In solidarity with Palestine, Irish queer band Pillow Queens have announced that they will not be performing at Latitude after discovering that Barclays will be the festival’s headline partner.
While Pillow Queens were scheduled to play at the UK festival this July, they are withdrawing from the festival due to Barclays’ “financial ties to companies producing weapons and military technology used in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians,” as reported by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
The band announced their decision in an Instagram post on Friday, May 24, sharing: “As a band we believe that artistic spaces should be able to exist without being funded by morally corrupt investors.”
They ended the statement with “Saoirse don Phalaistín”, translating to ‘Free Palestine’.
View this post on Instagram
Latitude is widely regarded as one of the UK’s biggest festivals, and more bands are expected to follow Pillow Queens’ example. Last month, one-third of acts scheduled to play at The Great Escape in Brighton pulled out of the line-up due to the festival’s ties to Barclays.
This is partially attributed to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign urging people to boycott Barclays after determining that it has provided over £6 billion in financial services to companies that sell weapons to Israel.
Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its genocidal military offensive in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Many fled their homes to avoid being killed in airstrikes, and estimates show that 90% of the population in the Strip has been displaced.
Earlier this month, the Israeli army started a series of assaults on Rafah, a small city where many Palestinians fled after Israel ordered civilians to evacuate south. It is now estimated that 1.5 million people are living there in tent camps and makeshift shelters after fleeing the bombardments.
Pillow Queens have previously been vocal about their support for Palestine, and fans have already shared their support over the decision to pull out of Latitude, commenting: “this is why you are my favourite group,” “Legends,” and “Amazing work women. Ye are mighty”.
View this post on Instagram
The four-piece indie rock band formed in 2016 made up of Pamela Connolly (lead vocals, guitar, bass), Sarah Corcoran (vocals, guitar, bass), Cathy McGuinness (vocals, lead guitar) and Rachel Lyons (vocals, drums).
Their debut album, In Waiting, was released in 2020 with phenomenal success, and in 2022, the band released Leave The Light On.
Their latest album, Name Your Sorrow has been described as the perfect break-up record about grief and heartbreak, and it was produced by Collin Pastore who has previously worked with Lucy Dacus and boygenius.
You can see Pillow Queens perform at their largest gig yet this summer in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on Saturday, July 13. The scenic venue can accommodate a crowd of 4,000, with tickets available here.
© 2024 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN has been a vital, free-of-charge information service for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
During this global COVID pandemic, we like many other organisations have been impacted greatly in the way we can do business and produce. This means a temporary pause to our print publication and live events and so now more than ever we need your help to continue providing this community resource digitally.
GCN is a registered charity with a not-for-profit business model and we need your support. If you value having an independent LGBTQ+ media in Ireland, you can help from as little as €1.99 per month. Support Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.