Roger Waters’ seventh solo concert series This Is Not A Drill runs smoothly at all. The political views of the Pink Floyd musician even caused the German city of Frankfurt to cancel his upcoming concert. As of today, he will play three times in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. What’s up with that?
“Waters is an anti-Semite with one of the largest stages in the world,” the Frankfurt city council said last February. The city then announced that the former Pink Floyd frontman’s concert scheduled for May would not take place. “The reason for this cancellation is his continued anti-Israel behavior.”
Water regularly speaks out against the Israeli government and its treatment of Palestinians. He repeatedly refers to Israel as an “apartheid state”. He compares the situation in the country to the time of apartheid in South Africa. He also regularly compares the Israeli government to Nazi Germany. The musician calls for a cultural boycott of Israel. Artists who do perform in the country can count on considerable criticism from him.
His expressions are not new: Waters already had a pig balloon fly through the room during his performance at Rock Werchter in 2013. On the beast was a Star of David (Jewish symbol) to see. Ten years ago, this already caused quite a stir, especially among Jewish media and organisations. They regularly sound the alarm about statements made by Waters or the theories he espouses.
Frankfurt does not want Waters, will Berlin and Cologne follow?
What makes Waters’ May 28 performance in Frankfurt even more sensitive is the location where it was scheduled. He was to play in the Festhalle, a concert hall that was used in 1938 to gather hundreds of Jews. They were mistreated and transported from the hall to concentration camps. A monument stands in front of the building to commemorate these events. The Frankfurt city council thinks it is inappropriate to give a concert by Waters there.
In Cologne and Berlin, too, after Frankfurt’s decision, there are voices to put a stop to Waters’ concerts. The musician has to perform there in May and does not leave it at that. He has hired a law firm to ensure that no more of his shows are at risk.
Waters denies being an anti-Semite and says he only has problems with the Israeli government. He therefore believes that canceling his concerts is unlawful and dangerous for artists and musicians who express themselves. It seems that the last word has not yet been said about the show in Frankfurt. It is also still in the agenda of the Festhalle and Waters itself.
Krakow repels Waters as well
Frankfurt is not the first city to try to keep Waters out. The Polish city of Krakow announced last year that its concerts scheduled for April this year will not take place.
In this case, it is Waters’ views on the war in Ukraine that are met with resistance. The musician addresses in an open letter to Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska. Waters argues that “nationalists in Ukraine have provoked war with Russia”.
For Poland, which has acted as an outspoken ally of their neighbor since the invasion of Ukraine, this is reason enough not to receive Waters.
In the Netherlands ‘just’ three shows
But what about the Netherlands? The Israel Information and Documentation Center speaks in it AD fiercely against Waters, but does not advocate a boycott. They do ask the board of the Ziggo Dome, where the concerts take place, to keep a close eye on the show. If there are anti-Semitic statements, they are still in favor of a boycott.
Concert organizer MOJO has already announced that it does not intend to cancel the shows. “About 50,000 people look forward to these concerts. We have been organizing his shows for years for musical reasons, but that does not mean we support his statements. Artists more often have a (political) opinion that they express, which is part of their artistic and personal freedom,” said a spokesman.
And the public in Amsterdam had better prepare for that political opinion. In fact, Waters begins every show on the tour with no mistaking words: “If you’re one of those people who likes Pink Floyd but can’t stand my political opinions, it’s better if you go to the bar now.”
