Latest news with #ClubGretchen
Extra.ie
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
The Murder Capital have two German shows cancelled over plans to display Palestinian flag
'Us having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement, it is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation,' said the band in a statement. The Murder Capital have had two shows in Germany called off over their plans to display the Palestinian flag on stage. On Saturday, the band's gig at Club Gretchen in Berlin was cancelled after the venue heard of their intentions to show the Palestinian flag on stage, with a second concert in Cologne on Sunday cancelled for the same reason. 'We pulled in this morning, we had no idea that we weren't allowed fly [the Palestinian] flag here today,' said frontman James McGovern in a statement on Saturday. 'We found out early this afternoon.' The singer added that they suggested replacing the flag with a 'Free Palestine' banner, but that the venue would not have allowed that either. 'So it's not just about national flags, it's about political statements,' he said. 'And to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement.' The Dublin band played two impromptu acoustic gigs for fans, the first being outside the original venue in Berlin on Saturday and the second on the following evening in Cologne's Rheinpark. 'We arrived into Cologne this morning, hoping that what happened in Berlin yesterday would be an isolated incident,' McGovern said in another statement on Sunday. 'But tonight's venue, Gebäude 9, has also told us that we cannot have the Palestinian flag on our stage.' 'We've tried everything we can to find another venue for tonight's show, but it's been impossible. So we'll be putting on an acoustic show outdoors in a park somewhere this evening.' McGovern iterated that the band will continue to display the Palestinian flag, saying that it 'needs to be on our stage and needs to be as visible everywhere in the world as possible.' 'These people are being eradicated, being starved, being bombed, and these war crimes and this genocide is being committed by the Israeli state, and funded and supported by governments around the world. 'Us having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement, it is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation. But this is not history, it's happening right now, today. We stand forever with the people of Palestine. Free the people of Palestine. Love from us.' The situation follows similar cancellations for Kneecap, who had a number of shows in Germany pulled amid the fallout of their performances at Coachella. The Murder Capital are set to play a headline hometown show in the Iveagh Garden on. July 19. Tickets are available here.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
'It's a humanitarian statement': The Murder Capital have German gigs pulled for flying Palestinian flag
The Murder Capital have spoken out after multiple gigs in Germany were cancelled due to their use of a Palestinian flag during their performances. The Irish band was due to play at Club Gretchen in the German capital of Berlin on Saturday and at Gebäude 9 in Cologne on Sunday as part of a world tour supporting their third album, Blindness. The venues cancelled the shows, however, when they learned of the band's intentions to display a Palestinian flag on the stage during their performances, which they have done at all of their recent shows. Reacting to the news that their Berlin show had been cancelled, the band gave a speech outside the venue to many of their fans on Saturday and went on to play an acoustic show in the open air for those in attendance. Staying true to their stance on the genocide in Gaza, frontman James McGovern explained: 'I'm speaking totally from the band's point of view, I'm not speaking from our crew or our management or anything like that, okay? 'We pulled into Berlin this morning, we had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this flag here today. We found out early this afternoon. This is from the band's point of view. 'We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do. We came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. That was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes – what if they decide to cancel the show? We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that. And our decision was that we're gonna put the flag on stage." An important statement from the band about tonight's Berlin show. — The Murder Capital (@MurderCapital_) May 10, 2025 He said they considered replacing the flag with a banner reading 'Free Palestine', but he said the authorities would not allow this either. 'So it's not just about national flags, it's about political statements,' he continued. 'To us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it as people. It's not all about politics; it's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now. 'So, for us as a band who has had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it would be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage just so that the venue is kept happy. We don't agree with that. 'We wish live music and art and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. That's the way it is, so we'll be back to you as soon as we can, and we appreciate all your support deeply, but most importantly, free Palestine.' On Sunday, McGovern posted an update to the band's social media informing fans that their Cologne gig had also been cancelled - again because of the band's use of the Palestinian flag. A statement about tonight's show in Cologne. More details to follow. Free Palestine. — The Murder Capital (@MurderCapital_) May 11, 2025 McGovern said they had hoped that what happened in Berlin would be 'an isolated incident,' but quickly learned that Gebäude 9 would not allow the Palestinian flag on its stage either. He said they tried everything they could to find an alternative venue, but were unsuccessful, playing an outdoor acoustic gig for fans at Cologne's Rheinpark instead. 'Us having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement, it is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation,' McGovern said in a video posted on social media. 'We stand forever with the people of Palestine, free the people of Palestine. Love, from us,' he concluded. Fans of the band took to social media over the weekend to show their support and solidarity, commending the group for staying true to their beliefs and for standing with the Palestinian people. 'Second city/night in a row for the Murder Capital in Germany to me told they cannot have a Palestine flag on stage. Second city/night they've walked out. Massive solidarity,' one X user wrote. 'Love you lads. I'm an Irishman of Jewish heritage and I stand firmly with you,' another wrote. It comes as Kneecap's scheduled shows in Germany were recently cancelled in light of their outspoken comments at Coachella and elsewhere about the Israeli government's ongoing operations in Gaza. The backlash against Kneecap caused countless major artists to sign a letter written by their label Heavenly that stood up for artists' freedom of expression. The letter read: 'In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people.' The Murder Capital are due to play Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on Tuesday evening and have yet to post any update on whether this gig has been affected. Read More Young Offenders creator Peter Foott to make new film set in Kerry
