam walk on that stage together again in Edinburgh. Cast is in such a great place and we've got momentum, it's going to be a big year. The line-up is stratospheric with Richard Ashcroft as well – it's real northern soul rock n' roll, and here we all are thirty years later. It was easy to miss things back then because I was always looking forward. When the Oasis tour becomes the present time I'll be in the eye of the hurricane and right in the presence of it in all these places like Dublin and Edinburgh and the rest of them.' Next year will mark forty years since Power joined The La's, he now performs tracks such as Son Of A Gun, taking him full circle. 'The ifs and buts could go on forever, but those two voices together', he says of the hypnotic connection with Mavers, 'I did some of the best songs I ever wrote with Lee, together we were a force to be reckoned with, it's like letting the genie out of the bottle. I hope we can get together for a cup of tea and play together again, even if it's just in his kitchen'. Cast will support Oasis in Edinburgh on August 8, 9, and 12 along with Richard Ashcroft. Feeling Supersonic: From Manchester To Britpop by Simon Spence is out now Members of Cast – L_R Liam Tyson, Peter Wilkinson and John Power Like this: Like Related
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Love Island OGs enjoy sizzling night in the hideaway hours after shock split
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOVE ISLAND's Hideaway has been booked and busy with another couple checking in for an overnight stay. The Sun can reveal that fresh from his split with Shakira Khan, Conor Phillips and returning OG Megan Forte Clarke bunked up on Thursday night. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Conor and Megan bunked up together on Thursday night after her shock arrival Credit: Eroteme 4 The pair grew intimate under the covers. in the Hideaway Credit: Eroteme It comes after the Irish actress landed back in the villa as a shock bombshell on Tuesday night - in scenes that were shown on Wednesday's episode. Suddenly single Conor was thrilled to have her back, as he'd been floundering since she left as part of a viewer vote in week three. They spent Thursday night in the boudoir and grew intimate under the covers. A source said: 'Conor tried to kiss Megan in the Hideaway when they went in the daytime but she batted him off, that wasn't the case when they went back to the private space. Read more on Love Island SECOND CHANCE Love Island star confirms he's dating villa girl he wasn't in couple with 'They picked up right where they left off before Megan left and did bits and bobs under the duvet.' It comes after Conor and Shakira were seen breaking down in tears on Wednesday night's episode after they decided to call off their romance. She opened up to Toni Laites that she had "suppressed emotions" over Harry Cooksley on Love Island. This is despite the fact that he is in an exclusive partnership with Helena Ford. Just hours after their split, Conor and Shakira were seen cuddling up to each other as Shakira emotionally declared that she was "scared of losing" him. A topless Conor was then seen dabbing his eyes as he quietly broke down in tears. However, droves of viewers took to social media as they were left confused by the interaction. Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan asked: "Why were Conor and Shakira crying in bed over losing eachother… am I missing something?" A second enquired: "Why are they both so emotional? Shakira and Conor what's going on? "Conor crying? What's going on in this episode?," exclaimed a third viewer. 4 Megan landed back in the villa as a shock bombshell on Tuesday night Credit: ITV 4 Shakira and Conor decided to call it quits earlier this week Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2.
