The former Pink Floyd also criticized Jonny Greenwood in the past
Roger Waters needled Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwoodmusicians from Radiohead and The Smile.
The formerPink Floyd is a supporter of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which supports the economic and cultural boycott of Israel.
In 2017, Waters had already spoken out against the decision of the Radiohead to perform in Tel Aviv. He signed a letter alongside other artists to ask the band not to play in Israel, where “a system of apartheid has been imposed on the Palestinian people”.
Now, in a new interview, the musician returned to the topic, revealing that he even exchanged emails with Yorke at the time of the first clash over Israel. Waters argued to The Empire Files podcast (via NME): “I wrote a sort of email where I said, ‘I’m sorry if you thought I was being confrontational.'”
“He wrote back and said, ‘Usually people on one side of the argument at least have the decency or grace or whatever to have a conversation,'” he continued. “So I wrote back and said, ‘Thomthe BDS people have been trying to talk to you for months! And me too!'”
The conversation doesn’t seem to have ended well, as Waters added: “This guy is a complete idiot.” Watch the interview:
History of controversies
Johnny Greenwood performed in Israel alongside the Israeli musician Dudu Tassa in June this year. The duo performed tracks from the collaborative album Jarak Qaribakreleased last year.
The show would have taken place one day after Greenwood participated in protests calling for the freedom of alleged Israeli hostages held in Gaza. He would also have spoken out in favor of new elections and against the Israeli government (via NME).
During the performance in Tel Aviv, fans chanted for peace, while Tassa stated: “There are musicians here, not politicians. Music has always worked, may we live better days and return safely.”
The wife of Greenwood, Sharona Katanis Israeli. One of his relatives served in the Israeli army and lost his life during the war against Palestine.
In October, Thom Yorke He left the stage during his own show in Melboune, Australia, after an audience member mentioned the war between Israel and Palestine. The protester shouted: “Israeli genocide in Gaza! How can you remain silent in the face of conflict?”
The vocalist of Radiohead and The Smilethen asked the fan to come on stage to speak to him face to face. “Come up here and say this,” asked the musician. “Right here! Come on! Come here to the f*cking stage and say what you want to say!”
When left unanswered, Yorke he stated before leaving the stage: “Do you want to ruin everyone’s night? Okay, you do. See you later then.” As reported by the public (via People), the artist returned shortly afterwards to play “Karma Police”, a hit by Radiohead.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
