reflections
Glastonbury, genocide and manufactured outrage: What the ‘controversy’ over Bob Vylan reveals about the British mediascape today by Elia J. Ayoub
I wasn’t going to write about Glastonbury in this newsletter, I swear I wasn’t!
But the manufactured outrage of the British press has persisted, demonising comments made by artists, including punk duo Bob Vylan and Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, in favour of Palestinian justice. The story lives on, which has made the continued discourse inevitable. Fellow shado editor Elia J. Ayoub’s article on what this outrage tells us is a must-read.
So here I am. And here you still are (maybe?)
it’s bigger than glast-o
As attendees revel in the afterglow of the iconic festival, Bob Vylan is still being investigated by Somerset police for remarks said during their Glasto set (specifically the chant: ‘Death, death to the IDF’). But it has since emerged that the group is also being investigated by the Met for similar remarks said at an earlier London gig in May.
This furore has led to frontman Bobby Vylan warning the crowd at a recent 100 club gig – which was sold out and looked sick by the way – to be careful of their own speech being policed. When parts of the audience chanted his now infamous slogan, the singer replied, “You’ll get me in trouble…apparently every other chant is fine but yous [sic] will get me in trouble,” before leading the whole room in a chorus of ‘Free Free Palestine’.
In addition, Kneecap’s Mo Chara is still facing terror charges for alleged past statements, though one of the charges has since been dropped. His full trial will take place August 20 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, with a large protest expected outside. So what does this all tell us?
saying the ‘wrong’ thing is worse than actually doing crimes
It seems the Starmer government and the police are keen to make examples of these publicised incidents, to deter future protests and actions against British complicity in Israeli crimes. This has also occurred alongside the proscription of direct action group Palestine Action.
Think about what generates the most outrage in our country: the fact that Britain cooperates with Israel to commit a genocide on Palestinians, or the anti-war words of a few artists? What about burning an effigy of refugees, which was organised in a town near Belfast by loyalist groups – has that dominated the news cycle in the same way criticism of Israel does?
Elia’s article perfectly summarises my feelings about this whole scandal: “The controversy has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with creating a hierarchy of worthy and unworthy lives.”
who is valued, who is not
There is no sense of proportionality to the British state. It’s hard to come to any other conclusion than this: the political class deems some lives to be worth more than others. It illustrates the disdain that the establishment has for Palestinians, and for so many of us who simply want a just and equal world. Protestors, activists or anyone remotely disturbed by what’s going on in Britain are potential targets for shutdown and censorship.
This supposedly centre-left government is using draconian powers to silence dissent on the Palestine issue specifically, but the apparatus for this crackdown will remain in place for a future Reform government to take away more of our rights under various guises. Another win for our Human Rights Lawyer (?) PM.
I don’t think we can, or should, go into this darkness quietly.
~ Tommy
smirk of the week 😏
offbeat optics
AI-Generated Band Already Boast Over 500,000 Monthly Spotify Listeners
The very NOT REAL psych-rock band The Velvet Sundown has gained over 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners and released two albums in a single month. Nobody knows where this band appeared from, and hints of them being AI led to online speculation. Some signs were more obvious than others, such as their album on Deezer carrying the disclaimer: “Some tracks on this album may have been created using artificial intelligence.” Maybe also the following image?
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