AJR cancels Russian tour as a consequence of Ukraine invasion

By IANS

LOS ANGELES: Multiplatinum indie-pop trio AJR has cancelled their upcoming live performance date in Russia, scheduled for October after the nation struck Ukraine.

“We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia,” the band wrote on social media.

“Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. At this point, the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info.”

They’re hardly the one main Western act with tour dates scheduled within the nation. While the standing of many excursions is unclear given the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, dozens of artists are scheduled to carry out in Russia within the coming weeks, and particularly in the summertime, reviews selection.com.

According to artist web sites, Songkick and different sources, in Moscow alone, Saint Jhn, Tricky, Disclosure and Bring Me the Horizon have exhibits scheduled for March and April, with Khalid, OneRepublic, Yungblud, Girl in Red, Judas Priest, Denzel Curry, OneRepublic and a Green Day live performance at Spartak Stadium slated for May.

Those are only a preamble for what was trying to be a really busy summer season live performance season, together with the alt-rock-leaning Bol competition and two Park Live festivals together with summer season dates by Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Imagine Dragons, Bjork, Eric Clapton and others.

Geoff Meall, a London-based agent for Paradigm Agency, tells Variety: “We’ve got (multiple) of acts due to be going there from next month right through the summer — rock acts, alternative acts, a lot of electronic artists as well. As it stands, I can’t see any of those shows being able to happen.”

“Ukraine is an clearly an lively warfare zone so it is not possible to do a live performance there, and with Russia, first, each authorities is advising its residents to not go there until it is important enterprise — rock and roll most likely would not be thought of that — however extra, quite a lot of artists would not need to be seen as supporting the actions of that authorities in the meanwhile.

“This is not normal,” he provides.

“It’s a Western-ish, modern country, and I’m getting emails back from people there saying they were woken up at 5 a.m. yesterday by missiles hitting buildings close to them — that’s not a normal conversation we have with our promoters anywhere.”

“I asked how a friend there was doing and he’s bunkered in a metro station, it’s insane. People’s lives changed in 24 hours.”

While only a few Western acts carried out in what was then the Eastern Bloc till the dissolution of the Soviet Union within the late Eighties, the territory has turn out to be a profitable one: UK rock act Bring Me the Horizon has 10 dates in Russia and even one in Ukraine nonetheless on its tour schedule, and Meall says that Canadian act Three Days Grace did a 19-date tour within the nation just a few years again.

“It’s lucrative for artists,” he says.

“Over the last 15 years or so, a huge burgeoning middle class has grown there that wants to spend its money on entertainment, and there’s very, very low taxation rates on artists fees, sometimes none at all, and artists can make money at several very large festivals.”

However, none of that appears doubtless for a lot of months, if not years.

“Our thoughts are it’s going to be a long time,” he says. “You’ve got a postwar situation to deal with, even if it is over quickly, and the second part is that it would become a moral decision to play in Russia after this.”

However, some artists are already making their intentions clear: On Friday, Oli Sykes, lead singer of ‘Bring Me the Horizon’ — who has eleven April dates in Russia, Belarus and even Ukraine nonetheless listed on their web site — posted on Instagram: “My prayers are with Ukraine, it’s a very special country that I’ve visited/worked in many times, made lots of friends & has a special place in my heart. I can’t believe this is happening. Please be safe.”