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘We had no idea we weren't allowed' – Irish band breaks silence on having gig in Berlin cancelled over venue complaint
IRISH rock band The Murder Capital have broken their silence after having their gig in Berlin cancelled. The 2 The Murder Capital were set to perform in Club Gretchen in Berlin Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 The Dublin band made a statement after their show was cancelled However, when the band were setting up the stage on Saturday and displayed a Palestinian flag, as they have done at many shows, venue management informed them that this wasn't allowed. The Murder Capital took to their The band's frontman, James McGovern, told fans that he was just speaking "totally from the band's point of view". In the video, he said: "We pulled into Berlin this morning. We had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this [Palestinian] flag here today. read more on concerts "We found out early this afternoon. We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do. We came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. "That was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes - what if they decide to cancel the show? "We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that." James then discussed why they wanted to put the Palestinian flag on stage. Most read in Celebrity He added: "We put it up at about 2pm as we set up the stage, ready to play. After that, we said: 'We discussed a little bit on and off, would we replace the flag with a banner that said: 'Free Palestine'? They wouldn't allow us to do that either. "So it's not just about national flags. It's about political statements. And to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. Grammy-winning rock singer CANCELS tour in emotional statement after pulling out of a string of gigs – leaving fans devastated "We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it, as people. "It's not all about politics. It's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now. "So for us, as a band, who's had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it will be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage, just so that the venue is kept happy. We don't agree with that." He then went on to say: "We spoke earlier today about this, about how we wish live music and arts and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. 'WE'LL BE BACK' "That's the way it is. So we'll be back to you as soon as we can. We appreciate all your support deeply. But most importantly, free Palestine," which was followed by applause from the crowd. The concert venue in Berlin also posted a statement to their social media addressing the situation. The spokesperson said: "We are very sorry that the show with The Murder Capital didn't take place. "We, as venue, have a 'no national flag' policy since many years. That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue. "This is also written down in our venue specs, so that also artists get to know about that. During the sound check this late afternoon, it turned out that the band had a Palestinian flag on stage. "We asked them to take the flag away, but they decided that for them and their show, this flag is too important to be able to do the show without." "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges - beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful all at."
Sunday World
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Irish band Murder Capital have Berlin gig cancelled over Palestinian flag on stage
The Dublin post-punk band, established in 2018, were set to play a show in Club Gretchen in Berlin on Saturday. Irish band Murder Capital have had a gig in Berlin cancelled over a venue complaint about the band displaying the Palestinian flag on stage. The Dublin post-punk band, established in 2018, were set to play a show in Club Gretchen in Berlin on Saturday. The band were setting up the stage on Saturday afternoon with a Palestinian flag on display, as they have normally done for their recent shows, when venue management told them this was not allowed. The band posted a video on social media of them speaking to fans in Berlin, explaining the situation. In a video on Instagram, the band's frontman James McGovern said he was speaking 'totally from the band's point of view' and not 'their crew's or their management's'. 'We pulled into Berlin this morning,' Mr McGovern said in the video. 'We had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this [Palestinian] flag here today. 'We found out early this afternoon. We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do. We came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. 'That was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes - what if they decide to cancel the show? 'We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that,' he added. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Dublin band, which consists of five members – vocalist James McGovern, guitarist Damien Tuit, guitarist Cathal Roper, bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake, and drummer Diarmuid Brennan - decided that they were going to put the Palestinian flag on stage. 'We put it up at about 2pm as we set up the stage, ready to play. After that, we said: 'We discussed a little bit on and off, would we replace the flag with a banner that said: 'Free Palestine'? They wouldn't allow us to do that either,' McGovern said. 'So it's not just about national flags. It's about political statements. And to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. The Murder Capital. Photo: Getty News in 90 seconds - 11th May 2025 'We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it, as people. 'It's not all about politics. It's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now. 'So for us, as a band, who's had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it will be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage, just so that the venue is kept happy. We don't agree with that,' he added. He continued: "We spoke earlier today about this, about how we wish live music and arts and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. 