Radiohead star Jonny Greenwood speaks out on cancelled shows with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood was due to play two shows with Israel-born musician Dudu Tassa in the UK in June.
However, the two have confirmed that the concerts at Bristol Beacon's Lantern Hall and London's Hackney Church will no longer go ahead after the venues decided it was "not safe to proceed".
Greenwood and Tassa posted a joint statement addressing the cancellations: 'The venues and their blameless staff have received enough credible threats to conclude that it's not safe to proceed.'
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (Pacbi), a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, welcomed the cancellations, claiming the performances would have "whitewashed" the war in Gaza.
'Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,' continued the statement by Greenwood and Tassa. 'Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won't help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves. This cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don't find that anything positive has been achieved.'
'We believe art exists above and beyond politics; that art seeks to establish the common identity of musicians across borders in the Middle East should be encouraged, not decried; and that artists should be free to express themselves regardless of their citizenship or their religion – and certainly regardless of the decisions made by their governments.'
The statement also referenced the statement signed by more than 100 artists regarding Belfast rap trio Kneecap.
UK politicians have been trying to pressure music festivals to remove Kneecap from festival line-ups this summer over alleged concert footage showing them calling for the death of Conservative MPs and appearing to support Hamas and Hezbollah.
Quoting the artist's statement expressing 'opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom', Greenwood and Tassa said: 'We have no judgement to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours.'
Greenwood has collaborated with Tassa for many years, and released the album 'Jarak Qaribak' with him in 2023.
Their statement also said: "We agree completely with people who ask 'How can this be more important than what's happening in Gaza and Israel?' They're right - it isn't. How could it be? What, in anyone's upcoming cultural life, is?"
Greenwood also faced opposition from pro-Palestinian groups last year after performing with Tassa in Tel Aviv amid the war in Gaza.
Greenwood reacted to the controversy at the time by writing: 'I've been collaborating with Dudu and releasing music with him since 2008 – and working privately long before that. I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile. And one that reminds everyone that the Jewish cultural roots in countries like Iraq and Yemen go back for thousands of years, is also important.'
'Anyway, no art is as 'important' as stopping all the death and suffering around us. How can it be? But doing nothing seems a worse option. And silencing Israeli artists for being born Jewish in Israel doesn't seem like any way to reach an understanding between the two sides of this apparently endless conflict.'
Greenwood concluded: 'So: that's why I'm making music with this band. You're welcome to disagree with, or ignore, what we do but I hope you now understand what the true motivation is, and can react to the music without suspicion or hate.'