The pirate-themed metal band Alestorm are currently dealing with some controversy regarding an upcoming show of theirs scheduled to take place in Israel next month.
As reported by MetalSucks, a Palestinian fan of the band wrote to Alestorm with concerns about their Tel Aviv gig. Due to the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine, the fan explained that they physically won’t be able to attend the show due to Israeli checkpoints.
The fan also felt strongly that Alestorm’s performance would make the band complicit in the ongoing conflict, and stated that the “occupying power is using ‘music’ to whitewash their crimes.”
This communication took place via Instagram messaging, and has since caused a lot of online conversation after it was shared via the Instagram account Eye on Palestine and posted to the Reddit page r/IsraelCrimes. You can find posts related to the whole matter below.
When the Alestorm account did respond to the fan regarding this matter, this was their response:
“You should come to the show!”
The Palestinian fan said they could not come to this show due to Israeli checkpoints, to which the band replied with the following:
“Come and drink RUM.”
You can find the Instagram post below, as well as screenshots regarding the conversation that took place between the fan and that of the Alestorm Instagram account.
What do you make of all of this?
Per the caption associated with the Instagram post:
“🇵🇸#Palestine | A Palestinian activist contacted @alestormofficial , a Scottish band, to explain why he couldn’t attend their show in “Tel Aviv” on July 5, 2022, and urged them to withdraw because the occupying power is using “Music” to whitewash their crimes. “Come and drink Rum” is how they answered him, downplaying the Palestinian suffering is unacceptable. We urge you to reach out to them and urge them to withdraw immediately. No Music with Apartheid. Via @khaled.abuqare”
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