'That's the way it is. So we'll be back to you as soon as we can. We appreciate all your support deeply. But most importantly, free Palestine,' he said, which was followed by applause from the crowd who gathered around the musicians. The venue in Berlin – Club Gretchen - which cancelled the band's show last night later posted a statement on social media to address the situation. "We are very sorry that the show with The Murder Capital didn't take place,' they said in a post on Instagram. "We, as venue, have a 'no national flag' policy since many years. That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue.' "This is also written down in our venue specs, so that also artists get to know about that. During the sound check this late afternoon, it turned out that the band had a Palestinian flag on stage. 'We asked them to take the flag away, but they decided that for them and their show, this flag is too important to be able to do the show without.' "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges - beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful all at,' a spokesperson added. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Murder Capital are currently on their Blindness World Tour and are due to perform in Cologne today, followed by gigs in Brussels, Nijmegen, Amsterdam, Paris, and Athens before coming to Dublin on July 19. They will then go on tour to the US, starting off in Seattle on September 22. It comes as several shows have been cancelled in Germany over Irish artists' public support for Palestine. Several gigs by Belfast rappers Kneecap were pulled due to their vocal support of Palestine and an investigation by the counter-terrorism police in the UK over on-stage comments that 'the only good Tory is a dead Tory'. Their headline shows in Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg in September, as well as performances at the Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany, were cancelled. Irish folk group Lankum had a gig in Leipzig cancelled in November 2023 due to the band's support for Palestine. In April, an Irish citizen was reportedly arrested in Berlin during a pro-Palestinian protest in front of the Irish embassy for leading chants in the Irish language at a demonstration. In the same month, two Irish protesters were facing deportation from Germany after taking part in pro-Palestinian protests. Shane O'Brien (29) and Roberta Murray (31), Irish citizens, were among four, including a Polish and a US citizen, facing deportation.
Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Irish band Murder Capital have Berlin gig cancelled over Palestinian flag on stage
The Murder Capital. Photo: Getty The Dublin post-punk band, established in 2018, were set to play a show in Club Gretchen in Berlin on Saturday. The band were setting up the stage on Saturday afternoon with a Palestinian flag on display, as they have normally done for their recent shows, when venue management told them this was not allowed. The band posted a video on social media of them speaking to fans in Berlin, explaining the situation. In a video on Instagram, the band's frontman James McGovern said he was speaking 'totally from the band's point of view' and not 'their crew's or their management's'. 'We pulled into Berlin this morning,' Mr McGovern said in the video. 'We had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this [Palestinian] flag here today. 'We found out early this afternoon. We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do. We came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. 'That was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes - what if they decide to cancel the show? 'We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that,' he added. The Dublin band, which consists of five members – vocalist James McGovern, guitarist Damien Tuit, guitarist Cathal Roper, bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake, and drummer Diarmuid Brennan - decided that they were going to put the Palestinian flag on stage. 'We put it up at about 2pm as we set up the stage, ready to play. After that, we said: 'We discussed a little bit on and off, would we replace the flag with a banner that said: 'Free Palestine'? They wouldn't allow us to do that either,' McGovern said. 'So it's not just about national flags. It's about political statements. And to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. 'We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it, as people. 'It's not all about politics. It's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now. 'So for us, as a band, who's had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it will be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage, just so that the venue is kept happy. We don't agree with that,' he added. He continued: "We spoke earlier today about this, about how we wish live music and arts and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. 'That's the way it is. So we'll be back to you as soon as we can. We appreciate all your support deeply. But most importantly, free Palestine,' he said, which was followed by applause from the crowd who gathered around the musicians. The venue in Berlin – Club Gretchen - which cancelled the band's show last night later posted a statement on social media to address the situation. "We are very sorry that the show with The Murder Capital didn't take place,' they said in a post on Instagram. "We, as venue, have a 'no national flag' policy since many years. That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue.' "This is also written down in our venue specs, so that also artists get to know about that. During the sound check this late afternoon, it turned out that the band had a Palestinian flag on stage. 'We asked them to take the flag away, but they decided that for them and their show, this flag is too important to be able to do the show without.' "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges - beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful all at,' a spokesperson added. The Murder Capital are currently on their Blindness World Tour and are due to perform in Cologne today, followed by gigs in Brussels, Nijmegen, Amsterdam, Paris, and Athens before coming to Dublin on July 19. They will then go on tour to the US, starting off in Seattle on September 22. It comes as several shows have been cancelled in Germany over Irish artists' public support for Palestine. Several gigs by Belfast rappers Kneecap were pulled due to their vocal support of Palestine and an investigation by the counter-terrorism police in the UK over on-stage comments that 'the only good Tory is a dead Tory'. Their headline shows in Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg in September, as well as performances at the Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany, were cancelled. Irish folk group Lankum had a gig in Leipzig cancelled in November 2023 due to the band's support for Palestine. In April, an Irish citizen was reportedly arrested in Berlin during a pro-Palestinian protest in front of the Irish embassy for leading chants in the Irish language at a demonstration. In the same month, two Irish protesters were facing deportation from Germany after taking part in pro-Palestinian protests. Shane O'Brien (29) and Roberta Murray (31), Irish citizens, were among four, including a Polish and a US citizen, facing deportation.
