The Politics of EATB

by **morty** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:19 am

Has anyone been reading the political situation on EATB Facebook?

I notice EATB have now switched their Twitter account to private and have posted a message on Facebook re playing in Israel.

There seems to be numerous posts from fans asking them not to go due to the oppression of the Palestinians.

Personally I wouldn't be going anywhere near the Middle East right now.

A band switching their Twitter account to private is always a winner of a move in the marketing stakes . . .

Maybe it is a temporary thing while someone gets on Google to try and establish exactly why the Palestinians don't like Israel.
They may also find out at the same time the current unrest in the Middle East and wonder why exactly they are heading there in the not too distant future.

by **In The Margins** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:54 am

They must have received a lot of "hate tweets" (is that the right terminology?) to go private. LOL!

Why bother marketing at all? Doesn't seem like a bunnymen thing to do.... :wink:

As for them playing in Israel, they've played there before and the check cleared, so why not go back? Next stop Libya!

by **the ghost of guitarplayer** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:11 am

They probably didn't think about the political situation, or the response. If you remember various bands like the Pixies cancelled a gig in Israel last year after the Gaza flotilla raid.

I do geniuely feel sorry for the band on this one, as much as I would any other band - this is about music not politics and it is almost pathetic when some people try and turn it something related to the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Seems they were one of the bands specifically picked on by some pro-Palestinian Israeli group before and someone has even set up an Echo & The Bunnymen: Don't Play Apartheid Israel page on facebook, complete with a picture of a Bunnymen inside cover (I think) to make it look like there is blood dripping from the (1980s not present) band's hands. Given that, best if they pull out of it to be honest.

As for the Middle East, depends on where you go... I wouldn't want at the moment to play Bahrain, Sanaa, Damascus or hop on a plane over to North Africa and perform at the (Tripoli) T In the Park music festival.

Going private on Twitter is a wrong decision, but no idea what kind of twitters they were getting in regards to Israel. Seems there was a couple at least, but not nasty or anything. I suppose Mr Brian should be on his guard, but this forum is not open anymore, and it has nothing to do with the band anyway.

by **morty** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:46 pm

I too feel sorry for the band being made into a political scapegoat but this is reflective of the turbulent times we are living in and they would be best to cancel ASAP.

Given what has been happening in the last 2 months they should of canceled it a while ago - it was only announced a few weeks ago . . .

Who knows what is going to happen in the Middle East but it is highly unpredictable and Israel wouldn't be feeling too comfortable at the moment.

Now the West have stepped in to Libya and there is chaos and mayhem at the Egyptian borders it does not bode well.

I just wish the whole world could live as one.

by **Ivan** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:25 pm

morty wrote:I just wish the whole world could live as one.

imagine.

by **the ghost of guitarplayer** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:32 pm

Problem with cancelling is that it's bowing to pressure from a few pro-Palestinian activists who have singled out the Bunnymen specifically in an attempt to stop them playing in Israel. I don't think other events elsewhere in the Middle East actually have a relevance here. Editors played Tel Aviv last year and afterwards moreorless stuck their two fingers up at the people who were trying, pretty poorly, to make a political issue out of them appearing in Israel. Perhaps Mac should get on the blower to Tom Smith before making a decision.

by **morty** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:03 am

the ghost of guitarplayer wrote:l. I don't think other events elsewhere in the Middle East actually have a relevance here.

I wouldn't be getting on a plane to those regions right now would you?
Arab upheaval and civil unrest is mounting now combined with Western countries intervening - Israel or any where in the Middle East would not be the wisest place to be in the upcoming months, who knows what will happen.

If there is no movement toward peace as new Arab democracies take shape, negative views of Israel and the United States will strengthen.

Ultimately things may get better but it has only just started and it will get a whole lot worse before it even starts to resemble peace in that region.

All a bit similar to the beginnings of World Wars in my humble opinion.

To Ivan

You may say I'm a dreamer . . .

by **Voodoo Billy** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:31 am

morty wrote:You may say I'm a dreamer . . .

Maybe so, but you're the only one on here.

by **the ghost of guitarplayer** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 7:48 am

morty wrote:I wouldn't be getting on a plane to those regions right now would you?
Arab upheaval and civil unrest is mounting now combined with Western countries intervening - Israel or any where in the Middle East would not be the wisest place to be in the upcoming months, who knows what will happen.

If there is no movement toward peace as new Arab democracies take shape, negative views of Israel and the United States will strengthen.

Ultimately things may get better but it has only just started and it will get a whole lot worse before it even starts to resemble peace in that region.

All a bit similar to the beginnings of World Wars in my humble opinion.

At this precise moment in a time and certainly next month, I would actually be quite willing to get on a plane to Israel, other than the occupied territories (West Bank and Gaza), but would, obviously, be on my guard. Maybe in a year or two who knows. There is a constant threat of terrorism in Tel Aviv, especially in public places, but that risk is always there.

Besides, as far as I know in regards to the place the Bunnymen are/were due to play in Tel Aviv is only a short distance from Ben Gurion International Airport. So assuming there is any risk, fairly easy to get in and out. Anyway, I doubt there is a risk directly to the band themselves given the protests seem moreso to be coming from people sitting at their computers in the relatively safety of downtown New York.

