News
10 of The Most Racist Bands Touring America?
Stephen Blackwell :: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 2:31 pm
Zach de la Rocha and Kanye West are rounding up artists to circumvent the state of Arizona while routing their summer tours and now Belinda Carlisle of Go-Gos fame has had the Lilith Fair Arizona date be cancelled. The artist ban on Arizona is in protest of the controversial SB-1070 law, which empowers police to profile denizens of Arizona in an effort to root out illegal immigrants.
The controversial law, often referred to as the “Papers Please” law, is viewed by lefties and artists as tyrannical and oppressive. Artists that have honored the activist call include Conor Oberst, Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against, Cypress Hill, Joe Satriani (!), Sonic Youth, Tenacious D, and Michael Moore.
But what should we make of the artists who haven’t? Touring artists will continue to make their way through Arizona this summer. Do they view West and de la Rocha’s activism as overwrought, ambitious and publicity hungry? Do they not care? Are they letting capitalism trump morality (Phoenix is a “top-tier” market, after all)? Or are they perhaps a little bit racist? Here’s a smattering of artists still hitting The Grand Canyon State:
Kings of Leon
The Kings of Christianity are steadfast practitioners of the less-observed 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not let Mexicans cross thy border.”
Cute Is What We Aim For
Racism, too. Racism is also what we aim for.
Green Day
Don’t want to be an American idiot, especially if it involves being surrounded by Mexicans. Jesus, for all the social change these guys talk about, the one chance they have at actually making an anti-government protest statement they blow. I must admit, you have to applaud the band’s thorough willingness to be dumb, blind and embarrassing. Shame on you, Green Day.
Deftones
The Deftones are Mexican. I repeat, the Deftones are Mexican. Self-hating Jews I’ve heard of, but self-hating Mexicans? This is a first.
Goo Goo Dolls I always thought the band’s name was cute. Goo Goo Dolls. Very cute. You know what’s not cute? Deporting a ten year old back to a country where he won’t be able to find food for two months.
The Gaslight Anthem
Look at their tough faces. Ridiculous. They’re from New Brunswick, NJ, which is more or less Mexico City. Have some hometown pride boys, defend tu gente.
Miike Snow
All the Mexicans in Sweden are expats so I guess Miike Snow deserve a pass. Still, it doesn’t help they look like the Klu Klux Klan in this photo.
Natalie Merchant
Merchant is an avid environmentalist and vegetarian, mostly because it’s a healthy and productive lifestyle, but also because she thinks animals are more important than immigrants.
mewithoutyou
Otherwise known as unitedstateswithoutmexicans.
Iron Maiden
Casual racism is a staple of eighties hard rock and metal bands, so I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Telling Maiden they can’t play Arizona because of a controversial law — they just wouldn’t get it. But do the Arizona police have to blast “Run to the Hills” every time they crackdown on Mexican holdout?
Sweden is one of the most openly racist and xenophobic countries in Europe.
Posted by: MikeNo June 2nd, 2010 at 2:59 pm
ugh. seriously? what an annoying article.
yes, I am against the Papers Please law, and I personally agree with the whole “concert boycott idea”. furthermore, I think that it’s surprising that Green Day would not agree with it, since when the whole campaign was introduced, Green Day was the first band I thought would sign on, considering their previously-established agenda, and am very curious as to why they would not cancel their tour.
that being said, this entire article was annoying, presumptive drivel. just because D+T believes that having a political agenda is what is most important for a band-more important than, oh, I don’t know, making music?-doesn’t mean that everyone who doesn’t agree is racist. You view their ambitions for NOT canceling the tour as pompous, apathetic, greedy and racist, which they may very well be. but you simultaneously completely fail to address a ridiculously obvious and dramatically less cynical explanation: maybe they don’t want to disappoint their thousands and thousands of devoted fans in Arizona? perhaps they decided that being loyal to their fanbase is more important than their political agendas? I know that, to a point, it was trying to be funny, but this article is so biased, single-minded and transparent that I feel like I’m watching Fox News.
Posted by: Seriously? June 3rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
I am not a fan of the Arizona law, but this article is disgusting, and just a short-sighted as that law is. Not everyone in Arizona is a racist. The government has a bad history of being “anti-color” (remember they were one of the 2 states which refused to initially honor MLK Day), but to say that a touring band that goes through Arizona is racist or “hates Mexicans” is downright disgusting, not based in fact, and only contributes to the negative. If you want to make a difference by being a journalist, then write a positive article. Something that gets people motivated to repeal the bill, spread the word about the problems of the bill…don’t just throw an anti-immigrant blanket over bands who are touring around the country, some of which aren’t Americans, so it’s not their fight. Do YOU care about the immigration issues of Turkey or France? Do you even know about the issues? Would YOU really boycot those places? Is the law wrong? YES. Does that make every single business which does business with Arizona residents racists? Of course not. Have some journalistic pride and responsibility. Do something POSIIVE with the power of prose instead of spreading the same kind of hate and disinformation that you’re upset over.
Posted by: Disgusted June 3rd, 2010 at 10:43 am
So bands should deprive their fans, who probably agree with them, of their art because of people who don’t agree with them live in the same state? That makes them racist? Who is to say these bands won’t use a live venue to preach their message against the law turning their show into a rally? Seems smarter to me than completely bypassing the state. And not racist at all.
Posted by: TM June 3rd, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Yall don’t really ‘get’ humor, do you?
Posted by: Nate June 3rd, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Hey. Moron who wrote this article not deemed to be called any kind of journalist, in case you lived in a shithole somewhere in the swamps, politics has always played a part in Alternative and Rock music.
Idiot.
Posted by: Flo June 3rd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Gotta laugh at yourself.
Posted by: Adam June 3rd, 2010 at 3:30 pm
This is one of the most stupid articles I have ever read on the Internet. Boycott Arizona? Fuckong boycott this piece of shit website
Posted by: Nonya June 3rd, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Hey. Moron who wrote this article not deemed to be called any kind of journalist, in case you lived in a shithole somewhere in the swamps, politics has always played a part in Alternative and Rock music.
Idiot.
Posted by: Emily June 3rd, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Stephen,
Many bands are under CONTRACT to perform in certain cities. Not everyone is willing to bail on their promoters and fans just to protest a law. Please go to Europe sometime so you can see just how common it is to be asked for your papers. It’s time for America to join the rest of the world!
Posted by: El Vato June 3rd, 2010 at 7:31 pm
OMGoodness!! the author of this “article” should be sued for slander. I wasted 90 seconds of my life reading this mess due to its misleading title. I will fporever boycott this site.
Posted by: Vanessa June 3rd, 2010 at 11:54 pm
It’s called irony. We all know Americans don’t understand irony, but that’s all this is. It’s not very funny, but c’mon guys, try to understand irony.
Posted by: Jay from Australia June 4th, 2010 at 9:13 am