Irish bands tell SXSW: “Sponsorship from defence contractors is an act we find reprehensible”
nme.comCardinals, Chalk, Enola Gay, Gurriers and NewDad, gathered at downtown Austin’s Velveeta Room to show solidarity with Palestine amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
This came after it was revealed last week that the US Army was a “super sponsor” of the music, film, culture and tech festival as well as defence contractor RTX (Raytheon), which has supplied weapons to Israel.The venue was previously set to host the Music For Ireland showcase, while as per a report from Nialler9, Belfast’s Enola Gay were booked to play a separate, UK-led event via PRS funding.
According to US Today, more than 80 acts and panellists have pulled out of the event so far, with other names including Lambrini Girls, Rachel Chinouriri and Scowl.
By midweek, all Irish bands had pulled out of SXSW in solidarity.Pierce Callaghan of Dublin noise-punks Gurriers led the speech, while fellow drummer Fiachra Parslow – who performs in NewDad – took to the stage in a vintage Palestine football shirt.
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