I wouldn't be surprised if they do cancel, seems to be a lot of hassle and they don't appear to be one of these bands that would do it just to say fuck off, we just want to play to our Israeli fans - or later tomorrow there would be a live broadcast on the Bunnymen website of Mac standing on the steps outside Bunnymen HQ flanked by Will, Pete, Peasey and a strange man in a suit to announce to the world's media "The Bunnymen officially declare that they are not playing Tel Aviv as a political statement of our dislike of the Israeli regime and its policy towards the Palestinian people. Yeah. free Nelson Mandela!" - perhaps when they were younger. Problem is these protestors will think that they won a victory and claim that it was political activism that got the Bunnymen to cancel, no doubt writing messages on facebook saying how right they are not to support the Israeli government and shit like that. Guess at least it'd eventually get them off their backs.

by **In The Margins** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:52 am

It's not the first time a band has been targeted.

http://arablesbiansagainsthate.blogspot ... ck-on.html

Echo and the Bunnymen Under Attack on Facebook

Everytime an artist agrees to play in israel, a coordinated attack is unleashed. Letters and emails are sent to the artist and his/her manager. Faxes are sent. And their facebook page is swamped.

Echo and the Bunnymen are currently in the crosshairs. They follow in the footsteps of the Buzzcocks, macy Grey, Jethro Tull, and so many others. Their facebook page is filled with politics and polemics.

But there is also fraud. Check out the screen shot above. "Nick libya"( yeah right) has actually threatened to take out a fake Twitter account in the name of Echo and the Bunnymen, to "have some fun".

What I've learned from participation in these squirmishes before- the haters will stop at nothing to get their way.

by **In The Margins** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:05 am

Also, this blog makes it sound like the band has a real choice to play or not...

"Kieran Dunne" posted on the newly launched facebook page: "i think they will lose a lot of fans if they do,and i trust that we will make their online experiences a misery for a long time to come."

http://gailalfar.wordpress.com/2011/03/ ... id-israel/

Facebook Launches Page Asking Echo and the BUNNYMEN Not to Play Apartheid Israel

(It is Hell in Israel for Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank)
Facebook has launched: Echo and the Bunnymen : Don't Play Apartheid Israel asking the band to refrain from playing at the Tel Aviv Reading 3 venue, a small hall where the audience is often packed in with standing only. The Reading 3 venue allows foreign bands to fly conveniently into Tel Aviv, stay at a swanky chic hotel, play, then leave.
This routine makes certain that Echo and the Bunnymen do not have to be shocked by seeing the apartheid wall, the Palestinian people under occupation, or the checkpoints that Israel has constructed to ensure that it's Jewish residents live with the strong sensation of imagining they are victims where "…the world is against me, I must protect myself…"
Echo and the Bunnymen are scheduled to perform on April 26, 2011 at the Reading 3 club in Tel Aviv. We are asking Echo and the Bunnymen to support the Palestian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel until it abides by international law, stops its brutal occupation of the Palestinian people and recognises their right to return. We'd like them to follow the principled lead of other artists such as Roger Waters, Pete Seeger, Massive Attack, The Klaxons and Gorillaz Sound System, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Devendra Banhart, Faithless, Gil Scott-Heron, The Pixies, Snoop Dogg (Snoop was quoted as telling Palestinian-American hip hop producer Fredwreck “Why they building a wall around y’alls people’s shit. That’s fucked up, cuz.’)

by **the ghost of guitarplayer** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:35 am

In The Margins wrote:Also, this blog makes it sound like the band has a real choice to play or not...

"Kieran Dunne" posted on the newly launched facebook page: "i think they will lose a lot of fans if they do,and i trust that we will make their online experiences a misery for a long time to come."

Think they have lost enough fans over the years... a handful more won't make much difference to be honest. That Kieran Dunne bloke - sounds a bit retarded, bet he hasn't even been to a Bunnymen gig. "Nick Libya" complete with a pic of Gadaffi. LOL.

Perhaps it won't stop here. What are they going to do next, protest when the Bunnymen play North America because American Jews might attend their gigs? Great PR though, perhaps they should get in the recording studio quickly and get the next album churned out to capitalise. Never thought I'd see the Bunnymen in the middle of an internet political crisis. Call an emergency meeting of the United Nations. David Cameroon has attended Bunnymen gigs before hasn't he? Perhaps he can set up a no-fly zone over Liverpool :lol:

by **In The Margins** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 11:09 am

the ghost of guitarplayer wrote:Think they have lost enough fans over the years... a handful more won't make much difference to be honest. That Kieran Dunne bloke - sounds a bit retarded, bet he hasn't even been to a Bunnymen gig.

It does sound like he/they have no idea who the band is or what type of fan they attract. I'm chuckling that a few (or all?) of the rebel protesters were blocked from the EATB facebook page...

Also, EATB re-opened their twitter page. Good for them.

by **morty** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:42 pm

Voodoo Billy wrote:Maybe so, but you're the only one on here.

At least I can add up.

You are living in some fantasy land where a £10 bet will get you £65 on the conversion from $10.00 US - it is more like £16.

by **morty** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:53 pm

the ghost of guitarplayer wrote:

Problem is these protestors will think that they won a victory and claim that it was political activism that got the Bunnymen to cancel, no doubt writing messages on facebook saying how right they are not to support the Israeli government and shit like that.

Spot on Ghostie!

They really are being used by these protestors to further their cause.

Which is maybe why they should cancel due to political unrest in the region and the travel warnings that have been recently upgraded for travelling to Israel.

Or maybe Mac can just miss the plane - that always works.

The Politics of EATB

The Politics of EATB

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