'Credible threats' Musician hits out after cancelling city show

RADIOHEAD musician Jonny Greenwood has said his forthcoming UK shows were cancelled because of “credible threats”.

- Charlotte MCLAUGHLIN

The guitarist and keyboardist has collaborated with Israeli-born rock musician Dudu Tassa for more than a decade, and the pair were due to perform at Bristol Beacon’s Lantern Hall and London’s Hackney Church next month after releasing the record Jarak Qaribak in 2023.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (Pacbi), a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, welcomed the axing of the gigs.

It had launched a campaign for the venues to cancel the dates, claiming the duo's performances “would have whitewashed” the war in the Gaza Strip.

Yesterday, a letter from Greenwood, Tassa and their musicians said: “The venues and their blameless staff have received enough credible threats to conclude that it’s not safe to proceed. Promoters of the shows can’t be expected to fund our, or our audience's, protection.”

The letter added that the “cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don’t find that anything positive has been achieved.”